What is a Nacra 17 in Olympic sailing?

Nacra 17 takes sailing at the Olympic stage to the next level.

Described as a ‘wild beast’, the pioneering boat class will continue to thrill the sport at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the mixed multi-hull event.

Let’s find out the basics behind Nacra 17 racing.

What is Nacra 17?

A Nacra is a catamaran, which is a boat that has two parallel hulls of equal size. It is called Nacra 17 because it is around 17 feet long.

Nacra 17 became the first-ever mixed sailing discipline at the Olympics with its inclusion at Rio 2016. It is crewed by one man and one woman.

How does Nacra 17 work?

With its base lying in the performance of America’s Cup boats, Nacra 17 made its Olympic debut at Rio 2016. At that point, it was fitted with curved daggerboards but for Tokyo 2020 and beyond, it was fitted with hydrofoils to make it a fully foiling racing machine.

The foils make the Nacra 17 soar above the water and ensure it will be one of the most eye-catching boat classes at the Paris 2024 regatta.

Who are the previous Olympic medallists?

Tokyo 2020: Gold – Ruggero Tita, Caterina Banti (Italy), Silver – John Gimson, Anna Burnet (Great Britain), Paul Kohlhoff, Alica Stuhlemmer (Germany)

Rio 2016: Gold – Santiago Lange, Cecilia Carranza Saroli (Argentina), Silver – Jason Waterhouse, Lisa Darmanin (Australia), Bronze – Thomas Zajac, Tanja Frank (Austria)

 

Who are the top athletes in Nacra 17?

Training partners, friends off the water and rivals on it, Italy’s Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti and John Gimson and Anna Burnet of Great Britain have gone hammer and tongs in the Paris Olympiad.

After winning gold and silver respectively at Tokyo 2020, they shared the top two steps of the rostrum at the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, with Tita and Banti taking gold on both occasions.

Gimson and Burnet won gold at the 2021 World Championships, and the Team GB pairing also won out at November’s European Championships, meaning another close battle surely awaits in Marseille.

 

When is the Nacra 17 event at Paris 2024?

Nacra 17 competition gets underway on Saturday 3 August and wraps up on Wednesday 7 August.