Fireball Europeans at ASN Perros Guirec, Brittany
by Tim Saunders 4 Sep 2006 00:36 BST
26 August - 1 September 2006
99 Fireballs took part in the 2006 Fireball European Championships. Racing was held in challenging conditions off the North Brittany Coast. The first race was won by Andy Smith and Jonny Mildred (GBR) who continued to be the only boat in the championship to score top 10 positions in every race. After a disappointing start to the regatta Tomas Musil and Pavel Winkler (CZE) also managed some consistency over the week scoring 1st and 2nd in Tuesdays windier conditions. This Consistency was the key to doing well at Perros but was often hard to find, as tides turned during the races and the wind was affected by the surrounding land masses. With boats in the top 10 counting low teens places after 5 races this was to be a high scoring and competitive regatta.
After light winds on Sunday, breezier conditions arrived for Monday and Tuesday which was to the liking of both Musil and Smith, as well as Matt Mee and Simon Potts (GBR) who took two race wins. The "soiree d'equipages" on Tuesday evening thus arrived with three full days of racing completed before Wednesday's lay day. Plenty of cocktails, wine, paella, cheese and dessert courses led to a fantastic evening for the competitors, their families and guests. A traditional Breton live band provided entertainment and dancing into the early hours of the lay day. The dinner was proceeded by a presentation by Fireball International Commodore Francois Schluchter, about 2007's Grand National at Riva on Lake Garda and Worlds at Lake Silvaplana.
The wind on Thursday only materialised enough for one race which was won convincingly by the Swiss pairing of Adrian Huber and Brigitte Mauchle, from Will Moody and Bryan Byrne (IRL). Thursday night was Belgian night, with free Belgian Beer and a slide show on the 2008 European Championship to be held at Nieuwpoort.
Fridays wind was just as fickle with the first attempt at a race being abandoned and then re-sailed in building breeze. Eva Skorepora and Viktor Tkadlec (CZE) lead at the windward mark but were overhauled by Vince Horey and Andy Thompson (GBR) to went on to take the win.
The final race was sailed in 10 Knots of breeze with Penny and Ian Gibbs (GBR) establishing a convincing lead at the end of the first lap which they held to the finish. Overall Smith and Mildred put together a most impressive series to take the Championship; Smith's second Europeans title after winning in 2003 in the Shetland Isles.