British Sailors at the Europe Spanish Cup and European Championship
by Tim Laws 6 Mar 09:36 GMT
February 2024
Europe Spanish Cup and European Championship 2024 © DLS'Images
The Europe class in the UK is in fine health, a good number of new British built boats having rolled out of the doors of Synergy this year, new Winner Europes joining the fleet, a busy UK 2024 calendar, and Hayling Island SC looking forward to hosting the international fleet at Hayling Island SC in 2025 (and maybe also 2026).
Against this background it was fitting that four UK Europes registered to compete in the winter double-bill of the Spanish Cup in Torrevieja, Spain and the European Championships in Arcachon, France, hoping for good racing and some winter sun!
The reinstatement in 2023 of an open European Championships (since 2007 the class has only held European Championships for the youth and masters age categories) as a winter season event seem to have gone down well, attracting 38 boats to Torrevieja in 2023 and a 49 boat entry at Arcachon for 2024.
Last year Mike Partridge and Claire Davis had represented the UK at Torrevieja and having sung the praises of great racing, weather and food, had convinced John Rees (HISC) and Tim Laws (Helford River SC) to join them at Torrevieja for the Spanish Cup ahead of the Euros at Arcachon. Unfortunately circumstances intervened that meant Mike and Claire were unable to sail the event themselves.
A period of unsettled weather saw rain in Torrevieja up until just before the event. Day one started with sun, but a solid and chilly 25kts from the north. Not the ideal situation for Tim, with a new Synergy boat on only its fourth sail and first race. A conservative (third of two rows...) start for Tim saw John ahead in the early part of the race before positions switched on the second beat, a pattern that repeated through the other two races of the day even though the wind gradually eased (and British results got worse). The day was dominated by the Danish along with Spanish sailor Ramon Figueras Moner, who were in their element in the big breeze.
Day two began with a gentle offshore breeze which then shut down before a race could be got away. After a long wait in the sun the sea breeze eventually filled in and a single, shortened race was held. It was a painful race for those in the middle on the final leg fetch as both sides of the course overtook them!
Day three started early to get a race completed before the land breeze faded away. John had decided to get packed up ready for the trip to France, so did not sail. Tim (despite forgetting his watch and having to guesstimate the start) managed a respectable 14th.
The wind died away, leaving a glassy sea and making the same decision as John, Tim headed in to pack up. The rest of the fleet waited out a very long calm day on the water and were rewarded by two sparking races to finish the event, both won by Alejandro Pareja Gonzalez.
However it was not enough to unseat the podium of Ramon, Oscar Thule & Martin Olesen. The women's podium was a similarly Spanish/Danish affair with Camilla Svensson taking the win, well clear of Emma Collins of Spain and Maja Olesen in second and third.
Full results can be found here.
Part of the Danish team were heading to France, along with the British, Maurits Wijnants of Belgium and Mateu Castell Marrugat as the sole Spanish representative (perhaps the only Spanish sailor with a winter wetsuit...?). Different strategies for the trip had emerged, not least due to the Danes convincing themselves the event was starting a day earlier than it actually was. At least that was their explanation, but it may just have been a ruse to ensure more dessert eating time.
It meant that they were off in the middle of the night for a non-stop drive, while John did the same in daylight, Tim taking a more relaxed approach over two days and Maurits (having palmed his dirty washing off on Tim) flying to meet his boat on the way through France, only to arrive in Arcachon without a rudder or centreboard... Thankfully spares were available to borrow and everyone got rigged alongside a large number of French and German sailors with Italy and Poland also represented.
The Bassin d'Arcachon is an interesting venue; the only inlet of any size on the south west Atlantic coast of France, it has a narrow, treacherous mouth into the open sea through which the tide pours, at speed, to fill the extensive sandy lagoon that is about 15-20km across at its widest. However the usable sailing area is much smaller than this due to the shallows that are mostly given over to oyster production. All racing was conducted straight off the club - Cercle de Voile d'Arcachon - which was convenient, but challenging for the race committee (fitting in the course for 49 boats) and for competitors, with the breeze blowing over the town along with strong and complex tides.
As the first race got away in moderate winds Martin Olesen and Tim Laws were feeling a bit lonely down at the pin end. Maybe the answer wasn't to go hard left to get out of strong tide? However after tacking they easily crossed the fleet, with Martin having to reach in to the mark. Even so it was Camilla Svensson who made the best of the conditions to take the race from Martin, Damis Vielle the first French sailor in third, Oscar Thule in fourth and Tim having an excellent race to finish 5th.
The pattern was set and for the remaining races on day one and the pin end was rather busier. Martin took race 2, followed by top French Europe sailor (and Arcachonnais) Cyril Richard, Tim finishing in a lowly 19th by getting stuck in too much traffic on a one sided course.
Race 3 went to the long, long levers of Oscar Thule with Camilla and Klaus Madsen rounding out a Danish top three. It could have been top four but Tim was able to pip Martin on the line to take 4th, finishing the day in a very happy 8th overall. John Rees had a tougher first day, feeling there was a problem with his pointing and not being able to hold a lane. After a bit of comparison onshore it was decided that he might have a somewhat non-standard tape measure and the mast rake was not where he thought it was!
An ominous forecast of afternoon winds gusting to 50kts for day two meant an early start, with the expectation of only completing one race. In the event the front held off much longer than expected and three races were completed in a building conditions. The big breeze and slightly more shifty course proved to be to Martin's liking and he scored three bullets, despite the best efforts of Klaus and Oscar.
The final race of day two was saw winds gusting well over 25kts. Lots of hanging on, nosediving and swimming throughout the fleet. John was enjoying having his boat a bit better set up and felt he was going much better than the previous day, while Tim explored just how far underwater it was possible to drive the new Synergy boat on the final run. It all happily stayed in one piece, but cost a frustrating six places.
With ever fiercer gusts coming through everyone headed in and started lashing down the boats. Just in time as the wind started roaring and Arcachon bay turned white only thirty minutes later. As all racing was cancelled for the remaining two days due to the storm, Martin Olesen secured the 2024 Men's European championship, with Camilla Svensson as Women's champion, both very well deserved wins in testing conditions. The overall podium was a Danish affair with Klaus and Oscar taking second and third and proving the rainier and windier it is the happier Danes are!
Full results can be found here.
While it was a mixed bag results-wise for the two GBR sailors, it was a great experience and filled what is otherwise a very quiet time of year, feeling like it left us much better prepared for the start of the UK season. Finishing 7th overall was a highlight for Tim and given that this was only the first week of sailing the Synergy boat, bodes well for the future.
As much as the sailing, events like this are an opportunity to catch up with familiar faces and to meet new friends and compare notes about the very different ways we go sailing the various Europe nations. It was also a good time to pick brains about the best tuning and technique tips even if some of the advice was somewhat contradictory... Of course best post and pre-sailing desserts were well discussed, as were the performance enhancing benefits of cat food...
With the upcoming international events at Hayling Island SC in 2025 there was strong interest from the Danes and French (and Maurits for Belgium...) in attending the UK Nationals this year. John was steadily handing out promotional leaflets extolling the delights of Hayling's facilities, waters and beaches and we look forward to welcoming many international sailors to the UK over the next few years.