TAVRIA, PORTUGAL-(17-8-2006) Just two days from the end of the Junior European Championship at Tavira, António Matos Rosa and Francisco Lacerda, on 420, tighten their distance from the first-ranking, finishing the day in third. They are now challenging the title.
On the 420 fleet, the Portuguese team António Matos Rosa and Francisco Lacerda arrived in third, on the overall score, but saw their distance from the title, in points, diminished, as the first-ranking team, the double-hand French Balzeau and Fountaine, was declassified.
Matos Rosa asserted: “We did not expect this score just two days from ending the Championship. However we now believe we can make it to the medals”. Aware that the pressure will rise, the athletes know that they must not fall under the seventh place if they are to keep a good overall score.
The current World Champions, the New Zealanders Carl Evans and Peter Burling, are ranking second.
On the 470 class, no considerable changes can referred since the three best ranking teams are keeping their positions. Thus, the day’s regattas ended with Fantela/Marenic (CRO) in 1st, Patiente/Grube (GBR) in 2nd and Vasilas/Mitakis (GRE) in 3rd. The best ranking Portuguese team, Tiago Silva and Ricardo Schedel, finished in 19th.
The day started with moderate wind, blowing at 15 to 17 knots, which sped up to 25 knots during the afternoon, producing rough sea.
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