Soling European Championship - Final report

by M Collins on 6 Aug 2007
Friday had clear skies for the first time at the 2007 APL Soling European Championship, the wind came in slowly from the South west, with two general recalls, the race started with 7 knots of wind.

Bostjan Antoncic, Gennadi Skrath and Sergey Pichuguin (SLO 1) took an early lead over T-mobile team with George Wossala, Karoly Vezer and Peter Nemeth HUN 77). But the wind almost died at the bottom mark and boats had to face a current of not less of 2 knots against making it really difficult to round the marks.

On the second beat wind came from the left but no real advantage to the ones who tacked to looking for the one, since the current was dragging the boats to the windward mark, most of them over stood the ones, unfortunately this wind change came when first boat rodunded the mark making it only possible to do a course change by the RO on the third beat.

The 2007 APL European championship finished in great style, with surfing conditions with big waves and a nice south west breeze with 14 to 15 knots. It was a fight in between SLO 1, GER 304 and ARG 32 (Team Edding) who were back in the fleet, ITA 198 with Andy Vincon, Thomas Oldbrich, Peter Dorsch achieved a good result now fighting for a place at the podium. And they had the opportunity since the beginning of the race when they observed, like the jury on the water, a helmsman change during race inside the SLO1, and presented the protest taking the victory from SLO 1 hands.

The crew / helmsman substitution in the Soling is possible but jury permission is requested and a substitution has to happen instead of switching positions inside the boat only.

GER 304 then became the European Champion, and team Edding climbed into second. ITA 198 team BMS achieved the third place at the APL Europeans, SLO1 finish fourth, followed by T-mobile team and the dutch team NED 33 Rudy den Outer, Leo Determan and Ronald den Arend finish sixth.

The Reloaded trophy donated by the ASF to the ISA as perpetual trophy to the best placed woman in the event was won by Susanne Kuchta.

The BSA trophy for the young helm age 25 and under was won by Jorgen Stromquist from NOR 139

Ten boats sailed the classic category for boats built before January 1st of 1980 and the winner was ITA 198 who also finished third overall, the second was the Italian boat 201 with Michele Tognozzi, Giuliano Carotti and Andrea Maramai, at the third position was USA 807 with Matias Collins, Pablo Noceti and Pontus Berglund.

The new Rien Segaar trophy for the last of the best, went to GER 300 with Roman Koch, Maxl Koch and Gregor Borneman who was the third GER boat the country with best pointing under the deed of gift rules for the prize.

A prizing giving ceremony was held with a crowded tent , with great faces of stisfaction. Jan Kirkedam, the man behind the scenes was cheered witha extra big champagne bottle, and together witht the event sponsors APL and HANDELSBANK where already drawing the bid for the 2011 World Championship in the Soling class with the intention to bring up 100 boats from as many nations as possible.

