Gwendal Nael and Pierre Tydgat from France are the 2015 29er European Champions. They managed to maintain yesterday's lead by one point, ahead of the British silver medalists Crispin Beaumont and Tom Darling. The Danish power duo Daniel Nyborg and Sebastian Olsen from Denmark scored today's best score and claimed bronze. They loved the breezy conditions on the IJsselmeer off the Dutch coast of Medemblik.
Nael and Tydgat, who shined in lighter weather, started off with a 16th position and dropped on the leader board. Nael: 'The circumstances were very difficult, but we got better in the second race. We tried to stay close to the best teams in these windy conditions. We started the final race like the first one of this championship. In the end we were close to the British guys, so we match raced them a little bit.' The French pair finished in fourth, behind Beaumont and Darling, which was just enough for the overall victory. 'We are very happy', said Nael.
'It was tough racing, but we enjoyed it', responded Tom Darling. 'It was quite windy, gusty and shifty. This morning we thought, we just go out and battle on the attack. We didn't have anything to lose. We already exceeded our expectations. Our goal was top five. We knew that was set in stone, so we tried to get the gold. After the 14th position in today's second race, we knew we just had to go out and go for it. The French were two points ahead. It is a pity that we only missed out by one point, but we are going to do our best at the Worlds and try to win.'
Daniel Nyborg and Sebastian Olsen from Denmark were on fire in the big breeze. They finished three – six - two and climbed on the leader board from the sixth to third place overall. Nyborg: 'We had about 15 to 20 knots. It was all about boat speed, which we had and we tacked at the right places. We actually didn't start well, but we were quite good at coming back in the race. We also like the stronger conditions.' Bronze at the Europeans is their first big medal. 'Last year we came 31st at the Europeans, so this is a major step up.'
Prize giving by Volvo Ocean Race sailor Carolijn Brouwer
Team SCA watch captain Carolijn Brouwer from the Netherlands awarded the medals to the winner, but not before she had spoken a few words to the young sailors. 'Being here, feels like going back to my roots, as I have spent a lot of time sailing at this venue during my Olympic campaigns. The high performance sailing what you guys are showing here, is the way to move on. Who knows, one day you might be an America's Cup or Volvo Ocean Race sailor.'
Final top five after 15 races, including two discards:
1. FRA 13 - Nael/Tydgat, 31 points
2. GBR 1967 - Beaumont/Darling, 33 points
3. DEN 2125 - Nyborg/Olsen, 40 points
4. SLO 6 - Janezic/Podlogar, 49 points
5. SWE 2220 - Kraft/Alm, 55 points
Carla and Marta Munte from Spain won the silver fleet, Cecilia and Catharina Sandman from Finland the bronze and Matthew Wright and Russell Aylsworth from Hong Kong finished first in the emerald.
The 2015 29er European Championships are supported by Magic Marine and Van Oord, worldwide active as leading international contractor, specialising in dredging, marine engineering and offshore projects (oil, gas and wind) with innovative, sustainable solutions for maritime challenges.