Segelclub Mattsee tops Austrian J/70 League at Yacht Club Velden
by J/Boats 18 Jun 2023 06:20 PDT
Segelclub Mattsee tops Austrian J/70 League © segelbundesliga.at
The Yacht Club Velden hosted the opening regatta for the ninth year of the Austrian Sailing League. Having adopted the J/70 as the nationwide sailing league platform, the level of sailing by Austrian sailors has increased significantly.
With the Segelclub Mattsee (SCM), the champion of the 2020 season, there was a deserved, albeit surprising, winner. Salzburg had a new skipper in the form of Leopold Fricke. Fricke brings with him experience with sailing J/70s in the German Bundesliga. This expertise was reflected in their strong performance, the SCM team finally secured victory in Velden with a two-point lead over the Union Yachtclub Attersee (UYCAs).
"We aimed for the top three, and it's all the more gratifying that we're in first place. Since the boys trained well and a lot, I felt welcome right from the start," says Leopold Fricke from the winning team SCM.
The surprise of the weekend was provided by the Bregenz Sailing Club, both for the competition and for itself. The newcomers sailed a consistent series and won five races. A third place at the start provided a lot of self-confidence, the Bregenz SC team also secured the Austrian championship title in the J/70 class two weeks ago!
Skipper Klaus Diem from the Bregenz SC is naturally satisfied: "We are super happy about the re-entry. The format is great, the event is cool. It confirms the decision of our club to be back after 2018. Although we sail with J/70s in the club and have a certain amount of experience, we didn't expect third place."
All in all, the ninth season of the Austrian Sailing League promises exciting and tough competition. It continues from June 30th to July 2nd at the Attersee. The UYCAs home team, second here in Velden and last year in the overall rankings, definitely want to get back on the podium in front of their home crowd.
"We showed that the great results last year were no coincidence. You can count on us," Martin Lux looks ahead with a fighting spirit.
More information at www.segelbundesliga.at