Global Sailing Highlights World on Water Dec22.23 Finsls WMRT, ULTIM World Race, IQFoil, Maiden NZ

Highlights of what happened globally in the sport of sailing in the last 7 days.
There will be six “Giants of the Seas” to set off from Brest, with a solitary skipper on board, who will attempt to complete a circumnavigation of the world from West to East, via the 3 capes (Good Hope, Leeuwin and Horn). . A human and technological challenge carried by the sailors of the Ultim 32/23 Class accompanied by their shipowners and partners.
Some of them have already completed the journey in a multihull and single-handed: Francis Joyon, Dame Ellen MacArthur, Thomas Coville, François Gabart; notably as part of solo round the world record sailing campaigns, but no one has ever done it in a race!

This is your weekly Global Sailing Highlights shoe, the World on Water, for the week ending December 22, 2023.

Action-packed and filled with unexpected turns, day four of the 2023 WMRT Final in Shenzhen, China saw the emergence of the final four. The conclusion of the last two flights of the round-robin phase set the stage for the top eight to progress to the quarter-finals. Among them, New Zealand's Megan Thomson clinched the final spot in the top eight, triumphing over Denmark's Jeppe Borch and Italy's Rocco Attili on countback. Thomson, steering 2.0 Racing, capitalised on their eighth-place finish, dethroning the regatta's reigning champion.

Over 400 athletes from 62 nations, all aged 19 and under, participated in the championship on the Manguinhos, Branca, and Feia courses. The ICAB and Búzios Sailing Club hosted the event.
Brazilian sailors Joana Gonçalves and Gabriela Vassel placed Brazilian sailing back at the top of the podium in another high-level international competition. This Friday 15th, the duo from the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club secured the gold medal in the 420 class at the 52nd edition of the Youth Sailing World Championships held in Búzios, Brazil, with a dominant campaign marked by consistency.

Sharon Kantor and current world champion Luuc Van Opzeeland won the I Q Foil 37event, a great warm-up for the World Championship which will be held in January as part of the Lanzarote International Regatta.
The event which is an important regatta on the Olympic windsurfing circuit was organised by Marina Rubicón for the second time this season. Just as the first event in January was a great success, so too was this one, once again highlighting the unique potential as it delivers great conditions and an excellent infrastructure.

the most iconic finish in Leg 2 of the Ocean Globe Race was reserved for Maiden and her female crew, skippered by the well-respected skipper, Heather Thomas. They crossed the line at 07hr 39m 01 seconds, on the 14th December after 38 days of sailing from Cape Town. They were joined by Steinlager 2 and Lion New Zealand, as they sailed towards the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, all three yachts sailed into Auckland in the 1989 race.

Britain’s Ian Williams has clinched his seventh Match Racing World Championship title with his Chinaone. Ningbo team of Jon Gundersen, Richard Sydenham, and Gerrard Mitchell. His victory in the 2023 WMRT Final sets a new record for the most championship wins in the Tour’s history.
Williams had to work hard to earn his victory, battling Megan Thomson in the semi-finals and Gavin Brady in the final. Thomson, who eliminated round-robin winner Björn Hansen, managed to secure a win against Williams in their semi-final match before he claimed his spot in the final with a score of 3-1.

On the first day of the Foil Academy International Trophy, part of the Next Generation Foil Academy project powered by Luna Rossa, the absence of wind was the defining feature. Due to this, the initial races of the Waszp discipline were not held.
On December 20, athletes were involved in the skipper meetings starting 9:30 A M, and races for three disciplines, - Wasp, Wingfoil, and i Q FOil, - were commence at 11:00 AM, in the waters in front of of the Su Siccu promenade in the city of Cagliari.