Soling - Final positions

1 GER 304 Thomas Maschkiwitz Christian Oehler Christoph Wossala VSaW CYC BYC 35
2 ARG 32 Gustavo Warburg Maximo Smith Miguel Lacour CNSI 38
3 ITA 198 Andreas Vincon Thomas Olbrich Peter Dörsch BYC 45
4 SLO 1 Bostjan Antoncic Sergej Pichugin Gennadi Strakh Y.C. Jadro Koper 50
5 HUN 77 George Wossala Karoly Vezer Nemeth Peter BYC 55
6 NED 33 Rudy den Outer Leo Determan Ronald den Arend KralingscheZeilC 63
7 NED 25 Johan Offermans Bas Dusee Oliver Dusee KZC 73
8 GER 49 Holger Weichert Laurent Scheel Martin Setzkorn ROYC 85
9 GER 300 Roman Koch Maxl Koch Gregor Bornemann YCBG 87
10 NOR 128 Preben Asbjørnrød Richard Fikse Hans Jorgen Husum ASF 89
11 DEN 126 Frank Lavrsen Claus Lauritsen Carsten Moesgaard RSK 97
12 NOR 135 Kjetil Solvang Leif Gerard Andersen Søren Farup Hansen ASC 99
13 NED 38 Bram Soethoudt Berend Vree Geert Verheij w v Willemstad 111
14 NOR 139 Jorgen Stromquist Erlend Haugland Naes Knut Frederik Bergen Seilforen 125
15 NOR 142 Frode Kirkedam Lars Ingeberg Tor Dahl Arendal S C 132
16 NOR 133 Dag Usterud Arne Ottestad Eskil Goldeng Arendal/Tønsberg 133
17 NOR 100 Ole Mortensen Jan Gromstad Ove Bessesen ASF 141
18 BRA 78 Niels Rump paulo Lemos Ribeiro Carlo de Leo VDS 142
19 NOR 141 Pål Kristiansen Torben von Huth Anders Wilhelmsen Tønsberg Seilf. 143
20 ITA 243 Giovanni Tognozzi Georgios Nikoltsis Luigi Seri CVCP 146
21 FRA198 Hubert Lefevre Marc Lefevre Victor Lefevre CVA ANGERS 147
22 GER 318 Markus Marquardt Heino Schuckmann Dominik Meissner SRV 171
23 USA 832 Charles Q. Kamps Jack Freysinger Hans Meyer Milwaukee Y. C. 174
24 ITA 201 Michele Tognozzi Andrea Maramai Giuliano Carotti CVCP 183
25 NOR 127 Olaf Thon Steinar Thon kristian Rod TSF 187
26 NOR 147 Finn Thorkildsen Rolf Carstensen Jan Kirkedam ASF 192
27 GER 267 Alexander Holl Norbert Hellriegel Christian Mack YCN 206
28 GER 312 Gernot Heller Gerhard Auerswald Karl Suck SCE 208
29 GBR 164 Derek Priestly Gary Adams Carl Sloane B&F YC 217
30 USA 807 Matias Collins Pablo Noceti Pontus Berglund CNSI / CYC 222
31 DEN 128 John Nielsen Ib Thorup-Pedersen Rene Nielsn Attrup 236
32 NOR 124 Christopher Mackrill Andreas Brachel Einar Lieng ASF 238
33 NOR 149 Jan Krøger Kenneth Norby Petter Hammarstrøm ASF 249
34 GER 243 Emil Kuchta Andreas Hamacher Susanne Kuchta YCNo 254
35 NOR 146 Børre Zeiffert Patrick Corrigan Martin Zeiffert ASF 254
36 HUN 17 Istvan Szucs Gyulai Gabor Szucs Peter BYC 257
37 AUT 136 Johann Kalhs Karl Kronegger Christian Kahls StYC 263
38 NOR 107 oivind berntsen Kristoff Nas Frode Kristiansen Grimstad seilfor 286
39 NOR 145 Erik Borge Petter Borge Espen Borge GKSS 298
40 NOR 140 Eilert Vierli tdb tdb ARENDAL SF 301
41 NOR 98 Henning Olin Erlend Munkeby Nina Braaten KNS 305
42 GBR 169 Bas Fountain tbd tbd RNYC 306
43 GER 228 Harald Voit Heinz Herzer Hartmut Enders WSG 315
44 NOR 122 Ulf Carlsen Are Skinolo Egil Rose ASF 319
45 NOR 111 Svein Leikanger Erik Berg- Jakobsen Kveim Leikanger Snorre Arendal 320
46 NOR 144 Johan Nyland Andre Kroneberg Tore Svinoy ASF 357
47 NOR 85 ole andresen Lars Brotangen Jens Petter Andresen Tonsberg 364
48 NOR 53 Per A. Strand Merete Ove Brynestad Asker 374
49 NOR 117 Rune Hvass Knut Baethre Henrik Kaogle ASF 375
50 NOR 65 Frank Ormstad Erlina Nielsen Lena Holte ASC 379
51 SWE 111 Stefan Ågren Danny Wikman Daniel Agren Härnösands SS 381
52 NOR 130 Tina Mikland Nils-Jørgen Danielsen Marianne Fremming TSF 393