Issue date
Some of the world's best sailors are in Auckland for the Hyundai 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 world championships. Delve into this guide on what it's all about, how you can watch it and who will be racing.
What is it?
Each class of boat has an annual world championships and this one happens to bring three of the 10 Olympic classes together at one time. At last count there were 206 boats entered (92 in the 49er, 61 in the 49erFX and 53 in the Nacra 17), which amounts to 412 sailors from 41 countries.
The 49er is the men's skiff, 49erFX the women's skiff and Nacra 17 a mixed, foiling catamaran. The three are the fastest of the Olympic centreboard classes, with speeds up to 30 knots (55kmh), which promises some exciting racing.
Where is it?
The Royal Akarana Yacht Club in Auckland, New Zealand, will play host to the world championships. They've just built a fancy, new clubrooms overlooking Okahu Bay that includes a restaurant, boat storage and administration facilities.
The sailing itself will be on the Hauraki Gulf. There are 10 designated racing areas, from Bean Rock in the west to beyond Brown's Island in the east and the East Coast Bays in the north. The medal race courses, when the top 10 boats fight it out for the medals on the final day, will be closer to shore.
When is it and what is the format?
Racing starts on Tuesday and goes for six days. There will be three days of qualifying, when boats are split relatively evenly based on rankings, before the competitors are then split into gold, silver and even bronze fleets for the 49er class depending on their standing after qualifying. On the final day, the top 10 boats will progress to a double-points medal race when the podium positions are decided.
That's a lot of racing. What if you have a shocker in one race?
One shocker is OK, because competitors discard their worst result across the series but life gets pretty tough if you accumulate too many bad races. It's better to have consistently low scores throughout rather than a few very good results and a few not so good.
How can I watch it?
Sailing can be difficult to watch at times because racing often happens some distance off the shore and it can be hard to work out what's going on from a distance. You can head out onto the water to get closer to the action - as long as you keep out of the race courses - but it will also be broadcast live every day on Sky Sport. You're also welcome to come down to the Royal Akarana Yacht Club to soak up some of the atmosphere and watch it on a big screen. It can be fascinating just to witness a large number of boats launching and returning to shore, especially if the breeze is up.
New Zealand's Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie will be aiming for a top finish in the 49er fleet at the world championships. Photos: Matias Cappizano.
Will there be any Kiwis in action?
Absolutely. There are 12 New Zealand combinations in the 49er, two in the 49erFX and five in the Nacra 17. There are some pretty handy sailors in that bunch, including four-time world champions and Olympic 49er champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke and former 49erFX world champions and Olympic silver medallists Alex Maloney and Molly Meech as well as a bevvy of other experienced and up-and-coming crews.
Are there any other recognisable names in there?
If you're ready this, then, the answer is probably yes. The three fleets are littered with sailors who have competed in the America's Cup, Ocean Race and SailGP as well as world and Olympic champions.
Australia's Nathan Outteridge, who won gold in the 49er at the 2012 London Olympics, helmed the Swedish boat at the last America's Cup and is now sailing for Team Japan in the SailGP, is competing with his sister Haylee in the Nacra 17. There's also Olympic 49erFX champion and Volvo Ocean racer Martine Grael from Brazil (she's sailing with Kahena Kunze), multiple world and Olympic champion and Ocean Race skipper Iker Martinez and seven-time Olympian Santiago Lange, who won gold with Cecilia Carranza Saroli in the Nacra 17 in Rio at the age of 54 and after battling back from cancer. Incidentally, Lange's two sons, Yago and Klaus Lange, are competing in the 49er.
How important is it?
Very. Other than world titles being on the line, there are also some qualifying slots available for next year's Olympics and some countries are using it as a selection regatta for the Tokyo Games - New Zealand has already qualified the boat for the country in all three classes. For a lot of sailors, this is their pinnacle event of the year.
