France’s Jean-Baptiste Bernaz wins ILCA7 World Champion title at the Vallarta Yacht Club in Riviera Nayari (Mexico City). “JB”, who is also SSL Team France’s helms, finishes in front of two-time World Champion (2017 & 2018) and fresh winner of SOF Cypriot Pavlos Kontides . Bronze medalist, Croatian Filip Jurišic overpowers, for the time, his counterpart Tonci Stipanovic , double Silver Olympic medialist (2020 & 2016).
The French signs an incredible performance considering that the ILCA7 Worlds are the Sailing equivalent of 100-m in Athletics. With 126 World bests Laser sailors on the Start line, it is probably the most demanding in-shore series of all. “JB” showed a Nadal-like mental strength to be the most regular sailor with 6 podiums over 12 races in 6 days.
Check all ILCA7 World Championship’s results here
It is also the time a French man wins an ILCA7 World title, since the first event held in 1974. The last best result for France was a second place at the Worlds 2016 signed by… JB Bernaz also at Riviera Nayarit. It is the first title for the Southern French who decided, after his 6th place at Tokyo 2020, to run for another Olympic campaign. For the Paris 2024 Games, races will take place in his backyard in Marseille (South of France).
JB is part of SSL Team France and his Captain, the legendary Loick Peyron, will present Bernaz’s title at SSL Gold Cup Inaugural Day at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne on June 13th ( More informations ).
Bernaz’s victory will allow him to come closer to Camille Lecointre , actual SSL France n°1 at the Global ranking, with a 2,500-point gain (see below for ranking point explanation).
More infos on ILCA7 World Championship
- With two athletes in the World’s Top 10 – Filip Jurišic (3rd) and Tonci Stipanovic (5th) -, Croatia is the most solid nation in ILCA7’s class.
- 2020 World Champion and Bernaz’s training partner Philipp Buhl (SSL Germany n°1) signs a convincing 8th place with one victory in Race Q4.
- 2021 World Champion Thomas Sauders finishes 4th just 2 points behind Jurišic .
- SSL Team Peru Captain Stefano Peschiera signed his best performance in his career finishing World 10th.
DID YOU KNOW?
The ILCA7 World Championship are an SSL 2500 -point event that counts for SSL Ranking .
- Competitions are classified into eight categories.
- Each category is granted a number of points to be awarded to the athletes, from 10 to 4000 points – 2500 points at The ILCA7 World Championship.
- SSL points are awarded to account for 100% for the first year, 50% for the second year, and 0% for the third year
- The athletes’ six best results are taken into account according to the system mentioned above (and all local regattas)
- All athletes who complete a round of a regatta included in the Ranking obtain at least one point.