Sailing Highlights| The Global World on Water - September 29 IMOCA Defi Speed Runs, Kites, Final 52s

Highlights of what happened globally in the sport of sailing in the last 7 days.
The Defi Azimut speed runs in Lorient were breathtaking.
The IMOCA boats put on a show, reaching speeds of up to 30 knots! These spectacular speed runs were in conjunction with the 48 hour two handed race along the coast of France starting in Lorient. You can see our Defi coverage of the Start and Finish on our World on Water YouTUbe Channel. It’s fantastic.

This is your weekly Sailing Highlights Show, The Global World on Water, September 29, 2023.

Alex Thomson yesterday was at the Lorient La Base, during the Defi Azimut. He was asked what he thought of the Imoca Class today, and his answer was, PHENOMENAL. Alex is working with the L’Occitane Sailing Team. The Defi race, which combines tactical decision-making, navigational prowess, and physical endurance, will undoubtedly test the team of Clarisse Crémer and Alan Roberts skills. With this being Clarisse’s first race with her newly launched team and having such a strong Co-skipper sets the duo up for a strong start to their season.

After only 45 races at five regattas, the two rival leading crews finished on the same 198 points aggregate. But as Platoon beat Provezza in this final event, – fourth to their eighth, – Harm Müller-Spreer finally adds the 2023 season championship to the Rolex TP52 World Championship that Platoon won last month by a single point over Provezza. It’s a top level series and these results prove the close competition on the water. Bring on the 2024 season.

In only their first season of ClubSwan Racing Eduardo de Souza Ramos’ Onda (BRA) had gone into the deciding final day at the top of the leaderboard after posting two race wins and two other podium finishes earlier in the regatta, only to be overhauled by Farstar (ITA) with a 1-2-3 scoreline in the last three races. Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio’s G Spot(MON) claimed third just a point ahead of Edoardo Ferragamo’s Cuordileone (ITA). G Spot’s result sees her top of the ClubSwan 36 Nations League leaderboard.

After starting with 112 riders from 28 nations at the start of the six-day regatta, the final day of competition at a Formula Kite event is all about the top 10. Ellie Aldridge and Riccardo Pianosi have won the first major senior titles of their Olympic careers at the 2023 Formula Kite European Championships in Portsmouth, England. The young Italian Pianosi has become the men’s European Champion at the age of 18, and the British rider Aldridge was a very popular winner in front of her home crowd on Eastney Beach in Portsmouth.

The Annapolis Yacht Clubs 3, 2, 1, Invitational Challenge last week was sponsored by Upward Dog Services who creatue a more balanced dog. Seven prestigious clubs were competing this year from around the U S, including: the New York Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, St. Francis, San Francisco Yacht Club, Ida Lewis Yacht Club, San Diego Yacht Club, and Texas Corinthian Yacht Club.

FOR THE PLANET by Sam Goodchild and Thomas Ruyant, with Pierre Bouras as Mediaman, took third place in the Azimut Lorient Agglomération 2023 Challenge. The three men covered 587.1 miles on the great circle in 1 day, 20 hours, 02 minutes and 30 seconds, at an average speed of 13.3 knots. They covered 676.7 miles on the bottom at an average of 15.4 knots. They finished 2 hours and 15 minutes behind the winner Sharraal, and 27 minutes behind second place Macif.