470 Mixed World Championships: Double strike off Mallorca - Diesch/Markfort demonstrate maximum strength
Tatjana Pokorny
· 01.03.2024
Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort are on course for a medal at the 470 Mixed World Championship. The sailing duo shocked the competition on Friday with two race wins in fresher winds of 14 to 16 knots. As a result, the top crew from the German Sailing Team moved up to second place in the World Championship field of 61 crews from 25 nations.
Back in the top three with two wins
Before the last two races of the gold fleet on Saturday and the medal final on Sunday, the helmsman from the Württembergischer Yacht-Club and his fore-sailor from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club were only four points behind the leading Japanese team of Tetsuya Isozaki and Yurie Seki (39 points) with 43 points on their World Championship account. One point behind the German crew was a second Japanese team, Keiju Okada/Miho Yoshioka. The Spanish co-favourites Jordi Xammar and Nora Brugman are lurking in fourth place with 49 points after nine races.
While Yurie Seki, who sails with Tetsuya Isozaki, is one of the smallest foresailors in the 470 fleet, Anna Markfort is one of the tallest sailors in the boat fleet at 1.85 metres. On days like this Friday, when leverage is so helpful, Diesch/Markfort can benefit from their constellation. While they have worked hard over the winter to improve their light wind speed, they proved on World Championship Day 4 that they have lost none of their strong wind skills.
Eat more, sleep more, rest more - then attack!" (Anna Markfort)
Commenting on her double on Friday, Anna Markfort said: "Everything went really well today. We were more or less able to start where we wanted. We understood the conditions well and had good boat speed, so we were already in the top 2 at the first buoy in both races. The first race had more of an offshore character with shifty and gusty winds. Before the second race, the wind shifted to the left - as predicted - and then levelled out again."
With a view to two more windy final days, which play to Diesch/Markfort's strengths, the foresailor summarised her plans succinctly: "Eat more, sleep more, rest more - and then attack."
The battle for a place in the medal final
All other German crews have to fear and fight for their place in the medal race of the top ten World Championship crews. However, after two thirds of the six-day series, Malte and Anastasiya Winkel (Schweriner Yacht-Club/Norddeutscher Regatta Verein) moved up to 14th place on Friday with 86 points despite two mediocre 16th places. Before the two remaining Saturday races, 16 points separated the sailing and married couple from tenth place.
After the strong performance of his crew on the previous day, helmsman Malte Winkel had his doubts about Friday's performance, saying: "If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. We actually had a good speed and a good feeling on the water. It was all about being fast today. We had a bit more wind and waves again and felt quite comfortable."
But in the first race of the day, the Winkels had taken the wrong side of the course and were too far to the left. "We then tried to go to the right and were penalised for it. We were third last at the cross buoy, but then we did everything we could to turn it into a respectable result and are mega happy that we were able to move up to 16th place thanks to good downwind stretches and a good second cross." In the second race, the Winkel duo touched a Portuguese team. The subsequent double penalty curl threw them a long way back. However, another successful race to catch up led to 16th place.
An overnight repair and many hopes
"It took a lot of fighting spirit. On top of that, our ship is still broken and needs to be repaired. Fortunately, we found someone to do it overnight. Our boat will be ready again tomorrow. And so will we," announced Malte Winkel. The 470 helmsman continued: "We're expecting a bit more wind tomorrow. We definitely feel comfortable there. The gap to the medal race is already quite big, but it's still absolutely possible. The strategy is to put everything into it again. Just like we did today - with that little bit more luck. It's not over until it's over."
In 16th and 18th place, Theresa Löffler/Christopher Hoerr (90 points) and Luise Wanser/Philipp Autenrieth (93 points) have not yet given up their hopes of reaching the final of the 470 Mixed World Championship. "The last race ... We can still do it! We believe in it," said Luise Wanser after third place in race nine.
The Hamburg native's review of second place in race nine: "We had a good start, sailed nicely to the left, there was more wind. Everything went as we had planned. Then we had a good lead and always stayed ahead of the field. We also had a little battle with Simon. He was first. That was also exciting and fun." Luise Wanser had this to say about the final weekend of the World Championships: "We'll try our very best. Let's see if it's enough."
