Wednesday, January 17, 2018

J/70 Monaco 2K Team Race Report

J/70s sailing 2x2 team race Monaco (Monte Carlo, Monaco)- Nine teams went to Monaco for 2K Tour grand finale. The 2K Tour comprises seven events in England, Italy, Sweden, Germany and The Netherlands. Targeted at young sailors aged 20-25 from major yacht clubs, this is a team race two-against-two format with races every 15 minutes and no spinnakers allowed. It’s not about speed, but mastering tactics and techniques that requires total concentration by competitors who must avoid coming last at all costs in each round robin.

This is the second time the Yacht Club de Monaco has hosted the season’s final event, making its facilities and J/70 fleet available to participants. This year the Principality was represented by François Brenac and Pierrik Devic.

J/70s sailing off MonacoThe racing took place from the 15th to 17th of December 2017. Eighteen mixed teams representing nine yacht clubs made the trip to the YC Monaco.

A steady 15-knot southwesterly kept up the pressure and pace with a total of 44 races completed over the weekend. With fewer than 20 minutes for each two-on-two match race, consistency was key. Every 4th place is synonymous with defeat as it’s impossible to recover in the rankings. With sailors ready to pounce, it was clear this was going to be a closely fought battle.

Newcomers to the circuit, the Monegasques led by Pierrik Devic and Francois Brenac held their own, making life difficult for the top teams. Every maneuver was a match-racing demo as competitors strived to exploit leeward positions to push opponents offside and maintain their boat’s priority position to the finish. This year’s finale went down to the wire with the British crew from the Royal Thames Yacht Club nipping the Nautico di Roma team to win the 2K Tour Grand Finale.  For more 2K Tour Grand Finale sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.