News & Features | ISAF | World Sailing | Official Site : Third Finn European Title For AINSLIE

News

15 August 2005, 09:05 am

Third Finn European Title For AINSLIE

Finn European Championship 2005

Kalmar, Sweden

There was no racing on the last day of the ISAF Grade C1 Finn European Championship in Kalmar, Sweden leaving the honours to runaway leader Ben AINSLIE (GBR), who now holds the World, Olympic and European titles. The wind that had provided the sailors with difficult sailing conditions all week did not show up on Sunday meaning Dan SLATER's (NZL) bullet in race seven was enough to give him silver, whilst Gasper VINCEC (SLO) claimed bronze.

With five race wins and a total score of eight points, AINSLIE added another Finn trophy to his extensive collection.

SLATER, who has proved to be a fast learner after only six months in the Finn, took second place in front of field packed full of talented and experienced sailors. In third overall, ISAF Grade 1 Kieler Woche winner VINCEC claimed second in the European competition with Croatia's Marin MISURA fourth and third European.

The battle behind AINSLIE was close throughout the entire Championship with just four points eventually separating SLATER from Emilios PAPATHANASIOU (GRE) in fifth.

Finn records prove that AINSLIE's outstanding performance has been matched in the past. Andre NELIS (BEL) won eight races out of ten races in the 1957 Europeans, in 1981 Lasse HJORTNAES (DEN) won all of the five races sailed and the Dane won again in 1983 with a total score of six points.

The junior championship has been dominated by sailors new to the class. Ivan KLJAKOVIC GASPIC from Split, Croatia is the Junior European Champion after only a few months in the boat. A situation shared by Zach RAILEY (USA) who has made an impressive start in his first international event by taking second place. The high level of KLJAKOVIC GASPIC and RAILEY's performances are emphasized by their overall results, twelfth and 16th respectively in a fleet of 73 boats. Norbert WILANDT from Poland is the third junior in 30th position.

For AINSLIE, after successfully reclaiming the European title which he lost to Mateusz KUSZNIEREWICZ (POL) last year, the next step for the Brit will be the defense of his ISAF Grade W Finn Gold Cup in Moscow, Russia in three weeks time.

Top Ten Results

Pos	Nation	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts
1	GBR	Ben AINSLIE	1	1	1	1	1	(4)	3	8
2	NZL	Dan SLATER	2	(35)	2	13	2	13	1	33
3	SLO	Gasper VINCEC	11	4	4	5	(39)	1	10	35
4	CRO	Marin MISURA	7	3	6	(14)	5	8	7	36
5	GRE	Emilios PAPATHANASIOU	(22)	2	9	2	9	2	13	37
6	ESP	Rafael TRUJILLO	5	6	5	16	6	5	(29)	43
7	DEN	Jonas HØGH-CHRISTENSEN	9	7	3	6	(42)	3	19	47
8	UKR	Olexiy BORYSOV	18	(42)	7	12	8	10	5	60
9	SWE	Daniel BIRGMARK	6	5	13	17	16	(19)	12	69
10	POL	Waclaw SZUKIEL	12	15	8	3	19	(28)	16	73