Hansen and Iversen Seize Moment to Claim First European Title
Sometimes a regatta can come down to a moment, and for Jena Hansen and Katja Iversen they seized the moment and claimed their first ever European title. The Danish duo trailed Italians and reigning European Champions Giulia Conti and Francesca Clapcich by four points entering the medal race, meaning they had to beat the Italians […]
Both 2015 European Champions Poised to Repeat
It was a scramble for both Gold fleets on Day 5 of the European Championships as few teams managed consistency through the day due to the inconsistent winds. Back on shore as teams discussed the racing, mostly befuddled, the old boys coaches union brought out expressions like “Barcelona Banana” from the days of the 1992 […]
Spaniards on a Roll – An Armada In the Making
Tamara Echegoyen emerged as an afterthought in London to claim the Gold medal in the women’s Match racing in 2012. The pundits all promoted their favorites, some of the biggest names in the sport of sailing but Echegoyen was unflappable and beat them all to claim gold. Teaming up with Berta Betanzos, a 470 World […]
On the Bubble to Gold
It was a stressful final day of qualifying for the 72 boat 49er fleet, only 25 of whom can make gold fleet. With seven of ten scheduled races completed there were still more than 20 teams on the bubble hoping to sail well enough to keep their hopes alive. The conditions were a combination of […]
Unstable Winds No Match For Champions
The 49erFX fleet raced first off the waters of Barcelona. As the sea breeze grew it was a much lighter start than day 1, with the teams crouching on the wing for the first two races, before the wind filled in to ten knots for the third race. 2015 World and European Champions, Giulia Conti […]
Sunsational Start to 2016 European Championship in Barcelona
The super competitive 49er fleets lined up and stretched their legs as racing got under way from the world class Barcelona International Sailing center. Just up the Mediterranean beaches from where the 1992 Olympics were held, the 2016 Olympic fleet and the rest of the world chasing skirmished in the opening races. The 49erFX raced […]
Last Chance to Compare Before Rio and Fleet Rejuvenation
The 2016 European Championship from Barcelona, Spain marks a turning point between the 2016 quadrennial and the 2020 Tokyo Quadrennial. As most of the Olympic fleet has been decided, many top team who will not be racing in Rio will take a break, or maybe just a breath, before reassessing their futures in Olympic sailing. […]