Another step in athletes' preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games closed on Saturday with the culmination of the European Championships in Sopot, Poland.
A total of 62 windsurfers competed in the men's fleet and 44 in the women's and both fleets sailed 12 races over the week-long event.
Racing was close in the women's fleet in the tricky conditions and with the event attracting all of the best Mistral sailors the championship title came down to the final day.
Posting seven results inside the top five, Lise
VIDAL of France went on to take the European title from Blanka MANCHON of Spain, with fellow Frenchwomen Faustine
MERRET finishing in third place.
Natasha
STURGES (GBR) sailed a consistent week, scoring just three results outside the top ten to finish in fifth place overall.
In the men's fleet Przemyslaw
MIARCZYNSKI of Poland managed to put in the most consistent series in the men's fleet to win the European championship title from Julien BONTEMPS of France with Maxim
OBEREMKO from Ukraine third.
Many sailors are now looking towards the final multi class ISAF Grade 1 Olympic Classes regatta at Kiel Week before spending time in Athens before the Olympic Sailing Competition starts on 13 August.
Full results from Poland are available on the event website at the address below.