When the winds go crazy at the Olympics...: Laser world champion Buhl under pressure, skiff aces sting

Crazy winds, capsizes, collisions, breakages and crashes of favourites: Many of the 350 sailors will not soon forget the third day of the Olympic regatta in Enoshima. The Sagami Bay area was a moody diva and made enormous demands on the medal hunters in Japan. Weather forecasts were difficult to make in the past few days and were rarely accurate. On this Tuesday, the sailors were required above all to show instinct, acrobatics, flexibility and the ability to take things in their stride. While signs warning of strong winds were posted everywhere in the Olympic harbour in the morning and even some doors of the media centre were locked for safety reasons, the wind only briefly tugged at tent roofs and anchors around midday before almost disappearing completely. The wind was similar for the athletes on the courses: initially gusty and wild on the coastal courses, later decreasing sharply, but still so fickle that it drove many a favourite to despair.

Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel mastered the challenges best in the German Sailing Team. The crew from the Norddeutscher Regattaverein sailed confidently to third place in their first race. Their other races had to be postponed to the following day after a long wait and a cancelled race in unfair conditions. "The result is nice to have in the bank. It's certainly in the savings book now," said foreskipper Plößel with a wink. The Rio bronze medallists could hardly have got off to a better start. Their sparring partners Diego Botin Le Chever and Iago López Marra sailed to fifth place. This is more or less how the Germans and the Spaniards had imagined the reward for their close co-operation in preparation for the Olympics. The common goal of the international training group: to attack the defending champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke. The 2016 Olympic champions from New Zealand are - as they have been for the past five years - the top favourites for this Olympic summit. However, they wobbled more than usual at the start, only finishing in twelfth place. The high-flyers had started on the wrong side in the early stages of the race and had to work their way up from the very back of the field. They succeeded impressively, but finished in twelfth place. Which is why the score after day one of the men's skiff regatta is 1:0 in favour of the German-Spanish training team against the holders of the throne. Before the start of the Olympic regatta, Erik Heil had calculated that "a five-man cut" would lead to the medals. After third place on the first day, he said with a smile in Enoshima: "We now have a two-point advantage." The young Irishmen Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove surprisingly took the lead in the 49er on Tuesday, ahead of the Brits Dylan Fletcher-Scott and Stuart Bithell.
The 49erFX women were in action before the men. They had to deal with much stronger winds of around twelve to 19 knots. Not an easy task, as helmswoman Tina Lutz had already explained in advance. After weeks of moderate winds, the skiff sailors experienced pressure for the first time right at the start of the Olympic Games. "You actually want to practise that beforehand," explained Lutz. However, the German sailors coped well with the conditions, while other co-favourites faltered in the battle for the medals. Olympic champions Martine Grael and Kahena Kunze fell victim to a jammed gennaker sheet and only finished 15th in the windy opening race after a strong start. New Zealand's Rio silver medallists Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech experienced a black day, capsizing in race one, catching an early start in race two and only slightly improving their sobering interim result with fifth place in the third race. Britons Charlotte Dobson and Saskia Tidey, on the other hand, successfully put the pedal to the metal and lead the standings with just two points to their name after two wins on the day and sixth place. Charlotte Dobson, who is engaged to 49er helmsman Dylan Fletcher, said with a smile: "If someone had offered us this result for day one before the start, we would have ripped their arm off for it." Winners and losers alike reported "completely crazy winds" and "totally unpredictable conditions" on the day.

Tina Lutz and Susann Beucke were delighted to have almost exactly met the target set by successful coach Ian Barker for day one of the medal hunt. "He predicted seventh place," said Susann Beucke, "which we exactly fulfilled with our average rankings. Maybe he'll be the new oracle now?" The German skiff sailors also had to survive a few scary moments when the Norwegian 49erFX suddenly and unpredictably crashed into the German boat shortly before rounding a turning mark. The European champions escaped with a scare and a broken piece of their port wing, while Helene Næss and Marie Rønningen not only guiltily completed their penalty curl, but also capsized as a result. "We're just not used to these winds," said Næss.

The results of the German laser sailors were sobering on Tuesday. Svenja Weger was once again unable to build on her gala performance at the start and slipped back to 17th place. And then this: Laser World Champion Philipp Buhl, who was in sixth place after two days and had such good prospects, found himself in 13th place in the evening. "It was difficult and disappointing," said the 31-year-old from Sonthofen candidly. He had imagined his third day at the Olympics to be so different. He was able to pinpoint the reason for his heavy setbacks: "I underperformed. There was a big mistake in every race today." The fact that he was in fifth place in a cancelled race did not make his assessment any easier. "In the last race, for example, I was ninth after the gate, took a look at the compass and decided: high bow. That cost me almost 20 places in a promising position." Buhl has the rest day on Wednesday to process what he has been through and to re-motivate himself for the remaining four races until the medal final on 1 August. He will and wants to go through all phases: "From disappointment, frustration and anger to acceptance, analysis and realisation to conclusions, aggression and motivation."

Philipp Buhl will have to bring out the best in himself to get within striking distance of the medal he is hoping for and avoid experiencing Rio déjà vu. In 2016, the fair player had to come to terms with 14th place and bravely congratulate the winners. He was more bitterly disappointed with his result back then than he showed publicly. By winning the 2020 World Championship title, he had redeemed himself and shown what he was capable of. "Buhli deserved a medal because of the last Olympic Games and his performances. I wish him all the best," 49er helmsman Erik Heil had wished his companion and friend before the regatta. This task has now become very big, but not quite impossible.

The oldest member of the Laser fleet has improved his prospects. Double Olympic champion Robert Scheidt, who is fighting for his sixth medal at his seventh Olympic Games, is in third place behind Pavlos Kontides (Cyprus) and Matt Wearn (Australia). Even as a 48-year-old, the Brazilian remains what Philipp Buhl had already attested to him before the regatta: very dangerous.

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