Olympic sailing: DSV sailors open Palma regatta with day wins

The start of the season was impressive: The top performers in the newly named German Sailing Team of the German Sailing Association (DSV) are in good shape just in time for the start of the season. Both the experienced 49erFX Olympic participants Vicky Jurczok and Anika Lorenz from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club and the young runner-up in the Junior World Championship Hannah Anderssohn were able to put themselves in the limelight with one win each on the day. The Berliners are in fourth place after the first two qualifying races. Laser Radial helmswoman Hannah Anderssohn is 44th overall because she was unable to compete in the second race due to knee problems and had to debit her account with a "DNC" as a cancellation result.

Laser helmsman Philipp Buhl also made a convincing start to the regatta, finishing tenth overall in 9th and 2nd place. "I didn't get off to a good start in the first race. But then I was able to work my way forwards," said the Sonthofen native, "things went better in the second race. Starting well is simply more fun!" His younger team-mates Theodor Bauer and Nik Aaron Willim, who started in a preliminary group with Buhl on Monday, achieved outstanding individual results with a third place each. After the first qualifying day, they are in 31st and 32nd place.

The newly formed southern German 470 duo Simon Diesch and Philipp Autenrieth sailed to 6th place with strong 4th and 3rd places at the start, while the 49er crew Tim Fischer and Fabrian Graf followed suit with two convincing third places. Frederike Loewe and Anna Markfort also had a good start to the classic off Mallorca in the first two races, finishing in 7th place in the evening. 49er bronze medallists from Rio, Erik Heil and Thomas Plößel, are not competing off Palma. Like other teams, they will not start their season until April at the Sailing World Cup off Hyères.

A total of 833 sailors will be racing in the Spanish waters. The regatta ends on 1 April with the final races. Further information and the results can be found here: www.trofeoprincesasofia.org.