Flying Dutchman Europeans at Club Nautico de Altea Overall

FD Europeans at Altea, Spain © Richard Phillips / www.esailor.co.uk

Szabolics Majthinyi and Andras Domokos win the FD Europeans at Altea, Spain © Richard Phillips / www.esailor.co.uk

Sunshine - Superb Hospitality - Close Racing - 42 Competitors - 9 Nations (DEN, ESP, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, NED, SLO, SUI)

A very memorable FD European Championship drew to a close with the Prizegiving for the Euro Cup 2011 and the European Championship 2012.

There was an exciting video presentation at the Opening Ceremony followed by well chosen words from a representative of each of the competing nations paying tribute to the start of the 60th Anniversary of the FD Class.

The hospitality shown by Club Nautico Altea throughout the event was outstanding. An excellent video of the event was shown at the Prizegiving which showed how all the many people and local and international organisations contributed to the success of the event.

As is traditional in the FD Class, the Club was presented with a half model of an FD.

The scheduled 9 races were all sailed, mainly in light winds. A good breeze in brilliant sunshine for the final race ensured that racing finished on a high note.

Going into the last race, Szabolics Majthinyi & Andras Domokos (HUN70) had already secured the Championship with all their results in the top 5 and winning races 4 and 8. They sportingly sailed the last race finishing in fourth position. They are current FD World Champions having won the 2011 Worlds on Lake Garda which attracted 130 boats from 22 Nations.

At the start of the last race in Altea two boats were on equal points in second place so the scene was set for a battle between two other former FD World Champions.

Jorgen & Jacob Boysen Moeller (DEN 21) had two firsts, a BFD in race 4 and a broken boom resulting in a 13th place in Race 6. With 20 points overall after discarding these two races they led at the first mark in the final race. True to their normal form they led the fleet to the finish and so won the last race and second position overall.

Enno Kramer and Ard Geelkerken (NED 26), sailed consistently well during the Championship. After discarding a 13th and 8th, having won race 7 and finishing 2nd in race 8 they managed to finish 6th in race 9 to secure third place overall.

Jorn Borowski and Andreas Berlin (GER 202) won race 6 and finished the Championship with a second place which enabled them to pull up to fourth place overall.

Nicola and Francesco Vespasiani (ITA 4) were overnight leaders on day one. Having won the first race, they maintained good form and won race 5. They were in with a chance of a top 3 position. However, race 9 was their second worst race and they finished 5th overall.

Gines Romero and Avaro Moreno were the top Spanish team finishing eighth overall with their best result being a 3rd in the last race. Gines Romero has provided substantial support to the Spanish FD fleet based in Altea for many years.

Club Nautico Altea has hosted FD Euro Cup events for many years and the FD Class looks forward to returning again soon.

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Overall Results: (top ten)

Full Results and more information at www.cnaltea.com