Leopold spent the last three weeks in Palma (Spain) to prepare for the season and compete in the first Sailing World Cup of the year. This World Cup is a special event since it is not only the first one of the season, it is also Leopold’s comeback to the Olympic sailing scene after a three-year retirement and Leopold’s first big event in the ILCA class (Leopold competed in the 470 class until the Tokyo Olympics, after which the discipline was changed from separate men’s and women’s events to a gender-mixed discipline, which did not allow Leopold to keep competing with his brother on one boat.).
Leopold practiced with training partners from Spain, the USA, the Bahamas, Italy, the Netherlands, and Germany for two weeks to improve maneuvers and boat speed on the bay of Palma. During the 5 days of racing that followed, the focus was set on practicing starts and high-pressure situations in the 180-boat fleet, as well as continuing to improve boat speed in the world-class fleet.
Strong winds are still a big problem, as Leopold is still about 15 kg (30 lbs) too light, but in more moderate conditions, Leopold was able to finish a few solid races in the 20s.
We will keep up the hard work and update you on the upcoming events. Lastly, we would like to thank all sponsors, donors, supporters, and City Island Yacht Club for supporting Leopold’s journey to the Olympic Games!
Leopold Maximilian Brandl 