JK Olympic sailing club is located at the centre of the marina in Izola, Slovenia on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea. Eighty Seven Fireballs descended on JK Olympic for the 2004 Fireball European Championships, including twenty seven boats from the UK. In total ten countries were represented.
The UK Fireball Fleet has tended to dominate the World and European Championships over the last few seasons. However, competition has been steadily building in continental Europe, with at least three crews entering the event on the back of Olympic 470 campaigns.
The Slovenian Nationals, sailed on the two days leading up to the European Championships, was cut short due to the Arrival of the Bora. The Bora is cold north-easterly wind blowing from the Balkan Mountains which at it’s most intense can reach 100 knots.
Day one of the European Championships (and post Bora) it was hot and sunny with a five to seven knot wind on a trapezoid course. The Czechs of Martin Kubovy and Roman Roèek followed by Tomas Musil and Jan Stantejsky made the best of the light airs.
The second day and more light airs. Tomas and Jan demonstrated that these conditions were to their liking by taking a second race win and a third place to leave them leading overall. The Swiss pairing of Urs Schaer and Ruedi Moser moved up into second spot overall from Britain’s Dave Wade and Richard Wagstaff in third.
Day three saw more breeze and a change to triangle and sausage type courses. The Brits hoped to revel in these conditions; however after three races sailed it was the Swiss Usr & Ruedi who headed the leader board. Tomas and Jan had slipped to second. Dave & Richard maintained their third spot but were now being pressed hard by the young Croatians, Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic.
After the layday it was a return to lighter winds and trapezoid courses. Tomas and Jan once again proved they liked these conditions taking the overall lead from Usr and Ruedi. Sime and Igor move up to third spot from Dave & Richard.
With one race scheduled for the final day and a Bora forecast the fleet set to sea with some anticipation. Any one of the first four boats was in with a chance of taking the title. After two general recalls the fleet eventually got away. As the leaders reached the bottom of the first run the Bora arrived. The wind shifted by ninety degrees or more and quickly jumped to over thirty knots! With a good proportion of the fleet upturned by the wind and the breeze still building the race team were left with no choice but to abandon the final race. Tomas and Jan were European Champions heading up a continental European 1-2-3.
A final word must go to the Slovenians who proved exceptional hosts to the event. Oh and yes they really did provide free beer in the boat pack after racing each day!
| Pos | Sail No | Helm, Crew, Club | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | CZE 14879 | Tomas Musil (M), Jan Stantejsky (M), YC Rodop | 19 |
| 2 | SUI 14799 | Urs Schaer (M), Ruedi Moser (M), Murten/SCoW | 20 |
| 3 | CRO 14881 | Sime Fantela (M), Igor Marenic (M), JK Sv.Krsevan | 23 |
| 4 | GBR 14880 | Dave Wade (M), Richard Wagstaff (M), Northampton | 28 |
| 5 | CZE 14552 | Martin Kubovy (M), Roman Ro?ek (M), JK Tousen/YC Neratovice | 38 |
