European Kiteracing Championships Day 5
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The courses today were shorter, which brought the fleet even closer together and saw the riders fighting hard to improve their standings. First to go racing were the womenʼs fleet and it was going to be a battle between the top two on the overall leaderboard, the British Steph Bridge and Hollandʼs Katja Roose.
Roose had a great start to the day and after a crash from Kalinina at the windward mark she managed to take the lead and scored her third bullet in this championship. Bridge finished in third place and had to come back with a good result in the next race to protect her place on the leaderboard. Giving a dynamic performance in the second race of the day she managed to round on top at the bottom gate and keep her lead ahead of second placed Kalinina, leaving Roose in third. After another 2 races in lighter conditions Bridge kept her top spot on the podium winning the Championship. Roose came a close second and in third was Germanyʼs Christine Boenniger.
Agnieszka Grzymska secured fourth place overall and Spainʼs Nuria Goma finished the championship in fifth position.
Then it was time for the men to hit the water. Ahead of racing, Britainʼs Oliver Bridge had a safe lead from the Italian Leccese who was second overall. But it was Russiaʼs Doronin who had a great start and managed to keep his lead throughout the first race of the day with Leccese in second. Bridge was in third but had no worries about losing his top spot on the leaderboard. Leccese went on to win the second race of the day, distancing himself from the rest of the riders and finishing in second place overall for the championship. After the final two races of the day Franceʼs Maxime Nocher bagged the last podium spot finishing in third place, followed by Rolf Van Der Vlugt in fourth and Russiaʼs Ivan Doronin finishing in fifth place overall.
So Oliver Bridge is crowned the new Kite Racing European champion for 2013 and it would be a hard record to beat, winning the Europeans at his young age of only 15 years old.
It was to be two Bridges on top at this years championships after an amazing finale in the womenʼs racing too. Steph Bridge dominated the competition taking the top spot, with Hollandʼs Roose in second place.
All of the riders gathered to receive their trophies during a memorable closing ceremony. Mother and son could not be happier to have accomplished something not often seen in sports like kite racing, where fitness and experience are key factors.
The warmth and hospitality of the Hang Loose Beach made for a successful and thoroughly enjoyable championship that has left itʼs mark on all of the athletes competing here. It was a memorable week with splendid conditions that could not have been better for the final day of racing.
Final Results 2013 European Kiteracing Championships
Mens Fleet:
1. Oliver Bridge (GBR / North)
2. Riccardo Leccese (ITA / Ozone)
3. Maxime Nocher (FRA / North)
4. Rolf van der Vlugt (NED / Airush)
5. Ivan Doronin (RUS / Ozone)
Womens Fleet:
1. Steph Bridge (GBR / North)
2. Katja Roose (NED / Airush)
3. Christine Boenniger (GER / Flysurfer)
4. Agnieszka Grzymska (POL / Ozone)
5. Nuria Goma (ESP / Ozone)
Full Results Men:
http://sailwave.com/results/2013Kiterac ... alMen.html
http://sailwave.com/results/2013Kiterac ... alMen.html
Full Results Women:
http://sailwave.com/results/2013Kiterac ... Women.html
http://sailwave.com/results/2013Kiterac ... Women.html
The daily video can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXUfkCa6vZI
Photos from the fourth day can be found here: http://bit.ly/12vM1pV
