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470 General Event News

CHALLENGING PALMA SEA BREEZE TESTS THE SOFIA IBEROSTAR

02 Apr 2019

​While it is a perfect kick start to the Olympic classes season in Europe, the annual Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar serves as a touchstone for year-on-year progress. This time last year, the French womens 470 duo Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz were a new partnership, helm Lecointre having won a bronze medal in Rio with Helene Defrance.

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2019 Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia Iberostar
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They have proven the 470s’ most consistent duo so far, counting a first and two seconds over the first four races for the 45 strong fleet and lead by seven points with Britain’s gold medallist Hannah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre in third.

“We like these conditions and I think we are fast. We get good starts and that is the most important thing here in this fleet.” Smiled Lecointre, who went from fourth in 2012 in Weymouth to take bronze in Rio. “We are quite confident. We were a new team here last year and did well. I feel like we are on a good track to medal in Tokyo. Here we are working on small things, the main thing being to get more experience in the medal race with Aloise as we have only done a few. We are still new and have only done the medal races in Palma, Aarhus and Miami this year. We need to learn to manage the medal race and if we can be just a little faster in all conditions we are in good shape for a medal.”

“There is a lot of proven experience at the top of this class. The level is high.”

“I think it is good thing that the 470 moves to mixed sex. It fits with the boat and we all know that the 470 is such a great boat we wish it would be in the Olympics forever. But we have to be realistic and it is good for the class. But I am a mum now so we will see how I get on in Tokyo before I think beyond that!”

Palma is a good yardstick of progress for the young Spanish 470 duo Jordi Xammer and Nico Rodriguez. Xammer was 12th in Rio and teamed up with Rodriguez late in 2017. In 2018 they were 14th in Miami and 16th here on the Bay of Palma last year. One year on, after taking bronze in Aarhus, they won the Miami world cup and still lead the Mens 470 class after four races, counting two firsts and a second place.

“Here we are out to prove Miami was no fluke. We are really happy because we feel good as a team, we are performing well and we are doing a great job with our new coach (Gideon Kliger, Israel’s three times 470 Olympian). We’ve created a good working routine and now we are just focused on the Olympics. We know that we need to keep improving as a team, learning as much. Compared to the last Trofeo Sofia we’ve made a huge change. Step by step we are growing but we know that anything can change at anytime. Last season was hard for us and now, even with the good results, we know that we need to be ready for any setback.” Says helm Xammer. “The experience of Rio 2016 is a big help as we prepare for Tokio 2020. I know what to expect, what to think and how to act. Rio 2016 was a dream for us but now we have the medals as a realistic goal for Tokio 2020. The goal is to get to Tokio in good shape and knowing we are ready to win a medal.”

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