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.

2014 marks the second ever 49erFX European Championship. The fleet is 50 boats strong this year and changing quickly. Unlike in 2013, most of the teams are now truly racing instead of just sailing, as the level of boathandling, boat set up and skiff IQ has increased massively.

One week from now the first race of the 2014 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships will get underway with teams from around the globe descending upon Tavira, Portugal over coming days to prepare.

Even on the brief evidence of the windy official practice races for the Nacra 17 European Championships Australia’s Olympic silver medal winning pair Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis are certainly among the favourites, even if they are not eligible for the European title.

Competing for New Zealand in the 29er skiff class at the 2014 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships are Isaac McHardie and Markus Somerville.

Both from the Napier Sailing Club Olivia Mackay and Abby Goodwin are an experienced and talented team that will represent New Zealand in the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team for the second consecutive year.

La Grande Motte, a purpose built resort 20 minutes east of Montpellier, has a strong past and recent tradition in competitive sailing, but the Nacra 17 European Championships finds the town stepping back into the Olympic classes arena after a break of more than ten years. The strong association with multihulls has been key to La Grande Motte winning the right to host this, the second European championship since it was appointed the Olympic catamaran class for mixed sex crew.

The 2014 RS:X European Open Championships are over for Natalia Kosinska who has finished in 12th overall sailing against the world’s best Olympic Women’s windsurfers in Cesme, Turkey.

During July the big names of the NZL Sailing Team – New Zealand’s top Olympic sailors – will race for their respective 2014 European Championship titles including the 49er, 49erFX, Nacra17, RS:X and Men’s and Women’s 470.

As kiwis we’ve proven ourselves as a force to be reckoned with in Olympic skiff sailing with both Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, and Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech reigning world champions and Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski finishing second to Burling and Tuke in 2013.