Two events in quick succession last month, in La Rochelle and Mar Menor respectively, signified the end of a busy 2023 for Athena Pathway on the ETF26 circuit – full of highly competitive racing, mixed conditions and lots of learning.
With our ETF now back in the UK for winter training, hear from Athena Pathway sailor and ETF26 coach Nikki Boniface as she sums up the conclusion of an exciting season:
The last two events of the ETF26 season saw two new crew configurations for Athena Pathway, three up due to weight limitations and with the aim of continuing to provide opportunities for our sailors to develop their high-speed foiling abilities and expand their skillsets across a range of roles.
We headed out to La Rochelle with a strong youth crew, helmed by James Grummet and with Nick Robins trimming and Daisy Collingridge on bow. The addition of an adjustable rudder rake system by the ETF class, fitted just days before the start of the event, equated to a steep learning curve from the team, and required a huge amount of adaptability in difficult swell. Despite strong onshore breeze for two days and a day lost due to no wind, decent racing was to be had, with fourteen races completed overall. Despite limited prior training in big sea states, the team managed to pull off an impressive performance, with some great battles around the racecourse and a race win.
The ETF then continued across Europe to Mar Menor for the final event of the 2023 series, with a new team comprising a mixed crew of female and youth sailors: Matt Beck on the helm, James Grummet on trim and Nikki Boniface on bow. The team hadn’t had any training in this configuration before arriving at the event on account of busy schedules, requiring everyone to adjust to their roles quickly and use their existing sailing knowledge and previous foiling experience to create routines.
An amazing week of racing was had in Spain, with eighteen tight races completed in perfect foiling conditions and beautiful weather. Huge gains were made by the team over the course of the week, including keeping the boat foiling consistently in marginal conditions while being on the lighter side for the class, and lots of important tactical learnings to take away. The venue made the class feel incredibly welcome, and we look forward to returning in the future.
2023 ETF26 Series: Final Rankings
1. Entreprises du Morbihan - 8pts
2. Team Pro - 8pts
3. BlueShift Sailing Team - 17pts
4. Live Ocean Racing - 24pts
5. Toroa Racing - 24pts
6. Fin1 Racing - 34pts
7. Athena Pathway - 35pts
8. Lady Team Pro - 39pts