2026 49er Worlds at Quiberon - Day 2 - May 13, 2026 © Sailing Energy
"By the time they called it, conditions were definitely getting marginal," said Hawes. "They could have pushed for one more, I think, but it was turning into survival racing. There were quite a few boats capsizing; it was the kind of day where you could capsize and still get a top-eight finish. It was a classic 49er race."
Day 3 wasn't much better. At one point in the 49er racing it was so windy that the fleet was unable to turn downwind at the windward mark. The boats kept on sailing upwind, looking for an opportunity to make the daring bear-away manoeuvre downwind. Eventually, two daring teams made their move; the rest of the 49er fleet had their answer. Don't even try.
It was one example of many moments in a wacky day. "In 15 years of shooting the skiffs, I have never seen anything like today," said Sailing Energy photographer Jesus Renedo. "I saw so many crazy things today."