News IODA EUROPEAN TR CHAMPIONSHIP

IODA EUROPEAN TR CHAMPIONSHIP

Spain celebrate as European Team Racing Champions

Lake Ledro, Italy

Untitled Document

Spain celebrate as European Team Racing Champions

August 28

After a challenging day for all - wind shifts of 180°, wind speeds from 0 to 18 knots, the European Team Racing Champions were decided.

In the semi finals, Turkey, who last year finished in fourth place were drawn against Spain, the surprise team in this years championships. In the other semi, Croatia, reigning champions, sailed against Italy, who were the bronze medallists last year. Both semis were close and exciting, with Spain beating Turkey and Italy, going one better than last year, beating Croatia.

Spain were decisive and took control of the final beating Italy 2-0. Spain were quite remarkable at this championship. Their team finished 5th last year but they sailed consistently throughout the week, implimenting many of the tactics that Chris Atkins had described at the morning briefings. The other team who showed enormous improvement since last year and deserve a special mention here, are Switzerland. They did remarkably well during the early parts of the competition but began to show their inexperience as they moved into the later stages - they could be challenging for a podium position next year.

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2nd. Italy, 1st. Spain, 3rd. Turkey

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These championships will once again be hosted by Lago di Ledro next year and teams will qualify during the European Championships in Lignano Sabbiadoro, ITALY.

August 27

As preparations begin for the prize giving, there is just time to thank everyone for making this such a superb event. There will be a full report tomorrow.

1st. Spain: Luis Cabrera, Maria Caba, Silvia Mas, Marta Garrido, Ismael Iess

2nd. Italy: Francesca Bergamo, Pietro Graceffa, Ilaria Ronchelli, Emil Toblini, Matteo Pilati

3rd. Turkey: Nogay Dokmeci, Barbaros Hekimoglu, Omer Isik, Leyla Senocak, Sedef Sener

| Results |

August 26

Today started with the crucial race between Sweden and Ireland for the final available place in League C. Those who had already qualified were: Turkey, Switzerland, Croatia, Italy, Spain, France, Poland and last but not least, Ireland.

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Team Ireland

League C round robin was sailed first and the matches were the tightest and most competitive that we had seen so far. They were also in many cases, the noisiest!

Chris Atkins comments on the days racing to the sailors during tonights debrief

The semi finalists for tomorrow are: Turkey, who with Croatia had five wins in League C and Italy and Spain, both with four wins.

Turkey, Croatia and Italy all reached the final four last year so there is great rivalry between them but Spain, who have brought a young team here, have improved on their seventh place of last year and are the surprise team of the championship. Good luck to them all tomorrow.

| Results League C | Results League D

August 25

Today once again it was very hot here in Ledro but still the breeze came in at mid morning and the race committee were able to run a further 55 races, with 116 (including byes), completed in the first 2 days. Stage 1 permits a maximum total of 120 races so tomorrow morning should see the completion of this stage. The first race tomorrow, Sweden v Ireland could well decide which of these two teams will go through to League C (the top 8 teams) and the possibility of racing in the semi-finals as they, with Germany, are currently tied on 6 wins each and only one of them will go through. The remaining teams go to League D.

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Slovenia v Italy

The briefing with Chris Atkins this morning concentrated on the many ways to slow an opponent. It was then rewarding for the umpires to see teams from Great Britain, Ireland and Spain using these tactics to great effect. The quality of the team racing improves year on year and this year is no exception. Tomorrow promises yet more excitement.

| Results |

August 24

The sailors have been arriving for several days now and the fifteen teams representing Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Croatia, Switzerland, Turkey, Sweden, Slovenia, Great Britain and Norway, marched to the town square for the opening ceremony yesterday evening. Led by the town band the sailors marched with flags held high, watched by the many tourists in Ledro enjoying the evening sunshine.

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This event has Chris Atkins as chief umpire. He is one of the most experience team race umpires in the world and here in Ledro, each morning and evening he briefs the sailors. These sessions provide the sailors with coaching about 4 boat team racing tactics - from how to slow your opponent down to what is a winning combination. Each day these sessions discuss team racing in more depth and the quality of the team racing on the water improves, increasing the challenge for the umpire team. Many sailors who have been to Ledro for this event in the past, describe these sessions with Chris as one of the highlights of the event.

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After a race the umpires explain a decision to a sailor from Great Britain

Today the race committee ran 46 matches, in wind that varied from 6 to 11 knots. France, runners up last year, finished the day with 6 wins and Switzerland with 7, but it is still too early to tell who will be leading after the round robin.

| Results |

July 18

The European Team Racing Championship is the only IODA team race event that is sailed separately from the relevant continental individual championship. However, the selection and ranking of the country teams is based on the points of the sailors in the same year's individual continental event.

The first edition of the European Team Racing Championship was held in 2008 in Lake Ledro, Italy and from then on the event has increased in popularity. After the first success, Fraglia Vela Riva, organisers, have applied as hosts for the following years, and the event hasn't changed venue since then. Last year was the first time all 16 available spots were taken and it is expected that this year will be similar. Many countries showed their interest in attending the regatta while they were in Tavira earlier this month.

After the races in Portugal, and following the method stated in paragraph 4.4. of the Notice of Race to calculate the aggregate points, the first 16 teams are:

Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands, Croatia, Switzerland, Turkey, Sweden, Slovenia and Portugal.

Invitations have already been sent out to these countries and so far Spain, Poland, Germany, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland, Turkey and Slovenia have confirmed their participation. Please contact us if you are one of the members listed above but haven't received the invitation.