Pan American champion Mateus Isaac is already in England for one of the main outings of his international season. The Brazilian is preparing in Weymouth for the 2026 iQFOiL World Championship, set for early September on the same course used by sailing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Mateus Isaac arrived in the city at the beginning of August with coach Ricardo Paranhos. The strategy is to use the extra time to learn the characteristics of the venue, where racing can take place either inside or outside the harbour, with differences in wind, waves and current.
The preparation is part of Mateus Isaac's campaign with the LA2028 Olympic Team of Instituto Bons Ventos, a project sponsored by Grupo Energisa, Icatu Vanguarda and OceanPact through the Sports Incentive Law.
"We are here in Weymouth, a very well known place in the sailing world, where the 2012 Olympics were held, and we are preparing for the Worlds, training, the Worlds that will be in early September, and the preparation has been very good, thanks to the support of my sponsors and backers, and it has been really nice, we have sailed almost every day because it has been windy non-stop, and we finish a training camp tomorrow, then we come back on the 25th to train and then compete. Let's go!" said Mateus Isaac.
The period also allows training alongside athletes and national teams that will contest the Worlds. Several squads brought forward their arrival in Weymouth during August. For Mateus Isaac, competing at the venue for the first time, learning the course is part of the planning for the event.
"We arrived here to train at the beginning of August. The goal is to have a long training season on the course that will host the Worlds, which is in fact the same course as the 2012 Olympic Games. Mateus is coming here for the first time, so it was important to arrive well in advance. Several athletes and teams are also here doing this training throughout the month," explained Ricardo Paranhos.
The Brazilian competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and finished 16th in the iQFOiL, held in Marseille. Now, the international preparation is part of the work developed in the new Olympic cycle, with Los Angeles 2028 as the objective.
"Here they can run the racing inside the harbour or outside it, and the conditions are completely different. The harbour is fully enclosed, so we get flat water and wind that shifts a bit more. Outside there is more swell and current is also a factor. They are two completely different conditions and one more reason for us to have come early and do this preparation," added the coach.
The Instituto Bons Ventos project brings together athletes from different Brazilian sailing classes during the Olympic cycle.
"Since it was created, one of Instituto Bons Ventos' main goals has been to support sailing athletes. Many of our members, most of them, come from the sport. Over these more than seven years, we have sought the best tools to support high performance sailing athletes in Brazil. Today we have a project that covers a good part of the team campaigning for Los Angeles 2028, always alongside partners who believe in the success and the tradition of sailing and in everything it can deliver to national Olympic sport. Grupo Energisa has been with us since the first projects and, more recently, Icatu Vanguarda and OceanPact have also joined this journey. Instituto Bons Ventos works as a tool to make these Olympic campaigns viable and to support the athletes," said Daniel Santiago, Pan American sailing champion and coordinator of the Instituto Bons Ventos project.
Mateus Isaac returns to Weymouth on the 25th for the final preparation period. Also part of the LA2028 Olympic Team of Instituto Bons Ventos are Bruno Lobo and Lucas Fonseca (Formula Kite), Gustavo Kiessling (ILCA 7), Valentina Roma (ILCA 6) and Bernardo Peixoto and Marina Arndt (Nacra 17).
About Instituto Bons Ventos
Instituto Bons Ventos is an organisation dedicated to developing sport through specialised project management, running competitions and supporting athletes' careers. Founded by Olympic athletes, Pan American medallists, world champions, sports managers and business people from the sector, the institute works to turn sport into a tool for social development.
The organisation has expertise in structuring and enabling sporting initiatives through tax incentive mechanisms, with command of the Federal Sports Incentive Law (Law 11.438/2006) and related state and municipal legislation.
With proven proficiency across every stage of the cycle, from raising funds in the market to delivery and accountability, Instituto Bons Ventos seeks to create opportunities for athletes, widen access to sport and help shape new generations both inside and outside competition.
By: Redação Mundo Mar
Photo: Wander Roberto | COB
