Nacra 17 Worlds: Only one USA entry; no gennakers upwind

LA GRANDE MOTTE, FRA – The 2017 World Championship for the Olympic Nacra 17 gets underway today in France. It is the first world championship for the essentially new foiling multihull class for the 2020 Olympics, although it has the same name and class logo as used by the non-foiling multihull in the Rio Games.

As with 2016, for 2020 (and events in the meantime) the class rules require mixed crews – one male and one female. It is the only "mixed gender" Olympic sailing event.

You can read the Nacra 17 class press release issued today here. Note that there are actually two classes racing: "Full Foiling" and "C Board." The Full Foiling class has 49 entries. Results here.

With the American team of Bora Gulari (Detroit, MI) and Helena Scutt (Kirkland, WA) not able to participate due to the serious injury Mr Gulari suffered while training in La Grande Motte last week, there is but one American entry – Riley Gibbs and Louisa Chaffee sailing for the St Francis Yacht Club.

Yesterday Principal Race Officer David Campbell James (GBR) issued an amendment to the Sailing Instructions: "A boat shall not set the gennaker when sailing on a leg to mark 1.” This last-minute change to the rules prohibits the use of gennakers upwind out of concern for the ability of the rigs to carry the load and hence mast breakage on the one-design boats available from only one manufacturer.

Sole USA entry at the Nacra 17 Worlds: Riley Gibbs and Louisa Chaffee. Photo: Will Ricketson / US Sailing Team.