News EUROPEAN TEAM RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

EUROPEAN TEAM RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

Spain just crowned European Team Racing Champions 2012!!

Ledro, Italy
Untitled Document

Spain just crowned European Team Racing Champions 2012!!


August 25

Spain has retained its title at the fifth Optimist European Team Racing Championship.

In the semi-finals Russia returned to its winning form of the first two days to defeat Turkey 2-0 while reigning champions Spain disposed of Italy by a similar score.
The final was much closer with the Russians winning the first match before Spain prevailed to win 2-1. Italy held off Turkey 2-0 to take bronze.

Spanish team:

  • Luis Cabrera
  • Manuela Huidobro
  • Antonio Lopez
  • Alfonso Fernandez
  • Maria Bover

Coach Francisco C. Igual

Continued good winds enabled sail offs for the minor places and the final ranking was:

  1. Spain
  2. Russia
  3. Italy
  4. Turkey
  5. Netherlands
  6. Israel
  7. Slovenia
  8. Poland
  1. Sweden
  2. Switzerland
  3. Frence
  4. Belgium
  5. Croatia
  6. Great Britain
  7. Norway
  8. Ireland

At the closing ceremony Alen Kustic IRO representing IODA expressed thanks to the AVLL, commodore Paola Mora, race officer Fabio Barrasso, chief umpire Chris Atkins and everyone involved in the superb organization of this great event. He confirmed the decision of the IODA AGM that Ledro would continue to host the championship in 2013 and 2014.

Organisers website: http://tinyurl.com/ckos9vd


August 24

parade

Day three of the championship saw even warmer weather - it reached 30° even up at 700m on this beautiful sub-Alpine lake - and perfect thermal winds for team racing.

The Italian team enjoyed the conditions with five victories from its seven matches and climbed to second position in the rankings based on the three days of racing. Turkey, with 4/7 did just enough to reach the top position as overnight leaders Russia slipped back with 3/7 into fourth. A solid performance by the Spaniards confirmed their place in the semi-finals while the Dutch, who had an excellent day three, only just failed to make it.

Valle di Ledro, always beautiful, has been at its very best for the event so far and tomorrow's forecast is for more sun and hopefully similar winds. The thunderstorms which inevitably accompany this sort of weather here have had the good taste to take place at night when all the tired but very happy pizza-filled sailors are safely in their beds!

Organisers website: http://tinyurl.com/ckos9vd

Results Day 3


August 23

parade

On day 2 good winds and some very slick race management headed by IRO Fabio Barrasso enabled the round robin to be completed - 120 races in two days. Surprise leaders at this stage are Russia, seeded only 14th at the start of the event. They are followed by Turkey which has a history of good performances at this championship, and then the top seeds Spain and Italy.

The fleet will now be split into two pools of eight but with 1.5 points for a victory it is still possible for teams in the lower group to climb the rankings.

Organisers website: http://tinyurl.com/ckos9vd

Results Day 2


August 22

parade
Parade down the streets of Ledro

Sixteen teams are assembled on beautiful Lake Ledro above Lake Garda for the fifth Optimist European Team Racing Championship. The teams from Poland, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Russia, Slovenia, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Belgium, Netherlands, UK, Italy and Turkey qualified from the 33 European countries at the European fleet racing championship held in June. Top seeds and 2011 champions are Spain but four different countries have won the previous editions of the event.

The event was officially inaugurated yesterday at the Opening Ceremony.

Good winds on day 1 allowed the Race Committee to complete six races for each team with one exception (FRA v NED).

Turkey was the only team to remain undefeated, scoring an important win over 2011 champions and top seeds Spain.

Results Day 1

Event website: http://www.avll.it/site/alfaavll/calendar/schede-regate-2012/iodaeuropeanchampionshipteamrace2012