The first day of the Olympic sailing competition was marred by long delays and intense heat, creating a challenging environment for athletes competing in the South of France.
Making her Olympic debut, Evie Haseldine, alongside her teammate and Olympic silver medallist Olivia Price, faced the light and unpredictable conditions head-on in the 49erFX class.
The duo managed to secure sixth, eighth and 16th place finishes across the three races, placing them in seventh overall.
"It's nice to have the first day of the Games done,” Evie said.
“I think it served as a little shake-off into what we can expect for the rest of the week.
"It was pretty light wind, which we were expecting and we've really improved our technique upwind in those conditions.
“Tomorrow, we'll look to build on that, see if we can get off the line a little better, and continue working together as a team, which I think we started really well today."
The Men’s Skiff class, represented by Jim Colley and Shaun Connor, also faced their share of challenges.
Departing the dock at 12.30pm local time (8.30pm AEST), they managed to complete one race before enduring a two-hour wait on the water before racing recommenced, completing two more races late into the afternoon.
Jim Colley reflected on the day's demanding conditions and their efforts to shake off a tough start.
"Unfortunately, in the first two races, we turned half decent positions into not very good ones at the finish, which was pretty tough to swallow,” Jim said.
“But that's how it goes sometimes, and there's a lot of races left, so we bounced back in the third one with a good start. We'll just keep chipping away.”
The Men’s Windsurfing event, featuring Australian Grae Morris, was postponed due to light winds.
As Day 2 approaches, the forecast predicts more light winds and tough sailing conditions for the athletes in Marseille.
Scheduled for tomorrow are three races for both the Women’s and Men’s Skiff events, with additional races for the Men’s Windsurfing event expected to compensate for those missed due to today's marginal conditions.
The wind conditions are meant to improve throughout the week on the waters of Marseille, which should allow a full programme of racing to be completed.
Lisa Darmanin
