News

25

June 2023

Stunning victory for Wigforss at Optimist World Championship

There was drama to the last at the Optimist World Championship in Costa Brava, Spain, with the title going down to the final race.

Optimist World Championship Podium (c) Marc Graupera Aloma
Optimist World Championship Podium (c) Marc Graupera Aloma

The USA’s Travis Greenberg, who had led into the Gold Fleet racing tied on points with Sweden’s Henric Wigforss, started the finals superbly with a first and second place, but still had a 22nd place finish lurking in his scoreline from the qualifying series.

Wigforss, who’d collected a seventh and ninth in the first two Gold Fleet races, didn’t have a result outside the top ten, and knew that to beat Greenberg he was going to have to sail him down the fleet in the final race of the event.

In a superb display of boat handling and tactics, Wigforss went on the attack from the off, forcing both himself and Greenberg to the very back of the fleet, eventually finishing in last place himself, but crucially Greenberg was only a place above him in 60th.

Henric Wigforss (SWE) wins the Optimist World Championship (c) Marc Graupera Aloma
Henric Wigforss (SWE) wins the Optimist World Championship (c) Marc Graupera Aloma

This meant that Greenberg’s 22nd became part of his scoring series, giving him a nett total of 35 points, while Wigforss only had 30, which meant the young Swede was crowed 2023 Optimist World Champion.

Greenberg’s compatriot Wylder Smith finished third, just a point ahead of Italy’s Alberto Avanzini who won the final Gold Fleet race.

Blanca Ferrando (ESP) wins the Female Optimist World Championship (c) Marc Graupera Aloma
Blanca Ferrando (ESP) wins the Female Optimist World Championship (c) Marc Graupera Aloma

In the female category there was almost as much drama, with Spain’s Blanca Ferrando pulling a 25th out of the bag in the final race to overhaul Portugal’s Mariana Pinto who could only manage a 37th. This meant that Ferrando won the Female Optimist World Championship title by just two points from Pinto. Croatia’s Ema Gradbar finished third in the female category.

Full results can be found here.

 

On Friday the highly coveted Optimist Team Racing Championship went down to a final race decider with Italy pipping Spain to the title.

Optimist Team Racing Champions Italy with the World Team Trophy, in their SSL caps (c) Raul Lombo
Optimist Team Racing Champions Italy with the World Team Trophy, in their SSL caps (c) Raul Lombo

 

Mark Jardine

Mark has been managing sailing websites since 1996, always being at the forefront of technology, and now manages the combined Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com network. He has covered events such as the International Moth World Championship and Cowes Week, focusing on the sailors' thoughts and words. Mark has been European Champion in the Farr 30 & J/24 class and has won numerous UK titles, and competes regularly in local and national events in dinghies and sportsboats.