A full Racing Day brings movement in the 29er Standings
Vilamoura, Portugal
For the first time since the start of the Vilamoura Youth Sailing World Championships, all 11 events were able to race on the same day, bringing significant movement across the leaderboards — including in the 29er International fleet.
Conditions marked a clear contrast with the previous day. Winds were noticeably lighter than on Tuesday, while a dramatic 180-degree shift in wind direction, from northerly to southerly midway through the day, challenged sailors racing in the afternoon to adapt quickly and read the evolving breeze.
Male/Mixed 29er: Polish pair hold narrow lead
After being forced to sit out Tuesday’s racing, the male/mixed 29er fleet finally returned to the water, completing a full schedule of four races.
France’s Nolann Huet Des Aunay and Titouan Gresset delivered a strong finish to the day, winning the final two races to climb into second overall on 23 points, just two points behind Poland’s Szymon Kolka and Bartosz Zmudzinski, who continue to lead the standings.
“We are probably not the lightest crew, so sailing in tricky offshore winds was difficult,” said Bartosz Zmudzinski. “Our goal was to stay consistently in the top positions, and we managed to do that, so we’re happy.”
Huet Des Aunay reflected on the changing conditions: “The wind was very shifty, so the first and second races were hard for us. Winning the next two races was really positive. We hope for many races tomorrow and on the final day — this is an amazing regatta and we’re enjoying every moment.”
Brazil’s Zion Brandao and Joao Joppert sit third overall on 25 points. Race victories were also claimed by Kevin Cason and Holland Vierling (USA), as well as Isabella Calzadilla Allora and Diego Jose Marrero Cuevas (PUR), underlining the competitiveness of the fleet.
Female 29er: World champions share the summit
In the female 29er fleet, reigning World and European champions Antonina Puchowska and Alicja Dampc (POL) finished the day in emphatic style, securing back-to-back race wins to move into the overall lead.
The Polish pair now sit tied on five points with Great Britain’s Lila Edwards and Amelie Hiscocks, who recorded two consecutive second-place finishes. The leaders are separated only on countback, highlighting an exceptionally close battle at the top.
Finland’s Maisa Kauppi and Alisa Kylävainio hold third place overall, while France’s Victoire Papin and Tsippora Jouan claimed victory in the first of three races sailed during the day and currently lie sixth.
Coaching Insights
Our 29er Coaching and Development Manager, Larry Cargill, is in Vilamoura, following and supporting our athletes on the water.
“It was a challenging day for both fleets, with plenty of snakes and ladders across the leaderboard. The shifting breeze made it difficult to read the changes, and consistency proved key in such tricky conditions. Today brought completely different conditions, and in some cases ignoring a few golden rules had a real impact on decision-making.”
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