Off to Greece after Europeans

by Michael Blackburn on 26 Jul 2004 The 2004 Laser European titles wound up yesterday in Warnemunde, Germany.

First overall was Belgian stalwart Phillipe Bergmans and our own Tom Slingsby finished second in an awesome performance on the back of virtually no training in the past month while coaching at the Youth Worlds, with Brit, Paul Goodison finishing third.


Personally, I started the regatta with a couple of first places and stayed well ahead on points until a couple of big errors, one on each of the last two days, saw me drop to fifth in the final standings.


One the second last day I was working the boat well downwind, at one stage moving from 32nd at the top mark to eighth at the bottom, but on the next run, I overdid it and earned a penalty from the jury (a 720 degree turn).

The following race, I did much the same thing and received a second yellow flag (a disqualification).

This alone was no problem, as I could drop the DSQ. However, in the first start the next day, I added a black flag penalty (a false start) to my score.

Not smart. We were allowed two drops for the regatta; however, only one of those was to be from the finals series (on the final two days) so my tally was lugged with an extra set of 50 ‘naughty points’.

It reminds me of the backwards cliché ‘snatched defeat from the jaws of victory’.


Believe it or not, I’m encouraged by my performance. Far from being disappointed, it’s clear that I’m racing better than ever.

I’ve good fitness, good technique, good tactics and strategy plus a refreshed appreciation of the risks which should and shouldn’t be taken!


The regatta was staged in a good variety of wind strengths and directions but the cooler weather seemed to keep a couple of top competitors away, notably Robert Scheidt and Karl Sunesson.

I’m sure there will be some tighter racing come the ‘Games.


Before the Euros, the Greek Nationals happened in Athens. I did less than half that regatta to nurse a slight discomfort in my right hip.

I saved giving myself a real test of a number of day’s hard sailing in a row for the Europeans when physiotherapist Phil Bedlington was working with us.

Happily, I reckon I passed my physical test at the Euros pretty well.


From northern Germany I head to the Greek Island of Paros to join half the sailing team who are doing some ‘lower key’ preparation. We move into our Olympic accommodation on August 1.


Good sailing,
Michael