| TONSBERG, NORWAY-(5-8-2004) 10 different countries started today to fight for the European crown in a choppy day with winds from 8 to 12 knots. Two races were sailed in a typical windward leeward format of approximate 8 to 9 miles.
Olympic sailors like the Sydney gold medalist for USA Magnus Liedhjal in the Star class sailing the only North American team skippered by Peter Allen from Canana (CAN 848) and crewed also by Karl Anderson, started in good shape at the first race with a fourth.
Difficult sailing conditions then favored those with more time in sailing the class, like Markus Scheeberger, Volker Moser and Christian Panek from Austria(AUT 73) who had the best finishes in the day with a first and a second in each race and lead the overall results with 3 points. The Hungarian team with Balazs Gyenese, Gyula Monus and Karoly Vezer (HUN 1) who were fifth at the 2004 Soling Worlds held in Brasil last January had a second and a fourth standing in good condition at the overall results with 6 points.
The surprise were the local teams from Norway (NOR 140 & NOR 142) Asbjorn Kristiansen, Petter Hoglund, Lars Rony who had a fifth and a third and follow the leaders with 8 points and Pal Christoffersen, Karl Book, Espen Kamperhaug who had a 8th and first and now stands also with 9 points,.
The team from Slovenia Bostjan Antoncic, Gennadi Strakh and Zeijko Perovic (SLO 1) also is tied with 9 points in the overall results with a third and sixth in each race.
At the sixth in the overall results another country appear (NED 25 ) Johan Offermans, Hans Zijistra and Bas Dusee with eleven points after a six and a fifth.
The event sponsored by Color Line, Elvstrom Sobstad, Nottero Sparebank, Fritios Kompaniet, O. Sandviki promise a week of social events in Tonsberg the oldest town in Norway besides the tight racing and superb sailing condition in the fjord.
Top 5 Results
POS Sail Helmsman Middleman Bowman POINTS R1 R2
1 AUT 73 Markus Schneeberger, Volker Moser, Christian Panek 3 1 2
2 HUN 1 Balazs Gynese, Gyula Monus, Karoly Vezer 6 2 4
3 NOR 140 Asbjørn Kristiansen, Petter Høglund, Lars Ronny Henriksen 8 5 3
4 NOR 142 Pål Christoffersen, Karl Book, Espen Kamperhaug 9 8 1
5 SLO 1 Bostjan Antoncic, Gennadi Strakh, Zeljko Perovic 9 3 6
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