-10 at the Olympics, everything you need to know about classes, boats and medals

XXXIII Olympic Games

Paris is now just around the corner, and with it Marseille. The tensions and anxieties associated with the selections, are now put aside, with all concentration aimed at performance once the Games open. We, however, will only be left with the spectator role, with a 12-day event (7.28-08.8) that will feature 10 Olympic Titles and 10 classes on the water, as well as several new features. First, the 470, ubiquitous since 1976, will be mixed class in Marseille. In short, first news, the quintessential Olympic will no longer be gender-based, but will see mixed crews and one medal, one chance: Dinghy Mixed. The big news, however, is brought by the two new entries: replacing the previous RS:X, i.e., the windsurfing we had been used to since 2008, is introduced the brand new iQfoil, which is faster, more acrobatic and foiling. The medals? Men’s Windsurfing and Women’s Windsurfing. On the other hand, even more innovative is Formula Kite, with kites in the air, tiny boards, huge foils and incredible speeds. The new formula brings, too, double medals. But let’s look at each class in detail, new and “old.”

470 | Drift

Medal: Mixed Doubles | Monohulls ; Year of Introduction: 1976; Design: 1963, André Cornu; 4.70 m x 120 kg The 470 is one of the world’s most popular double dinghies, with about 38,000 hulls produced. It was designed in 1963 by André Cornu and, since 1976, with the Montreal Games, has been Olympic Class. From ’76 to ’88 it was Open class, and then it was divided into Men’s and Women’s. Starting with these 2024 games it will be Mixed Class. On the 470, champions such as Nathan Wilmot, Matt Belcher, Malcolm Page, Theresa Zabell and Hannah Mills (two Olympic gold medals apiece) have competed. Italians closest to Olympic medals: the Chieffi brothers and Gabrio Zandonà.

NACRA 17 | Catamaran

Medal: Mixed Doubles | Multihulls Catamaran; Year of Introduction: 2016; Design: 2011, Morrelli & Melvin; 5.25 m x 141 kg Designed by Morelli & Melvin, the Nacra 17 is a catamaran specifically conceived as an Olympic mixed class and entered as a replacement for the Tornado in 2016. As of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it is officially approved as a full foiling hull in its new configuration. Since its introduction, it has seen Argentines Santiago Lange / Cecilia Carranza Saroli in 2016 and Italians Ruggero Tita / Caterina Banti in 2020 as Olympic gold medalists. The latter are also world champions in 2018, 2022, 2023.

49er | Skiff

Medal: Men’s Double | Single Hull Skiff ; Year of Introduction: 2000; Design: 1995, Julian Bethwaite; 4.99 m x 90/94 kg Introduced as an Olympic Men’s Double Class in 2000, the 49er is, currently, the fastest double skiff in terms of rate. Designed by Julian Bethwaite, she is a nimble and technical boat, formed on the lessons learned from previous International 14′ and Aussie 18’s (read: Australian 18-footer), of which she improves the length/power ratio, mast pre-flexion and water lines. The first Olympic class winners were Finns Thomas Johanson and Jyrki Järvi in Sydney 2000. In 2020, however, Britain’s Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell won gold in Tokyo. The Italians who, to date, have received the highest peaks in 49er are the Sibello brothers, third at the 2005 Moscow Worlds, as well as the 2009 and 2010 Worlds.

49er FX | Skiff

Medal: Women’s Double | Single Hull Skiff ; Year of Introduction: 2016; Design: 1995/2010, Julian Bethwaite; 4.99 m x 90/94 kg The 49er FX is the Women’s Double version of the 49er and was introduced as an Olympic Class with 2016 Rio Games-won by the Martin Grael / Kahena Kunze duo, who also won the next edition. In terms of design, the 49er FX varies from the 49er on the rigging and sail plan front, specially redesigned to be usable by lighter crews. However, it does not differ in terms of performance, remaining an acrobatic, technical and fast hull. The Giulia Conti / Francesca Clapcich duo has been the most successful Italian women’s crew to date, with a third-place finish at the 2014 world championship and an overall victory at the 2015 world championship in Buenos Aires. They are followed by Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi, third at the 2024 Worlds.

ILCA 7 & ILCA 6 | Drift

Medals: Men’s Single and Women’s Single | Single Hull ; Year of Introduction: 1996/2008; Design: 1969, Bruce Kirby; 4.23 m x 70 kg The ILCA 7, better known as the Standard Laser, is one of the most popular designs ever, with more than 150,000 hulls produced and Olympic status in effect since the 1996 edition of the Games in Atlanta, USA. It is an agile and dynamic hull, although particularly physical. The rigging involves the mainsail only. Among them all, the most successful sailor in the Olympic class turns out to be Brazilian Robert Scheidt, with 5 Olympic medals, 3 of which were achieved on the laser. The last major Italian success on the ILCA 7 was in 2014, when Lorenzo Brando Chiavarini won the Under-21 World Championship.

KITE FORMULA | Kitesurfing

Medals: Male Kite and Female Kite | Kite Kitesurfing; Year of Introduction: 2024; Project: 2020; Max 1550 x 500 mm, 2 kg The Kite Formula is first introduced with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It will therefore be the first time we will see the boards compete in Olympic terms. The “hull” used will not be in monotype, but will still have to comply with tonnage rules. This consists of a board, an appendage with foil and a kite (kite). The formula includes distinction between male and female, both introduced with 2024. It will be Riccardo Pianosi and Maggie Eillen Pescetto who will defend the Italian colors at Paris ’24.

iQFOiL | Windsurfing

Medals: Men’s Board and Women’s Board | Windsurfing Sailboard; Year of Introduction: 2024; Design: 2018, Tiesda You; 220 x 95 cm, 126 lt. Officially introduced as an Olympic class with these Paris 2024 Games, the iQFoil is the new windsurfing class intended to replace the former RS:X. Designed by Tiesda You in 2018, the formula is one-design, meaning all boards are identical for both the men’s and women’s categories. The only difference between the two is the sail area of the mainsail, 9 square meters for men, 8 square meters for women. The presence of a foiling fin, in turn, stands as a not insignificant innovative and technical element: boards will now be lifted above the water by the foil, reducing the drag coefficient, providing lift and lift to the board, and increasing speeds by no small amount. In the Men’s Class, Dutchmen Luuc van Opzeeland and Huig-Jan Tak will certainly be names not to be underestimated, as will Nicolas Goyard, Sebastian Kördel. Not to be forgotten, Italy’s Nicolò Renna, Gold Medalist at the last iQFoil World Championship. In the Women’s Class, French sailor Helene Noesmoen, World Champion in 2021, is to watch, as is Italian Marta Maggetti, who won gold ahead of Daniela Peleg and Maya Morris at the 2022 World Championships.