Toni Ripoll: “We will all start from scratch with the Nacra 17 and the 49er FX”

Toni Ripoll from Mallorca is one of the coaches with highest achievements in Spain. Starting at Barcelona’92 he has attended all Olympic Games and he is a guarantee of success contributing to the Olympic medals of sailors such as Jordi Calafat, Theresa Zabell, Fernando Echávarri and Antón Paz. The Real Federación Española de Vela has recently appointed him as manager of the Olympic preparation towards Rio 2016. The Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre, the first European stop of the Sailing World Cup, to be held from 30th March to 6th April in the bay of Palma de Mallorca, will be his first event as Spanish Olympic team manager.

- To train with Toni Ripoll is a close guarantee of winning a medal. Has the new President of the Federación Española de Vela thought about this when appointing you to be head of the Olympic team?

- I don’t know the exact reason but I guess it has been for my professional career. I hope to carry out a good work both as manager of the Olympic preparation as well as coach.

- Over the past four years you have not been with the RFEV, have you been able to follow the work of the Spanish sailors?

- Yes, I have always followed it. Even at the London Olympics where I was training the Austrian team. With similar flags, I sometimes took one boat for the other.

- Are you planning to bring in changes in the dynamics of the Olympic team?

- We will have a clear and long selection process that will start at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre and will finish at the end of the year with the regatta in Canarias and the Palamós Christmas Race. The goal is to give second row teams an opportunity to progress and also give the RFEV time to reorganise and refinance itself to confront the goals with guarantees.

- In a context of deep financial crisis in our country, will Olympic preparation be affected?

- We will try that this doesn’t happen but I don’t want people to think I’m a magician and that I can pull a rabbit out of a hat. Working with a lower budget will involve an important effort to organise things better, optimise resources and avoid unnecessary expenses in order not to affect the preparation.

- The Kiteboarding will debut at the Sofia Mapfre. What do you think about this class?

- I think it’s a very interesting and spectacular class but personally I have some doubts about it being prepared to be part of the Olympic programme. It’s a good idea to have it at this year’s Sofia Mapfre as exhibition class because it will help to define the format, technical staff and judges.

- Windsurfing will be in Río 2016. Is this good news for Spanish sailors?

- Yes, because we’re strong in windsurfing. We have the best world sailors in the female category and we are progressing in men category. We have a strong fleet of young sailors.

- In 2016 there will be two new classes (49er women and Nacra), in which we start from scratch. Have we got boats and crews?

- We have 49er FX boats and crews because it’s the same hull of the 49er with different rigging. For these crews, quite a few, their first international regatta will be the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre. As far as the Nacra is concerned, we have some mixed crews with boats, some others waiting to get it soon and others deciding if they’ll sail the class or not for weight reasons.

- Are four years, time enough to prepare the teams in these classes? 

- Well, the good thing is that we all start from scratch because no nation had top level sailors sailing in Nacra. In this discipline (multihull) we have good sailors so that can be of advantage. In any case, the selection of the Nacra Olympic teams will not be totally mathematical; it will include the sports results and technical criteria as have some crews that will not be able to participate in the first regattas.

- Do you know the Rio 2016 racing course?

- No, I don’t and there is no budget right now to organise a trip with the technical team. Anyway, the RS:X Worlds will be held in Buzios (Brazil) at the end of February and I have asked the coach to visit the Games racing course. The preliminary winds and currents report was made by Mallorcan meteorologist Miguel Sánchez-Cuenca.

-  The Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre has reduced its venues to two in this edition, will it be more comfortable?

- I think it can be better for both organisers and sailors. I think it’s a decision imposed by ISAF, and I didn’t think having different venues was a bad idea. I guess Clubs will have requested more beach area because there will be a lot of boats. I hope it won’t be too much.

- The best Spanish sailors will be back in Mallorca…

- Yes, of course. We’ll be there from 12th March for training and to take part at the Arenal Training Camps Trophy. Obviously, all teams willing to be part of the Olympic team will be in Mallorca.