2015 RS:X European Championships – Day 5 overall + Video

by Icarus Sailing Media on 28 Jun 2015 Today was the penultimate of the 2015 RS:X European and Youth European Championships - a regatta that’s highly anticipated by windsurfers around the world and today, an impressive 269 windsurfers were raring to get out onto the water for three challenging races.

Today’s results would shape the top 10 leaderboard and ultimately decide who would be competing in the final act of the championships - the medal races. Getting into the medal race was vital if the athletes wanted to podium here so focus was the order of the day.

In the Women’s Senior Gold Fleet, the title winning machine from Poland, Zofia Noceti Klepacka, started the day with a bullet - inching her ever closer towards a podium place all be it on equal points in third place with Maayan Davidovich from Israel. Charline Picon still has a chance at defending her title, which for the moment is in Poland’s Malgorzata Bialecka’s hands. UK’s Bryony Shaw looked determined to do whatever it took to stay within touching distance of a gold medal whilst Blanca. Manchon from Spain was applying the pressure not too far behind her.

In the Senior Men’s Gold Fleet, the penultimate day saw a considerable reshuffle as the leading pack struggled to find consistency opening up the competition. Despite his worst performance in the championship yet, Dorian Van Rijsselberge, ‘the jewel of Netherlands’ managed to keep himself in pole position, fighting off a chasing fleet, all hot on his heels. Mateo Sanz Lanz lacked his usual good form, a struggle which left him out of top 10 – which for many came as a bit of a surprise. Polish young gun Pawel Tarnowski ruled the waves today, scoring two bullets and climbing up to third overall. There was a great come back for the Greek star Byron Kokkalanis who delivered his usual textbook performance and booked himself a place in the medal race. So despite some mixed performances the strongest contenders were able to hold their own overall and secure themselves another day of racing tomorrow.

It was also a tight contest into the Youth fleets as the stars of tomorrow battled it out for their place in the final day of racing .

Tomorrow will see the climax of the championships with the much-anticipated medal races. Stay with us for a taste of grandstand sailing in the modern Olympic-style format and with it the announcement of the 2015 European Champions!

Video highlights of day five