Italians triumph at Youth Olympic Games venue
From 13th to 17th of November San Isidro Sailing Club in Buenos Aires hosted the 2017 South American Windsurfing Championships. The event was a great chance for the Techno293 Plus sailors to test the venue of the Youth Olympic Games in 2018.
That being, apart from talented sailors from the continent we also had some young windsurfers from the US, the Netherlands and Italy on the spot.
Giorgia Speciale, the 2017 Techno293 Plus World Champion from Quiberon France, was in Buenos Aires preparing for her YOG goal. “Quiberon was the first step because we qualified the nation” – she said. “Here is the second step because in Buenos Aires I can test the conditions of the venue and I think it is a big opportunity to see the place of the Youth Olympic Games” – she added.
Jim Van Someren from the Netherlands was another sailor preparing for the YOG. “It is a lot of different conditions, every day something different on the water and it is really hard.” – Jim said. Peruvian coach, Juan Carlos Gonzalez, confirmed this and explained: "Each day it changes, one day we have wind, the current, the sun; another we had rain; we get a lot of wind, we get no wind - it depends on the day, the time, always different. It is not an easy place to sail, very hard. The locals are always in the front, you have to try and catch up with them!"
At the end of the day it was the Italians Nicolo Renna and Giorgia Speciale, who were victorious racing the Techno293 Plus at the Youth Olympic Games venue Open Trophy. It did not come easy however as the battle between Giorgia and the local Celina Saubidet Birkner was only decided on the final race. Third was Enrica Schirru from Italy. As for the men, Jim Van Someren from the Netherlands and Belisario Kopp from Argentina came second and third. Celina and Belisario are the new South American Techno293 Plus Champions.
The next step in the Youth Olympic Games Journey is the African Qualification Tournament starting on the 27th of November at the Moonbeach Resort, Red Sea, Egypt. The regatta will be a chance for two more nations both in men and women windsurfer to qualify for the Games.
South American Windsurfing Championships results - http://sa2017.internationalwindsurfing.com/results
South American Windsurfing Championships photos - http://sa2017.internationalwindsurfing.com/gallery/photos
South American Windsurfing Championships videos - http://sa2017.internationalwindsurfing.com/gallery/videos
African Qualification Tournament - http://africans2017.internationalwindsurfing.com/