| BALATONFÜRED, HUNGARY-(16-6-2006) Two races were completed today, again in a very light shifty SW breeze of 3-4 knots. In total five races have been completed in this 470 European Championship event with only two days to go to conclude the qualifying series.
Due to a lack of wind, racing was postponed in the morning. Sailors, coaches and present Management Committee members of 470 Internationale took the opportunity to discuss issues of Olympic sailing.
At 13:20 the first warning signal was given to continue the Championship with race 4. The Men’s fleets seemed nervous and it took a lot of time before racing finally got started after a high number of general recalls.
It seemed to be the day for Benjamin BONNAUD and Romain BONNAUD (FRA). With a win in the first race today they dethroned yesterday’s overall leaders Enrico FONDA and Marco GUERRA (ITA).
Mikhail SHEREMETYEV and Mikhail SHEREMETYEV from Russia are new names in the 470 Class as Championship leaders. They won the first race today in their group, which puts them on a 3rd position overall. Quite some performance is also shown by Germany’s Morten BOGACKI and Christian LINDEMANN who have never come sofar yet in a senior 470 Championship. With a 2nd position in both races today they take a 2nd place in the overall rankings.
Especially France as a sailing country shows a bag full of sailing power with four spots in the top ten of the overall results after race 5.
Germany does good business sofar in this Championship, as Stefanie ROTHWEILER and Vivien KUSSATZ have managed to retain the lead in the Women’s Fleet. Sofar they gained three bullets, a 2nd place, with one 16th place at race 5 today, which they are allowed to strike in their current serie.
Therese TORGERSSON and Vendela ZACHRISSON are on their heels in second place. The girls from Sweden won the 470 Worlds Title in 2004 and Bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics. One could say that they are play makers and it’s to be expected that their names will appear high on the results lists at more major events in the near future.
Not only in the 470 Men’s Fleet, but also at the 470 Women new talented youth has claimed positions on top of the leader board . Team Noa BOTZER with Laia TRAJTENBERG from Israel does surprisingly well. They sailed a very consistent serie of three times a 4th place and a 5th place after discard.
For Ingrid PETIJEAN with Nadège DOUROUX (FRA) it seems hard to be key players at this Championship, same as for Marcelien DE KONING with Lobke Berkhout (NED) who will be defending their World Title in China later this year. The rivals take resp. a 13th and 20th place in the overall rankings.
Racing resumes today at 10:00 local time. The last day of qualifiers is on 17 June. On 18 June the Medal Races will decide the 2006 European Champions.
| 
