With light wind remaining light, as expected the opening day of the 2019 Bureau Vallée Dream Cup, the sailors remained on the beach following the completion of registration in the morning. The stage is now set for the final event of the year and with the forecast improving for Tuesday we are hopeful of being able to begin the racing tomorrow.

Before the opening ceremony at 5:30pm we quickly caught up with Lena Erdil (Starboard / Point-7 / AL360 / Chopper Fins), who will be battling it out for the final place on the women’s podium with Maëlle Guilbaud (Patrik / Loftsails). You can read our previous updates with world title contenders – Delphine Cousin Questel (Starboard / S2Maui) and Pierre Mortefon (Fanatic / Duotone / Chopper Fins) here and here.

Hi Lena, it’snvery close between yourself and Maëlle for the final place on the podium – how you feeling at the start of the event?

“Yeah, I’m feeling really good. It’s been a strange season for me, like not really being able to compete at the top of my game and always struggling with the foot, but I had some really good moments in between – winning a couple of eliminations. And, yeah, I feel quite good and I hope I can beat her. Of course, the goal is obviously is to win. As always, as that goal doesn’t change.”

You mentioned above that your foot is still giving you some problems… how is your foot and is it any different to Denmark a couple of months ago?

“Yeah, it’s not actually changed so much, so I still have the same difficulties just gybing. I still feel pain when pushing in the gybes, but only on one side. So the good thing here is that if the wind is the direction like it’s supposed to be on the forecast then we are probably going to start with my good foot forward. So then, the first gybe should be good and that’s often the most important one, and often if you get the first gybe done the rest can follow. So I’m really positive about that.”

When did you arrive in New Caledonia?

“I actually came like 10 days ago just to give myself some time to acclimatise and I wanted to train a bit because I didn’t sail so much recently.” 

But it hasn’t been that windy before the event, right?

“Yeah, it wasn’t windy when I arrived. Before the event, I was also in Turkey to sail and get ready but it wasn’t windy there either.”

Sounds like the perfect preparation…

“Well, I am well rested. (laughing). So, yeah we will just see how it goes.”

Thanks very much, Lena. Good luck for the contest. 

The forecast for tomorrow has improved compared to this time yesterday with moderate south-southeast winds now predicted, which should hopefully allow the racing to begin. The sailors will meet at 10am (GMT+11) tomorrow morning with the racing commencing from 11am onwards.

To stay up to date with all the latest developments from New Caledonia — including the live stream, elimination ladders, entry list, images and live ticker simply click HERE and scroll to the bottom of the page.