Noah Garcia the new French ILCA 4 Champion

French Espoir Championship – 20-25 August 2022 – Martigues

Thursday 25^th August 2022. Results are not just down to the generation as evidenced by these young sailors from Yacht Club de Monaco, flying the flag to the highest level with the France Espoir Champion title in ILCA 4 (former Laser 4.7). That was the title awarded to Noah Garcia from the Sports Section who leaves this event in Martigues with honours.

Promising beginnings

It was at a Summer Camp in 2016 when the very young Noah, like other kids before him, discovered sailing on Optimists. He progressed rapidly up the rankings, gaining experience with every season and clearly enjoying himself. If there is one over-riding trait in his character it’s his good nature. Sailing to win, yes, but always for fun!

After coming 2^nd in the 2019 Monaco Optimist Team Race, that same year he won the YCM Youth Awards prize presented by YCM President, HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.

ILCA 4 focus

When Noah switched to ILCA 4 in September 2021, his enthusiasm did not wane, the ever-present desire for victory and his potential consolidating his ambition. He came 6^th in his very first regatta in this class, racking up podium finishes at Mediterranean Championships, league finals, etc. including a well-deserved 4^th place in the French Internationals at Thonon-les-Bains mid-July this year. The level is there, all that remained was to turn that potential into a winner of a French Championship.

After ten races and a windy regatta, Noah won the title: “The first two days we had steady 15 and 25 knot winds,” says the champion, always with his eye on the competition. “Yesterday was decisive but it all went well in the end. I’m super happy to have won”. A humble assessment of a great result, as he was 8 points ahead of 2^nd and 60 points from 3^rd. “He managed it all so well, he was quick and very consistent. At this level, the slightest mistake can be costly,” said his proud coach Marco Superina

A united team

While Noah’s performance confirms the championship level, the rest of the YCM team also did the Club proud. In the same class Matteo Asscher finished 7^th, narrowly missing the podium. In ILCA 6 Mathis Duplomb came 12^th and Bodhi Van der Linden 14^th, while in ILCA 7, Thomas Mangano clinched 5^th ahead of Davide Marino in 9^th. In Nacra 15, Luca Frederiksen/François Lamy did well to finish 7^th, with Louise Debeaumont and Julian Choquenet 19^th, Namu Van der Linden sailing with Lea Scano 32^nd, and the Romane Flaujac / Valentine Basire pairing 34^th.

It’s back to school for these youngsters in September, while the adults are busy fine-tuning their preparations for the J/70 World Championship, held for the first time in Monaco 14-22 October 2022.