Issue date
The 71 competitors from 28 different nations had a long day waiting around the boat park in La Grande Motte when the wind refused to build enough to allow any completion on the first day of the Nacra 17 European Championships.
One of the two allocated fleets went afloat in steady rain to await a possible start in a light breeze, but the wind faded and shifted in direction and so they were returned to shore.
Only at 1800hrs local time was the signal made that racing for the day was cancelled. The forecast for Tuesday is good, however, with 15-20kts from the NW Mistral direction and a return to sunshine promised. The race programme is scheduled to start from 1100hrs local time.
Moanna Vaireaux (FRA): "The hardest thing is to stay focused and to remain on a state of alert, expecting to sail at any time. Fortunately there is a good shelter with a coffee bar and nice crepes made by the girls here. And clearly the Race Committee did all they could to get us afloat and racing. And for us the key is not to go too far from the boat park, to stay focused and don’t start getting distracted by going on the computer because you lose the mood of competition. So you should stay in touch with the regatta and always be ready to go.”