| 6 | GBR 14874 | Richard Estaugh (M), Rob Gardner (M), Chase/Notts County | 44 |
| 7 | SUI 14863 | Kurt Venhoda (M), Sonja Zaugg (F), SCoW | 51 |
| 8 | GBR 14801 | Andy Smith (M), Norman Byrd (M), Notts County SC/Draycote Water | 66 |
| 10 | CZE 14827 | Lukas Neumann (M), Milan Kvasnik (M), YC Rodop/Neratovice | 68 |
| 9 | GBR 14864 | Tim Rush (M), Frederic Sotteau (M), Notts County/ANO Istreenne | 68 |
| 11 | IRL 14834 | Shane MacCarthy (M), Roger Gilbert (M), Greystones SC/Stokes bay SC | 73 |
| 12 | GBR 14870 | Vince Horey (M), Gavin Tillison (M), Fishers Green/Oxford | 84 |
| 13 | CZE 14056 | Eva Skorepova (F), Jan Danek (M), YC Spoje/YC Rodop | 88 |
| 14 | GBR 14791 | Angus Hemmings (M), Steve Chesney (M), Stokes bay SC/Hayling Island | 93 |
| 15 | CZE 14696 | Jaroslav Verner (M), Pavel Winkler (M), JC Tousen | 98 |
| 17 | GBR 14682 | Donald J.Smith (M), Matthew Richardson (M), Aberdeen & Stonehaven YC | 105 |
| 16 | GBR 14821 | Ian Fryett (M), Jonathan Bale (M), Chew Valley Lake SC | 105 |
| 18 | GER 14189 | Robin Inns (M), Christoph Troetschler (M), Adelaide (AUS) | 107 |
| 19 | SUI 14739 | Theo Ganz (M), Barbara Carmondy (F), YCB/RVS | 116 |
| 20 | SLO 14019 | Marko Kocjancic (M), Matjaz Vodopivec (M), JK Jadro/JK Fireball | 119 |
| 21 | GBR 14789 | Penny Gibbs (F), Ian Gibbs (M), Brightlingsea SC | 130 |
| 22 | GBR 14778 | Jeremy Davy (M), David Scott (M), Northampton | 132 |
| 23 | GER 14508 | Joerg Nolle (M), Roger Leemann (M), SV Dingelsdorf | 144 |
| 24 | FRA 14793 | Frederic Mouches (M), Jean-Francois Nouel (M), SNO | 160 |
| 25 | SLO 14796 | Hinko Golias (M), Katarina Kersevan (F), JK Ljubljana / JK Burja | 165 |
| 26 | GBR 14877 | Philip Popple (M), Donald White (M), Shoreham SC | 165 |
| 27 | CZE 14794 | Petr Sklenar (M), Petr Janacek (M), YC SpN/YC LS | 166 |
| 28 | FRA 14838 | Francois Chartier (M), Rierre-Yves Robin (M), CNBPP | 172 |
| 29 | GBR 14578 | Sam Mettam (M), Richard Anderton (M), Royal Naval Sa/Weston SC | 172 |
| 30 | GBR 14663 | Neville Herbert (M), Stephen Penfold (M), Tamesis SC | 175 |
| 31 | FRA 14398 | Jenny Green (F), Malcolm Green (M), YC d'Antibes | 177 |
| 32 | FRA 14631 | Martin Peculier (M), Thomas LeSeach (M), SNO | 181 |
| 33 | GBR 14853 | Derian Chandler (F), Andy Scott (M), Chew Valley Lake SC | 198 |
| 34 | GBR 14835 | Euan Sellar (M), Matt Summers (M), ASYC/RTYC | 201 |
| 35 | IRL 14790 | Noel Butler (M), Hugh Butler (M), DMYC/RSGYC | 203 |
| 36 | GBR 14798 | Martin Scarth (M), Nigel Sheppard (M), Blackwater SC | 207 |
| 37 | IRL 14849 | Will Moody (M), Glenn Peverell (M), Dun Laogharie Motor YC/Frankst | 212 |
| 38 | CZE 13626 | Miroslav Peterka (M), Filip Prochazka (M), YC Neratovice | 217 |
| 39 | SUI 14419 | Romy Schwerzmann (F), Ivo Helbling (M), SCOZ | 224 |
| 40 | GBR 14804 | Elaine Tudor (F), Warren Tudor (M), Brigtlingsea SC | 239 |
| 41 | FRA 14679 | Collin (M), Thoby (F), SR Brest/SNO Nantes | 244 |
| 42 | GER 14658 | Melanie Lederer (F), Michael Schaefer (M), SV Dingelsdorf | 255 |
| 43 | FRA 14367 | Vincent Junca (M), Dominique Junca (M), SNB St. Malo/CN Estuaire | 271 |
| 44 | GBR 14525 | Chris Panting (M), Keith Ellis (M), Fairlop | 282 |
| 45 | SUI 14760 | Werner Aebi (M), Ursula Aebi (F), YCB | 304 |
