Mistral Europeans at Sopot, Poland overall
by Sacha Oswald, RYA 14 Jun 2004 11:51 BST
Last test for Olympic windsurfers prior to Athens Games
The final test before the 2004 Olympic Games for the British Athens bound windsurfers came last week when Mistral sailors Natasha Sturges and Nick Dempsey competed at the 2004 European championships in Sopot, Poland.
A total of 62 windsurfers competed in the men’s fleet and 44 in the women’s and both fleets sailed 12 races over the week long event.
Racing was close in the women’s fleet in the tricky conditions and with the event attracting all of the best Mistral sailors the championship title came down to the final day.
Posting seven results inside the top five, Lise Vidal of France went on to take the European title from Blanka Manchon of Spain, with fellow Frenchwomen Faustine Merret finishing in third place.
Natasha Sturges sailed a consistent week, scoring just three results outside the top ten to finish in fifth place overall.
In the men’s fleet Przemyslaw Miarczynski of Poland managed to put in the most consistent series in the men’s fleet to win the European championship title from Julien Bontemps of France with Maxim Oberemko from Ukraine third.
Dempsey finished the week in sixteenth place overall and 13th European.
The British team will now spend the majority of time in the build up to the Olympic Games training in Athens before the Games commence on the 14 August.
For further information on RYA Team GBR log onto www.gbrsailing.org.uk
Overall Results:
Men
1, Przemyslaw Miarczynski, POL (4,3,9,6,1,1,2,7,(45),(31),10) 43 pts
2, Julien Bontemps, FRA (14,2,2,1,2,3,19,1,3,(41),(38)) 47 pts
3, Maxim Oberemko, UKR (1,14,12,5,12,5,11,(27),1,(43),1) 62 pts
GBR
16, Nick Dempsey (12,21,(24),(34),18,4,18,19,15,20,12) 139 pts
35, Leo McCallin (35,13,43,40,40,21,38,32,42,30,15) 264 pts
Women
1, Lise Vidal, FRA (15,6,3,5,3,4,2,2,(20),4,(21)) 44 pts
2, Blanka Manchon, ESP (1,3,11,1,1,10,7,7,(DNF),28,5) 46 pts
3, Faustine Merret, FRA (3,14,8,2,4,12,1,16,5,13,1) 49 pts
GBR
5, Natasha Sturges (6,5,(22),7,8,5,4,5,12,(14),3) 55 pts
RYA Team GBR thank their sponsors and suppliers for their support: UK Sport Lottery Funding - Henri-Lloyd - Concept 2 - Hill Hire - Activator – Marlow – Alfred McAlpine Business Services – Solent Refrigeration Ltd – Hubbard Ice Systems