RS Feva European Championship at Gargnano, Lake Garda - Day 1
by Frances Peters 23 May 2015 22:48 BST
23-25 May 2015
RS Feva Europeans at Gargnano, Lake Garda day 1 © Francesco Fogazzi
Sailors were greeted by a cloudy and light morning in Gargnano, Lake Garda. As quite a contrast to the days leading up to the event, the lake was calm and the forecast unpredictable, few knew what lay ahead on the first day of their European Championship. There was an air of excitement and nervousness in the boat park as the final competitors registered and teams were busy in last minute boat preparations and bimbling. National Anthems for 11 nations played as country flags were hoisted to mark the opening of the regatta. Then the gun went and the action began.
As the first boats launched we asked last year's European Silver Medallists and Junior European Champions, Jack Lewis and Lucas Marshall from GBR about the build up to their regatta. They admitted that they were confident about the days ahead after a winter spent with many hours on the water and in the gym in preparation. Their determination was evident as they went on to say that they're aiming to defend their title of Junior European Champions, an accolade they will not be giving up on easily.
Right on cue the rain arrived, bringing with it an unstable South Westerly breeze. An anti-climax as sailors were forced to wait on the water for the breeze to stabilise. Only then could the racing begin. Conditions like this are a skill in themselves. It's a challenge for sailors to know when to relax and conserve energy and when to concentrate on the racing, a difficult balance to strike.
Finally the rain eased and the breeze stabilised, allowing a light and still shifty race to get underway. With a fleet of 80 boats on the start line and a long beat to contend with, the fleet separated quickly. For the leaders it was all about playing it safe to defend their positions, while for the mid-fleet sailors it became a fight to sail their own race. After a tricky race in a gradually dying breeze, the Brits dominated, filling all of the top five spots. Jack Lewis and Lucas Marshall stayed true to their word taking the top position of the race, followed by the hotshot British girls, Freya Black and Hatty Cage. The girls later told us that the secret to their success was continuing to have fun, while the racing was postponed. They said it helped them feel refreshed and ready for the racing when it came.
The dying breeze meant that the race committee were unable to complete a 2nd race and teams were sent to the shore to rest and recuperate in time for racing to resume tomorrow. It's been a day for the Brits as team GBR fill the top five spots overnight. The Italians are hot on their heels, though with Vladislav Zanetti and Giacomo Ceolaro holding 6th place overnight, leading their 3 teammates who fill all but one of the remaining top 10. Czech team Jaroslav Cermak and Petr Kostal snuck in an 8th position leaving everything to play for tomorrow.
Stay tuned to find out whether the Brits will be knocked off their perch tomorrow or whether they'll defend their strong start!