A Double Handed Female Team Formed

The World Cup Series that was recently held in France showcased the struggles and successes of several teams.


As this international sailing event demanded, people had to be focused on their skills as well as being driven towards specific goals. This was required more where teamwork was involved, such as double handed Olympic class boats. Two people who sail such a boat need to be driven by the same goal or else it can affect the overall performance or results they achieve at the end.

For instance, the pair that comprised of Mikaela Wulff and Noora Ruskola from Finland showcased a struggle at this point. The pair was sailing in the 49erFX fleet in this series while they had sailed the 470 in the Trofeo Princesa Sofia event and would be handling a similar vessel in the upcoming European Championships of the 470 category that would be held in Monaco. Both the sailors had started in Optimist category and then sailed Zoom8.

After that, their path had become separated. While Ruskola of 22 years of age had moved to sailing a 29er and then a 49er FX, Wulff of 27 years of age, had sailed 470 for a time period of five years after which she started Match Racing. About how they ended up being paired for this competition, Ruskola states that they had wanted to sail as a team and have the same goal, but the decision about the class was not easy as their sailing background had been varied. Wulff stated that diversity definitely benefited their team and skills as well as the experience they gained. They sailed both the 470 as well as the FX where both had varying expertise and relied on each other to provide support and advice as required. They remain a double handed team in the female category at the international level.