Gdynia Sailing Days – time for the youngest sailors

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 By Marek Grzybowski

The week of the 25th edition of the Gdynia Sailing Days regatta will belong to the youngest sailors. The competition in the Gdynia City Cup in the ILCA 4 class began on Wednesday, while on Thursday the first races in the KINDER Joy of moving Trainers’ Cup in the Optimist class from group B, i.e. competitors up to 13 years old, were scheduled.

138 crews from 25 countries, including 18 Polish duos, took part in the European Championships in the 29er class, which are held as part of the 25th edition of the Gdynia Sailing Days sailing festival. The first races took place on Wednesday, and the medalists were selected on Monday, July 8.

Polish teams stood on the top step of the podium in four out of six categories. Ewa Lewandowska and Krzysztof Królik became European champions in the mixed category. Bartosz Żmudziński and August Sobczak took first place in both the men’s and U-17 categories, while Alicja Tutkowska and Alicja Dampc triumphed in the women’s category. Additionally, Lewandowska and Królik topped the general classification, with Żmudziński and Sobczak in second place.

The Czech team of Karolina Lojkova and Petr Pelnar won the U-17 mixed category, while the German team of Adele Heubner and Katharina Fricke won the U-17 women’s category.  British sailors Finian Morris and Charlie Gran earned the title of European vice-champions in the men’s category and third place in the general classification. Their compatriots James Crossley and Sam Webb completed the top three.

The Swedish team of Esther Lagerstrand and Melker Bondjers won the vice-championship in the mixed category, with their compatriots Selma Hard and Lukas Wolfgang placing third.
In the U-17 category, the French team of Alexandre Mostini and Raphael Allain took second place, while the German team of Lucas and Moritz Hamm finished third. British sailors Annabelle Vines and Amelie Hiscocks won the silver medal in the women’s category, with Finnish sailors Una Heinila and Silja-Sophie Laukkanen taking third place. In the mixed category, the French team of Clemence Favrel and Ferdinand Guillemot took second place, ahead of the Polish team of Aniela Frąckowiak and Igor Piechota.

Over two days, 25 sailors took part in seven races. Łokasz Lesiński turned out to be the best in the first six starts, but in the seventh he took fifth place. The next places were taken by Andrzej Romanowski (OŚ AZS Poznań) and Tadeusz Bartlewski (SKŻ Sopot). The Finn class has been an Olympic event for 18 consecutive games – consecutively from Helsinki in 1952 to Tokyo three years ago.
In the OK class, Dinghy was led after the first day by Michał Strumnik (OKD Class Athletes’ Association), who won all four races. On Sunday, he did not start and was placed in an expensive position. The winner was Marek Bernat (OKŻ Olsztyn), and the third place was Waldemar Czyż (KŻ Horn Kraków).

The third round of the 1st Polish Sailing League took place in Gdynia. The winners were the representatives of Port Mechelinki, ahead of KW Garlanda Gliwice and Sztorm Grupa Warszawa. KS Iskra AMW Gdynia is at the top of the general classification, and the next places among the 18 teams are occupied by the current leader, Onboard and Garland. Port Mechelinki advanced to seventh position.

 

More info: Gdynia Sailing Days