Offshore Mixed Doubles World Championships: The Thrilling Final in Marseille

There was certainly no shortage of excitement in the final of the Offshore Mixed Double-Handed World Championships in Marseille. The first four boats crossed the finish line within 30 minutes. The battle for bronze proved to be a dramatic and close affair: Jonas Gerckens and Dejmila Tassin (Belgium) and Federico Waksman and Irina Gracheva (Uruguay), who were relegated to fourth place, were separated by just eight seconds at the finish line after two days and just over an hour at sea.

Offshore Two-Handed Mixed World Championships: the world title remains in France

The world title at this Offshore Two-Handed Mixed World Championship had previously been secured by the French pair Thomas André and Colombe Julia – who were among the favourites – after 2 days, 50 minutes and 26 seconds. A good 25 minutes behind them, the Australians Annie Stevenson and Peter Winter crossed the finish line in second place. Three minutes later came the photo finish between Gerckens/Tassin and Waksman/Gracheva, who were still discussing the result whilst moored at the harbour.

Later, Waksman and Gracheva lost yet another place following a penalty imposed by the jury. Fifteen minutes were added to their sailing time because they were not carrying a handheld radio, as required by the rules. The same penalty was also imposed on the new French world champions, who, however, were able to afford an additional 15-minute penalty following a fiercely contested final without losing their gold medal.

Sixth to cross the finish line, after the Dutch pair Simeon Tienpont and Christina Walter, was the second French crew, who were also among the favourites: Christopher Pratt and Mailys Radulic Ferrat crossed the line just over ten minutes behind third place, but were already bracing themselves for a penalty because they had sailed into a restricted area. The jury imposed an additional 30-minute penalty on them. As a result, they remained in sixth place. Click here for the tracker for the Offshore Mixed Two-Handed World Championships and the finishing times.

First two, then one German team in the World Cup final

Prior to this, the final race – featuring the top eleven pairs from the two qualifying races and the repechage – had put the sailors through their paces over a good two days and two nights on the inshore course to and from Marseille in a wide range of conditions: it began with strong, gusty winds and ended in light winds. A total of 241 nautical miles had to be covered. Two German crews were there, but that soon turned into just one.

We at YACHT online had already reported on Lina Rixgens’ and Andreas Baden’s bitter exit from the World Championships on the first day of the finals reported here. The duo decided to retire just around six hours after the start because cracks in the stringers of their World Championship boat had grown larger. The crew felt that safe navigation could no longer be guaranteed.

Following the withdrawal of Rixgens and Baden, the remaining ten crews continued the final race. Another German team, comprising Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt and Clara Witthinrich, was in action. They experienced the first night of strong winds intensely: “There was no question of sitting back and relaxing. One of us had to steer, the other had to keep watch. And that was non-stop. It would have been too dangerous otherwise,” said Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt, describing the opening scenario.

Ups and downs in the final of the Offshore Mixed Doubles World Championships

After around 20 hours, the Rostock crew had just caught up with the leading boats again, shortly before reaching Cannes. The routing, which had been updated again during the night, predicted waning winds. “We were supposed to head more to the right. That’s what we did,” said Schmidt-Rybandt. The brutal consequence: “We got so boxed in that we were more or less stuck for about four hours.”

Whilst the German crew were stuck in a trap, the leading boats – which they had previously fought so hard to catch up with – pulled away from them once again. Then they were also lapped and overtaken by the group behind them. “All of a sudden, we were fighting for last place. That was very painful,” said Schmidt-Rybandt, describing the mid-race slump in an offshore race, which they sometimes also refer to as “Coastal”.

In the qualifying race, it had actually been the other way round, according to Schmidt-Rybandt: “An hour after the start, we were wondering whether we were even at the right event. Then came the pleasant surprise that we’d actually finished second.” In the final race, things went well for the speed sailing team at first, then got tough, and ended on a positive note.

Sent from the Arome model straight into the slump trap

Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt summed it up like this: “In the final, about 18 or 20 hours after the race started, we realised: ‘Blimey, not only are we at the right event, but we can actually make a splash here. And I mean seriously. We’d never have thought that when we arrived here. And that was then completely ruined by this lull that the Arome model had plunged us into.”

Set back to the rear of the fleet by a further series of sluggish stumbles, Clara Witthinrich and Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt then fought their way back up two places before engaging in a thrilling final duel with Otto and Magda Book. They almost caught up with the Norwegians too, when they managed a better switch from spinnaker to code at the final mark. “We still tried to attack them with a jibe, but we were able to congratulate each other heartily at the finish. In the end, this thrilling duel made up for things a bit,” said Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt.

Otto and Magda are ORC double-handed world champions. They didn’t just sail here on a bowl of noodle soup either.”

The Rostock-based “Speedsailers” were not the only ones to have to deal with a problem with their mainsail in the final race of the Offshore Mixed Double-Handed World Championship. Rather than slipping out of the track, it had been run directly into the track on their Sun Fast 30OD, but had slipped slightly out of the track. The team led by co-favourite and local hero Chris Pratt also had to overcome a similar problem.

The Two-Handed Mixed World Championships leave you wanting more

Did the “right” crew win the World Championship title? Clara Witthinrich says: “Yes! They just focus on themselves and on how they sail. They do their own thing and have brought a wealth of experience with them, including from the Figaro class.” The medical student is taking a positive outlook from her experience at this Mixed Double-Handed World Championship and says: “I still have to finish my degree, but I’m keen to do more shorthanded sailing.” On the very evening of the final of the Offshore Mixed Double-Handed World Championship in Marseille, Oliver Schmidt-Rybandt proposed an “all-female team” for the next Baltic 500.