420 Junior European Championship at Vilagarcia de Arousa - Day 1
by International 420 Class Association 26 Jul 2019 04:30 BST
23-30 July 2019
420 U17 fleet heading downwind on day 1 - 420 Junior European Championship 2019 © Event Media
Race day 1 for the 132 teams competing at the 420 Junior Europeans kicked off with an early 1100 hours start on the waters off Vilagarcia de Arousa in north-western Spain.
A 14 knot breeze welcomed teams to the race track, keeping them on their toes as it shifted through the Bravo course, accompanied by rain for the first race.
Yet again sailors from host nation Spain demonstrated their confidence in the 420 Class, securing three top ten places in the Open Fleet and four top ten in the U17 after 2 races.
Taking advantage of the afternoon breeze, 420 racing is scheduled to get under way on Friday 26 July at 1400 hours on Bravo Course with the U17 on the track first, followed by 420 Yellow and 420 Blue.
420 Open
Ninety-two teams are battling it out for the U19 titles in the Open division and are currently split into yellow and blue fleets for the qualification series, before advancing to gold and silver after a scheduled 6 races to be completed tomorrow and on Saturday.
In the yellow fleet, the track belonged to Spain's National Champions Conrad Konitzer/Fernando Rodriguez who opened their account with a win and a 5th place to take the day 1 lead. Israel's Tal Sade/Noam Homeri also started in style with a win in the blue fleet, following up with a 6th place to sit in second.
Third overall to the reigning U17 420 World Champions, Odysseas Spanakis/Konstaninos Michalopoulos of Greece who scored 3,6.
The 2018 U17 Junior European Champions, Jacobo Garcia/Antoni Ripoll (ESP), who also won last year's U17 Worlds have switched to senior fleet racing, and pushed out a confident 3,7 scorecard to sit in 4th overall.
Consistency was tough for many teams on the opening day, as they tried to find their groove in the shifting conditions and even the favourites came unstuck
Recently crowned 420 World Champions Martín Wizner/Pedro Ameneiro didn't have the race track going their way today, scoring 18,8 and find themselves in the unusual position of 21st overall.
Also ranking as front of fleet favourites, Demetrio Sposato/Gabriele Centrone (ITA), who secured silver at last week's Youth Worlds in Poland, started strong with a 9th, before tripping up with a UFD penalty. All change though tomorrow with 2 more races and the discard kicking in after race 3.
Provisional 420 Open Results after Day 1: (top ten, 2 races)
1. Conrad KONITZER/Fernando RODRIGUEZ (ESP 56259) - 6 pts
2. Tal SADE/Noam HOMERI (ISR 54121) - 7 pts
3. Odysseas SPANAKIS/Konstaninos MICHALOPOULOS (GRE 56478) - 9 pts
4. Jacobo GARCIA/Antoni RIPOLL (ESP 56675) - 10 pts
5. Nacho DAVILA/Javier MESTRE (ESP 55836) - 12 pts
6. Jack LEWIS/Fraser HEMMINGS (GBR 54487) - 13 pts
7. Melina PAPPA/Maria TSAMOPOULOU (GRE 56340) - 13 pts
8. Aviv ROZEN/Tomer HENDEL (ISR 56457) - 14 pts
9. Oliver HURWITZ/Ethan FROELICH (USA 56658) - 14 pts
10. Kristian LENKMANN/Philip HALL (GER 56281) - 14 pts
420 U17
Spanish sailors headline the forty teams in the U17 fleet, claiming 1,2 on the leaderboard after two races, with Alberto Morales/Miguel Bethencourt and Neus Ballester/Andrea Perello on an 8 point tiebreak.
Morales/Bethencourt won the U17 fleet at the 420 Worlds, whilst Ballester/Perello are fresh from claiming silver medals at the Youth Worlds in Poland and finished 4th at the U17 Worlds fleet at the 420 Worlds and top women.
In third are Italy's Oscar Pouschè/Luca Coslovich from their 3,6 race track delivery.
Provisional 420 U17 Results after Day 1: (top ten, 2 races)
1. Alberto MORALES/Miguel BETHENCOURT (ESP 56600) - 8 pts
2. Neus BALLESTER/Andrea PERELLO (ESP 56769) - 8 pts
3. Oscar POUSCHÈ/Luca COSLOVICH (ITA 56771) - 9 pts
4. Rosa DONNER/Sebastian SLIVON (AUT 56761) - 11 pts
5. Corentin TABORE/Oscar DUTEURTRE (FRA 56721) - 13 pts
6. Ange DELERCE/Timothee ROSSI (FRA 56650) - 18 pts
7. Johanna SCHMIDT/Hannah SCHRANZHOFER (AUT 56653) - 21 pts
8. Antonio MARTINO/Joan CATALA (ESP 56150) - 23 pts
9. Jamie COOK/Will MARTIN (GBR 56108) - 23 pts
10. Fernando FLETHES/Carlos FLETHES (ESP 56693) - 25 pts
For more information visit 2019junioreuropeans.420sailing.org