WE'RE OFF TO THE PARIS OLYMPICS: SAILING

31/05/2024

In the run up to the Olympic Games, each week we'll be presenting the athletes who will have the privilege of competing for Belgium in Paris between 26 July and 11 August 2024. We will present them discipline by discipline... Today, we wish fair winds for our delegation of sailors!

Although Paris is the Olympic Games host city, the southern harbour of Marseille will be the venue for the sailing events, in which few Belgians will take part in several categories:

Anouk Geurts, a 24-year-old from Ghent, and Isaura Maenhaut, a 25-year-old from Bruges, will be teaming up on their 49er FX sailing boat, a lightweight dinghy class designed in 2012 by Mackey Boats based on the traditional 49er to adapt it to the weight of female crews.
Emma Plasschaert, a 30-year-old skipper from Ostend who has already won two gold medals (2018 and 2021) and two bronze medals (2022 and 2024) at the Sailing World Championships, will be aiming for the podium with her Laser Radial (ILCA 6), a single-handed monohull designed by naval architect Bruce Kirby.
William De Smet, a 29-year-old sailor from Brecht in the province of Antwerp, will brave the currents on his Laser Radial (ILCA 7), the world's most popular dinghy.
Yannick Lefèbvre and Jan Heuninck will be teaming up aboard a 49er (double-handed support).
Lucas Claeyssens and Eline Verstraelen will be lining up as a duo on a MX Multihull in the Nacra 17 class.