Trofeo Princesa Sofía: Lightning start on course LA28 - Diesch/Markfort in the lead

Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort wanted to win a medal together in the newly Olympic 470 Mixed at the 2024 Olympic Games. They had previously narrowly beaten Malte and Anastasiya Winkel in the highly competitive German elimination and were considered co-favourites in the battle for Olympic medals.

What followed has long been history: Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort didn't get off to a good start in the hot lulls of Marseille, before overly harsh penalties added insult to injury. What remained were tears, disappointment and 14th place, but despite everything, unforgettable Olympic moments with the team, enduring passion for their sport and the unquenched hunger of two sailors who want more, have more potential and want to prove it in the coming years on course for the 2028 Olympics.

New start at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía

The decision for another joint Olympic campaign had already been made in autumn 2024. At the German Championship off the island of Reichenau on Lake Constance, they had wanted to end the year in a relaxed and conciliatory manner in Simon Diesch's home waters. That's when they won the title. And more importantly, they had a lot of fun together in the field of 40 boats, even in the rain and gusty winds.

Afterwards, we looked deep into each other's eyes and said: That can't be it yet." Anna Markfort

The starting signal for another attempt has now been given for 30-year-old Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort, who is one and a half years older. On course for the 2028 Olympics, they are among the most experienced players in the German Sailing Team. They will be joined by up-and-coming sparring partners Theresa Löffler/Christopher Hoerr (Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club/Segelclub Breitbrunn Chiemsee) and other up-and-coming crews who want to ensure that the double-handed dinghy remains an ace up the DSV's Olympic sleeve.

Steve Lovegrove, whose compatriot Dom Tidey is the new head coach of the German Sailing Team, will remain the 470 Mixed Seniors coach in the new Olympic cycle. This is the first time he has led the team in this role at a major regatta.

New team, new luck for Winkel/Schütze?

Among the promising German 470 mixed duos are Malte Winkel (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein/Schweriner Yacht-Club) and his new foresailor Paula Schütze (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein). After narrowly missing out on qualifying for the Olympics last year, helmsman Malte Winkel also wants to give it another go in a new constellation.

After just a few weeks in the same boat, the newly formed duo were able to shine in December with second place at the pre-Christmas classic in Vilamoura. "That provided a lot of motivation, but we know that we still have a lot of work ahead of us," said Malte Winkel this week on Mallorca.

His crew is currently still without a squad membership. Winkel/Schütze are training this season with the help of the NRV Olympic Team under the direction of Italian coach Anndrea Manini and ideally want to qualify for the squad with a top result at the 470 Mixed World Championship from 7 to 14 June in Gdynia, Poland.

Hot for regatta sailing

At the Trofeo Princesa Sofía, the German 470 mixed sailors got off to a promising start in the field of 55 boats. Simon Diesch and Anna Markfort took the lead on Monday afternoon after the first two races with third place and a win on the day.

"That was a very good and enjoyable start. We were definitely keen to race," reported Anna Markfort. Her crew had the right set-up and the right answers ready on Monday: "Our boat speed was right. And we found good solutions for the fleet and the race course."

All in all, we had a lot of fun and, with up to 17 knots, an amazing amount of wind." Anna Markfort

Löffler/Hoerr also made a good start in the top ten with two fifth places and tenth place. And Winkel/Schütze in fourteenth place also showed that they are increasingly a force to be reckoned with this season. The other seven German 470 mixed duos did not initially finish in the top 25. Click here for the results of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía.

Olympic sixth-placed Theresa Steinlein, on the other hand, got off to a perfect start off Mallorca with 4th, 2nd and 2nd place: the athlete from Wörthsee, who competes for the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, was in second place after three races behind top British windsurfer Emma Wilson. Italian Olympic champion Marta Maggetti, with whom Resi Steinlein trained during the winter, opened the series in eighth place.

Wow start in the 49er: Schultheis/Rieger shine

In the 49erFX, the German Olympic sixth-placed team were also the best German crew on day one of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía: Marla Bergmann and Hanna Wille (Mühlenberger Segel-Club) were in tenth place after the first three races. In the 49er, a new international pecking order is being fought over by many young crews who have moved up. Olympic sailors Richard Schultheis and Fabian Rieger made an outstanding start to the season, finishing in second place after two races.

Richard, who? Richard Schultheis is nothing less than a highly talented 19-year-old helmsman who was born in Berlin and grew up in Malta. He showed just how good he is at the beginning of the year when he finished fifth and best European at the Moth World Championship held in Whangaparāoa, New Zealand, which was won by Mattias Coutts. The son of SailGP founder Sir Russell Coutts and Richard Schultheis know each other very well and also train together.

Richard Schultheis thought carefully and only after a visit to Germany about whether he would contest his first Olympic campaign for Malta or Germany. The decision was preceded by many discussions, including with successful German skiff players such as two-time Olympic bronze medallist and SailGP helmsman Erik Heil and former European champion and World Championship bronze medallist Tim Fischer. In the end, Richard Schultheis decided in favour of the German Sailing Team and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein and its NRV Olympic Team, of which he has been a member since January.

Trofeo Princesa Sofía: familiar and new faces

Richard Schultheis will compete in the Trofeo Princesa Sofía with Fabian Rieger from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club. He in turn won World Championship bronze in Aarhus with Tim Fischer in 2018, switched to the helmsman position after Tim Fischer's Olympic retirement in 2023 - and is now back as the foresailor in his new crew. Schultheis/Rieger showed the potential of their new partnership on the first day of the Trofeo Princesa Sofía with 2nd and 3rd place.

In the Ilca 6, 20-year-old junior squad sailor Pia Conradi (Duisburger Yacht-Club) was the best German starter in seventh place after two races. In the Ilca 7 men's race, Julian Hoffmann (Segelclub Alpsee-Immenstadt) was the best helmsman from the German Sailing Team in eighteenth place.

Kiter Jannis Maus didn't come out of the starting blocks in the bay of Palma de Mallorca quite as fast as he did recently when he finished a brilliant fifth at the Olympic Games. Just ahead of his eight years younger team-mate Jan Vöster (Württembergischer Yacht-Club, 28th), the 28-year-old dynamo from the Cuxkiters club started the high-calibre Spanish classic in 25th place.

The start of the Sailing Grand Slam of the Olympic sailors - that is the Trofeo Princesa Sofía, where the ten Olympic disciplines started their series today: