European Youth Champions Crowned

A lack of wind brought a disappointing end to a fantastic week of competitive sailing in Tavira, Portugal where the youth champions of Europe have been crowned and awarded their medals and trophies.

After a fantastic week of good winds and sunshine, the wind unfortunately did not arrive on the last day of competition, although there was still sunshine to enjoy. The Medal Races had been scheduled to start at 12.00, but there was not even 1 knot of wind at the designated time, so postponement was followed by postponement. Patience is a virtue learned by sailors at a young age, and waiting for the wind is as much part of the sport as revelling in a strong breeze.

As time passed by the Race Committee had no option but to cancel each discipline in turn, always hoping a breeze would develop, sufficient to race one or two of the classes, but this was not to be. So, the final results are those at the end of the 12 fleet races, which concluded on Thursday.

Girl’s Windsurfer – RS:X
1. Imogen Sills (GBR) – 20 pts
2. Malle Guibaud (FRA) – 28 pts
3. Pilar Lamadrid Trueba (ESP) – 34 pts

Boy’s Windsurfer – RS:X
1. Evgeniy Ayvazyan (RUS) – 14 pts
2. Dante Chiapello (FRA) – 27 pts
3. Michelle Cittadini (ITA) – 38 pts

Open High Performance Dinghy – 29er
1. Tom Carissan and Loiic Guillou (FRA) – 16 pts
2. Brice Yrieix and Tom Garcia (FRA) – 29 pts
3. Fritz Wassner and Linov Scheel (GER) – 30 pts

Girl’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
1. Agata Barwinska (POL) – 14 pts
2. Line Flem Host (NOR) – 39 pts
3. Annika Matthiesen (GER) – 54 pts

Boy’s One Person Dinghy – Laser Radial
1. Filip Ciszkiewicz (POL) – 47 pts
2. Adrian Raczkowski (POL) – 53 pts
3. Antonio Coronilla (ESP) – 63 pts

Girl’s Two Person Dinghy – 420
1. Carlotta Omari and Francesca Ciril (ITA) – 16 pts
2. Sara Di Vettimo and Vittoria Barbi (ITA) – 20 pts
3. Fanny Popken and Julia Vitek (GER) – 50 pts

Boy’s Two-Person Dinghy – 420
1. Hippolyte Machetti and Sidine Dan (FRA) – 27 pts
2. Tommaso Ciampolini and Cesare Mass (ITA) – 31 pts
3. Ruggiero Di Luggo and Luca Giamatt (ITA) – 35 pts

Victory in the highly sought after Nations’ Cup, Team Trophy goes to France this year, with the winner from last year, Italy, in second place and Spain third, beating the German team by just one point.

What had been a very successful week teetered to a halt in disappointing fashion, but all the medallists were worthy winners who coped with some variable conditions throughout the week, in order to take their reward. We now look forward to 2014, when the EUROSAF Youth Sailing, European Championship will be sailed in Gdynia, Poland at the beginning of August.

Thank you to Tavira and Portugal and all the sailors, coaches and volunteers who have made this such a splendid championship.

Full results