| 47 | SUI 14602 | Fritz Widmer (M), Ernesto Zollinger (M), YC Kreuzlingen | 306 |
| 46 | ITA 14833 | Luca Maria Manzi (M), Alfredo Annese (M), CN San Vincenzo | 306 |
| 48 | SLO 13861 | Mitja Hrvatin (M), Al Markocic (M), JK Burja/JK Olimpic | 309 |
| 49 | SUI 14824 | Thomas Gautschi (M), Trudi Gautschi (F), YCB | 310 |
| 50 | GBR 14665 | George Elspeth (F), Alan Fraser (M), Aberdeen & Stonehaven YC | 313 |
| 51 | GBR 14704 | Barrie Winship (M), Rose Winship (F), Brightlingsea SC | 314 |
| 52 | FRA 14300 | Jean Yves Renon (M), Michel Jacquin, CV Montlucon | 317 |
| 53 | GBR 14873 | Keryn Henwood-Fox (F), Gary Henwood-Fox (M), Thornbury SC | 333 |
| 54 | CZE 12150 | Petr Hostinsky (M), Jakub Napravnik (M), Cesky YK | 334 |
| 55 | IRL 14509 | Frank Miller (M), Leo Bishop (F), DMYC | 337 |
| 56 | SLO 14732 | Sreco Jadek (M), Damjan Bertok (M), JK Olimpic | 339 |
| 57 | SUI 14752 | Maja Suter (F), Francois Schluchter (M), YC Bielersee | 344 |
| 58 | CZE 11620 | Jan Kratky (M), Ondrej Kratky (M), YC Slavoj | 346 |
| 59 | SUI 14542 | Osann Michi (M), Ruchenstein Michi (M), YC Au | 367 |
| 60 | SUI 14594 | Richard Scheller (M), Linus Eberle (M), SC Hallwil/SC Schirmensee | 370 |
| 61 | SLO 14731 | Domen Kansky (M), Miran Gustin (M), JK Fireball/Sirena | 370 |
| 62 | CZE 14553 | Jiri Svoboda (M), Michal Sara (M) | 374 |
| 63 | SLO 13744 | Miha Slekovec (M), Andrej Markota (M), JK Olimpic/JK Pirat | 377 |
| 64 | ITA 14380 | Riccardo Peratoner (M), Marco Peratoner (M), CN Bogliasco | 378 |
| 65 | SUI 14055 | Lilly-Anne Brugger (F), Achim Schloetzer (M), SCH/RVS | 399 |
| 66 | GBR 14621 | Tim Cross (M), Rachel Keeling (F), Brancaster Staithe SC | 399 |
| 67 | CZE 13111 | Milan Jenista (M), Michal Juppe (M) | 407 |
| 68 | IRL 14765 | Seamus Moore, Ed Bulter, Skerries SC/Royal St.Georges S | 430 |
| 69 | GBR 14387 | Steve Popple (M), Wendy Wood (F), Shoreham | 437 |
| 70 | IRL 14691 | Louise McKenna (F), Mike Murphy (M), Royal St.George | 439 |
| 71 | SUI 14358 | Kathrin Pletscher (F), Gery Sauer (M), YCB/SCH | 459 |
| 72 | SLO 14272 | Uros Pecaver (M), Tadej Gale (M), JK Fireball | 463 |
| 73 | IRL 14698 | John Walsh (M), Niamh O'Rourke (F), CYBC | 470 |
| 74 | SUI 14776 | Lucien Preuss (M), Lindy Preuss (F), SV Thalsie | 471 |
| 75 | SLO 14730 | Miha Kavcic (M), Tomo Pecaver (M), JK Olimpic Izola | 475 |
| 76 | SLO 14054 | Andraz Kozelj (M), Rok Leskovec (M), JK Burja/JK Fireball | 477 |
| 77 | IRL 14683 | Dave Coleman (M), Garrett O'Carroll (M), DMYC/GHYC | 478 |
| 78 | SLO 14351 | Miro Jakop (M), Jaka Jovan (M), JK Fireball | 493 |
| 79 | SLO 13277 | Alenka Hocevar (F), Zeljko Petovar (M), JK Fireball | 515 |
| 80 | SLO 13429 | Roman Peckaj (M), David Peckaj (M), JK Olimpic Izola | 521 |
| 81 | SLO 12385 | Igor Svarc (M), Andrej Bozic (M), JK Olimpic Izola | 527 |
| 83 | GBR 14185 | Steve Greenhalgh (M), Tom Wills (M), Staunton Harold SC/Lerwick BC | 530 |
| 82 | SLO 14733 | Drago Skrget (M), Vlado Jankovic (M), JK Fireball/JK Maestral | 530 |
| 84 | GBR 14673 | David Festing (M), Karen Festing (F), Shoreham | 531 |
| 85 | SLO 12290 | Herbert Goriup (M), Vilma-Alina Bezensek (F), JK Fireball | 574 |
| 86 | GBR 14822 | Mike Goldby (M), Kim Goldby (F), Notts County SC | 616 |
| 86 | GBR 14645 | Helen Salisbury (F), Mike Shreeve (M), Draycote Water SC | 616 |