One week: three continental championships
498 sailors from 65 countries participated in the three IODA continental championships which took place almost simultaneously in the period 9-17 July.
Varkiza, Greece 229 participants (143 boys and 86 girls) are registered from 38 countries.
Etienne Le Pen of France and Patricia Coro of Spain are the new European Champions.
Only one race was possible on the final day and with three days lost to unsuitable weather the series concluded with eight races and two discards.
Etienne, who had travelled all the way from New Caledonia to qualify and compete for his country, registered a 2nd in the final race, leaving Leonardo Dubbini (ITA), 8th in last year's Worlds, needing a win to clinch the boys' championship but he could manage only a 3rd. Juraj Divjakinja (CRO) likewise manged to do enough in a tight finish to take bronze ahead of Carl Strömbeck (SWE). FRANCE will be delighted with their over-all performance with all four sailors in the top ten. Perhaps surprisingly this is the first time they have won gold in over 20 years.
Patricia Goro (ESP) won the final girl's race to edge out her rivals Julia Gross (SWE) and Daniella Zimmermann (PER) to take the gold for Spain for the second successive year. Sonia Arana, also of Spain, took European bronze.
This may be the last year in which girls and boys race separately. At the IODA Annual Meeting later this month a proposal from Poland, Austria and Ukraine will promote the idea that in future the two fleets should be combined and all sailors race together, as they do at other IODA championships. Countries are asked to seek the views of their sailors on this subject.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Raúl Ríos of Puerto Rico has added the IODA North American title to the open South American title he won at Easter.
Two races were sailed on the final Saturday to complete the twelve race series which, with almost two whole days lost to unsuitable weather, had long looked impossible. While Raúl sailed a discard in Race 11, the results of his rivals ensured that he had won the title with a race to spare - a race which he then won! Bermuda's James Anfossi held off the threat of Antoine Screve (USA) to take silver.
Maria José Cucalón (ECU) ran out clear winner of the girls' prize in sixth place over-all but Nikki Barnes (ISV) can be well pleased with her North American girls title and a highly commendable 11th place over-all. She, together with North American silver and bronze medallists Marlena Fauer and Morgan Kiss of the USA, have qualified for the Worlds starting next week in Sardinia.
With Puerto Rico winning the the team-racing and U.S.V.I. beating Argentina to take bronze, the North American sailors can be said to have regained possession of an event so long dominated by their southern neighbours.
The organisers, who had a frustrating time for much of the week, are to be congratulated on finishing out the full programme of what was in the end a memorable regatta. 185 sailors from 20 countries participated.
FLEET RESULTS TEAM RESULTS
WEBSITE
Singapore Singapore take all three medals.
On the final day Luke Tan broke his overnight tie with Rachel Lee to take gold by two points while Russell Kan did just enough to take the bronze medal, also by 2 points, from Navee Thamsoontorn of Thailand and join his compatriots on the rostrum.
Participating countries: Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Qatar, Thailand and Singapore.
A further four countries, together with South Africa competed in the IOC All-Africa Games.IODA European Championship
Racing 12-17 July
Greece in summer is hot and this year was hotter than most. It is a tribute to the resilience of the young sailors and the care taken by the coaches that only one of the 229 participants (a Cypriot!) failed to finish the series. Consolation may be derived from the fact that the alternative venue when Athens was chosen was Pwlleli in Wales where winds have also been high and conditions probably more miserable.
IODA North American Championship 
IODA Asian Championship
Racing 9-14 July
