Champagne sailing at 2018 F18 European Championship
by World Sailing 7 Jul 2018 23:59 PDT
30 June - 6 July 2018
F18 European Championship 2018 © World Sailing
2018 F18 Europeans have been champagne sailing all along the week in Costa Brava, Race Officer succeeding in completing the 15 scheduled races, sailed under perfect conditions: 12 to 24 knots wind, mild temperature, and bright sun...
From Race 1 to Race 15, competition has been tight and tense between "Old Foxes", all former Tornado Olympians, and the new generation issued from 16 foot classes, and one would have to wait for last race to be sailed, and International Jury decisions to be made, for the podium to be completed.
Actually, it is not a surprise for Iordanis Paschalidis & Konstatinos Trigonis to be crowned 2018 F18 European Champions, so much their route was regular all along the regatta, with a 5th place as a worst score at the end of Day 4. Although they scored a 23 in Race 13, when closest contenders Burvill/Puttman and Booth/Booth respectively scored OCS and 28, a 4th place in Race 14 allowed them not to sail Race 15, the title being already secured.
Let's hear from Dany Paschalidis " It was a really competitive championship, because there were newcomers, who are sailing very good, there were old foxes, who are sailing very good, and the combination of shifty wind conditions and high level of competition makes that you never know from where the danger is to come... Actually, danger was everywhere!"
Closely following the Greek leaders Paschalidis/Trigonis from the very beginning of the Championship, Australian pair Burvill/Puttman refused to give up, and entered last racing day the knife between teeth, with a series of OCS, 1st and 1st as a result, leading them 4 points behind the winners. Battle has been tense, specially against young team Henri Demesmaeker & Morgan Wirtz, scoring three 2nd places in races 13, 14 and 15, but, following the protest lodged by the Aussies in Race 15, International Jury disqualified them according to RRS 13.
Consequently, Mitch & Ruben Booth finish third overall, when rookies Orion Martin & Charles Gaté, scoring a successful series of 1, 3 and 4, succeed in getting fourth place, 2 points ahead Henri and Morgan, those being two points ahead Henri's father, Patrick Demesmaeker, crewed by Gilles Tas.
Whatever the case, young Belgians won the U23 award, and no doubt a brilliant sailing career is to follow, likely at next Youth Olympic Games to be sailed next October in Argentina.