DEMPSEY And MANCHON Crowned European Champions

Nick DEMPSEY (GBR) and Blanca MANCHON (ESP) both kept their cool in today’s Medal Races to be crowned as the first ever RS:X European Champions.

The sailors and spectators in Turkey found themselves in a becalmed state this morning. The Race Committee kept the top ten Medal Race competitors from both men’s and women’s fleets in a holding pattern until about 1330 local time and then the wind steadied and the women were first off the rank.

The conditions were still a bit patchy, but definitely contestable. The outcome hung in the hands of MANCHON, who had a narrow three point lead over Antonia FREY (GRE). These two were on top of each other from before the starting gun went. It was survival of the fittest. Who could out wit who? And physically who was the strongest?

Leading Battle

MANCHON and FREY both started very close to each other and the covering began. The left looked the favoured side, but some gusts through the middle paid off for both Byrony SHAW (GBR) and Wai Kei CHAN (HKG) who rounded first and planed off down wind.

Nick DEMPSEY claimed the  gold with second in the Medal Race © Petrol Ofisi RS:X European Championships

Close to the leaders was MANCHON, managing to shake off the cover FREY who in turn was caught in a bad shift with less pressure and relegated to around eighth place. The battle for first place continued to the end with CHAN coming in home convincingly. SHAW sailed a great race to seal up the silver medal, whilst MANCHON crossed in third to claim victory and be crowned European Champion 2006.

Third place overall went to FREY, but in the solely European results she is edged out by Pauline PERRIN (FRA) for the bronze medal.

DEMPSEY Dominant

In the men’s Medal Race, DEMPSEY could secure the title with a finish of sixth or better and the Brit was in no mood to let all his hard work go to waste. He has been the star performer in the RS:X this year, winning the ISAF Grade 1 Rolex Miami OCR, ISAF Grade 2 Princess Sofia Trophy in Palma, ISAF Grade 1 Semaine Olympique Française in Hyères and the ISAF Grade 1 Holland Regatta in Medemblik. Coming to Alacati he set out his stall in simple terms, explaining, ‘Basically, I want to win everything!’

A second place in today’s Medal Race added the European title to his 2006 bounty and means he will go to Torbole, Italy this September as favourite to fulfil his ambitious aims. With DEMPSEY coming in second the other medal places were already decided and Joeri VAN DIJK (NED) took the silver, whilst the bronze went to Nicolas HUGUET (FRA).

Men’s Top Ten Results

Pos	Nation	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	MR	Pts
1	GBR	Nick DEMPSEY	2	6	1	1	2	(7)	4	1	2	3	4	26
2	NED	Joeri VAN DIJIK	(11)	9	3	10	3	2	2	2	1	1	8	41
3	FRA	Nicolas HUGUET	4	12	1	5	4	1	18	5	(20)	4	16	70
4	UKR	Maksym OBEREMKO	13	6	17	6	3	18	1	(33)	6	8	6	84
5	POL	Piotr MYSZKA	5	15	4	4	4	1	17	17	(18)	14	14	95
6	FRA	Nicolas LE GAL	10	(19)	5	23	8	24	7	6	3	2	18	106
7	POL	Przemek MIARCZYNSKI	10	7	19	16	5	2	16	(44)	23	6	2	106
8	NZL	Tom ASHLEY	16	8	6	19	15	4	3	4	(37)	26	10	111
9	NZL	Jon-Paul TOBIN	2	5	11	(22)	1	17	19	20	9	16	12	112
10	HKG	King Yin CHAN	7	(29)	2	23	10	5	20	27	7	12	20	133

Women’s Top Ten Results

Pos	Nation	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	MR	Pts
1	ESP	Blanca MANCHON	(17)	8	3	4	10	12	3	1	6	4	6	57
2	GBR	Bryony SHAW	3	1	6	7	12	11	7	(24)	10	6	4	67
3	GRE	Antonia FREY	6	3	1	6	5	3	4	(19)	18	8	20	74
4	FRA	Pauline PERRIN	11	10	2	2	3	17	13	(18)	1	2	14	75
5	HKG	Wai Kei CHAN	(DNF)	23	7	20	6	1	9	8	2	1	2	79
6	ITA	Flavia TARTAGLINI	12	(26)	14	13	1	19	1	9	12	3	12	96
7	UKR	Olga MASLIVETS	1	20	4	3	13	10	20	5	3	(21)	18	97
8	ISR	Maayan DAVIDOVICH	5	19	10	(22)	2	6	18	10	4	13	10	97
9	POL	Zofia KLEPACKA	2	16	9	9	8	20	12	(27)	13	7	8	104
10	FRA	Lise VIDAL	(22)	18	5	14	4	9	16	12	9	16	16	119

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