Day 3 at the 2024 Optimist World Championship

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2024 Optimist World Championship

Mar del Plata, Argentina

The third day of the Optimist World Championship, hosted by the Club Náutico Mar del Plata and IODA, was marked by challenging conditions. Although the North wind was blowing nicely in the morning, the race committee  decided to postpone the start, expecting the thermal northeast wind to fill in. After an hour of waiting ashore, the fleet launched, but conditions were still not ideal, and the fleet had to wait until the thermal breeze filled in. 

Despite fluctuating winds between 6 and 13 knots, Brazilian sailor Arthur Back maintained his lead, securing a second and fourth-place finish in the yellow fleet. Spanish sailor Joan Domingo had the best performance of the day, winning both races in the red fleet and climbing to second overall. His teammate, Mateo Carbonell, holds third place after a first-place finish and an eleventh-place finish in the blue fleet. Rounding out the top five are Brazilian Eduardo Essinger Backhueser and American Pablo Muñoz Montes. Greece also had a strong day, with Panagopoulos moving up to sixth and Makri, the top female sailor, in seventh.

With six races completed, the qualifying stage has concluded. The fleet will now be divided into gold, silver, and bronze fleets for the final stage, starting on Thursday, December 12th. This will intensify the competition as the top sailors face off directly.

Before the individual racing resumes, the team championship will take place on Tuesday, December 10th, and Wednesday, December 11th. This exciting event will be held in the inner waters of the port, featuring the top 32 teams competing in short, umpired races. This team race regattas can be watched from Pier C of the club or via the YouTube live stream.

Full Results: https://2024worlds.optiworld.org/en/default/races/race-resultsall
Access to photos for editorial use credit Matias Capizzano: https://bit.ly/2024OptiworldsPRESS