49er Europeans preview

96 teams from 24 countries expected in Norway

More than 90 of the world's best 49er teams are gathered in Grimstad, Norway for the MasterCard European Championship which starts on Monday 29 July. The qualification series in four groups goes on for three days before the finals on 1-2 August.

All the medal winners from the recent World Championships in Hawaii are present, and with the 19 top ranked teams from the most recent ISAF ranking the racing will be hot.

The favourites are bound to be the current World Champions Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez who will however have to beat their compatriots Santiago Lopez-Vazquez and Javier de la Plaza, who they currently lead in the ISAF rankings.

Also taking part is three time world champion Chris Nicholson who has now teamed up with former Laser Champion Michael Blackburn.

Team GBR is again fielding is a strong contingent including Paul Brotherton/Mark Asquith, Alistair Richardson/Peter Greenhalgh and Chris Draper/Simon Hiscocks.

The race organisers Grimstad Seilforening are celebrating their centennial anniversary and will have their hands full for the coming week.

Entries

Sail no	Helm/crew	Ranking
AUS 416	MARK TURNBULL/NICK PARTRIDGE	40
AUS 627	CHRIS NICHOLSON/MICHAEL BLACKBURN	56
AUS 687	GRANT ROLLERSON/GUY NAYLOR	-
AUS 766	BEN TARDREW/MARCUS TARDREW	110
AUT 8	DOMINIK KOCHOLL/DANIEL KOCHOLL	120
AUT 753	NICO DELLE KARTH/NIKOLAUS RESCH	72
BEL 650	QUENTIN BLONDIAU/LIONEL BLONDIAU	22
BEL 256	JOHANN BLONDIAU/PIM PEETERS	-
BEL 518	MICHEL PROOT/XAVIER ROYAUX	-
BEL 729	MAXIM VAN PELT/BENOIT GALLET	103
BRA 238	EDGARDO VIEYTES/MARTIN WINTER	59 helmsman
BRA 637	MARCOS FERRARI/ARTHUR VASCONCELLOS	105
DEN 9	MICHAEL HESTBÆK/RASMUS T. VAN HANSEN	6
DEN 14	PETER HANSEN/SØREN HANSEN	9
DEN 287	LARS SCHRØDER/MAJBRITT LANG	-
DEN 338	NIELS REFSGAARD/NIELS J FLOHR	-
DEN 591	MATTHEW VANDELEUR/MICHAEL W HENRIKSEN	-
DEN 628	MARTIN KIRKETERP/STIG SALLING	53
DEN 633	EMIL TOFT NIELSEN/SIMON TOFT NIELSEN	-
DEN 691	JONATAN ÅGE PERSSON /THOMAS IVERSEN	13
DEN 693	CLAUS HASTRUP KNUDSEN/DENNIS DENGSØ ANDERSEN	16
DEN 722	JONAS WARRER/PETER KRUGER ANDERSEN	37
DEN 723	ALLAN NORREGAARD/KLAUS NAUR	27
ESP 15	IKER MARTINEZ/XABI FERNANDEZ	3
ESP 427	SANTIAGO LOPEZ-VAZQUEZ/JAVIER DE LA PLAZA	1
FIN 424	ILMARI KUUSI/KALLE SALMELIN	158
FIN 449	JAN THORSTROM/MATIAS NIEMELAINEN	32
FIN 572	MARC LINDROOS/TED LINDROOS	-
FIN 593	JANNE UUSI-AUTTI/KASIMIR JOHANSSON	23
FIN 595	PETRI KARTO/RISTO TAPPER	66 helmsman
FIN 690	THOMAS JOHANSON/JUKKA PIIRAINEN	31 helmsman
FRA	D'HOOGE/CHATEAU	50
FRA 58	ALEXANDRE MONTEAU/DAMIEN GUILLOU	-
FRA 342	CEDRIC FLEURY/BENOIT HANTZPERG	-
FRA 406	KEVIN ORLANDI/BENIOT MAURY	-
FRA 709	VINCENT JOYEUX/FREDERIC MOREAU	20
FRA 710	EMMANUEL DYEN/NICOLAS CAU	21
FRA 750	GUILLAUME CHIELLINO/THOMAS DEPLANQUE	-
GBR 7	PAUL BROTHERTON/MARK ASQUITH	5
GBR 7	ALISTAIR RICHARDSON/PETER GREENHALGH	8
GBR 70	ANDY RICE/RICHARD BAILEY	63
GBR 599	MARK DELL/PAUL DELL	-
GBR 701	CHRIS DRAPER/SIMON HISCOCKS	8
GBR 716	ALEX HOPSON/PHIL KENNARD	-
GBR 718	STEVE MORRISON/BEN RHODES	65
GBR 739	BRIAN WILSON/ROY GOODLAND	-
GBR 749	STEVE HOPPER/LEWIS WOODLAND	-
GER 10	MARCUS BAUR/MAX GROY	11
GER 11	MARKUS STEEG/MORITZ DEMEL	36
GER 279	JAN-PETER PECKOLT/HANNES PECKOLT	70
GER 434	GABRIEL WICKE/WOLF JESCHONNEK	-
GER 451	LUCAS SEEBERG/HEIKO SALIG	-
GER 473	JASPER BEHRENDT/ERDMANN FIONN	-
GER 474	RALPH KAEMMERLE/JAKOB JANICH	-
GER 560	FELIX OEHME/---	-
GRE 183	GEORGE PANAGIOTIDIS/ALFONSO PANAGIOTIDIS	48
GRE 623	ANDREAS KYPREOS/STELIOS SOTIRIOU	32
GRE 634	ATHANASIOS PACHOUMAS/VASILIS PORTOSALTE	33
HUN 1	IVAN NEMETH/MIKLOS KORTVELYESI	158
HUN 333	KAROLY IGNACZ/MATYAS GEREBEN	-
HUN 336	MARTIN SZEPFY/BEN ALLO	-
HUN 727	PETER HAMRAK/BALAZS SUKOSD	-
IRL 705	TOM FITZPATRICK/FRAZER BROWN	24
ITA 6	PIETRO SIBELLO/GIANFRANCO SIBELLO	7
ITA 581	FRANSESCO BRUNI/LARS BORGSTROM	12
ITA 694	LUCA MODENA/MANUEL MODENA	-
NED 290	MICHAEL STELTENPOOL/CONSTANTIJN WEBER	-
NED 486	DAAN SCHUTTE/WILLEM SCHUTTE	42
NED 670	PIETER LANTERMANS/PIM NIEUWENHUIS	16
NOR 67	ARE FILIP EKLUND/SVERRE J TANGERUD	-
NOR 280	EVEN ÅBY LARSEN/FREDRIK ELTER	-
NOR 293	ALEKSANDER BREKKE/CARSTEN HOPSTOCK	79
NOR 428	ANDERS ROSTRUP/ØYVIND ROSTRUP	-
NOR 589	VEGARD ARNHOFF/HAAVARD ARNHOFF	48
NOR 640	CHRISTOFFER SUNDBY/FRODE BOVIM	15
NOR 673	PEDER JAHRE/KRANK KIRKELAND	58
POL 10	PAWEL KACPROWSKI/PAWEL KUZMICKI	2
POL 294	MARCIN CZAJKOWSKI/KRZYSZTOF KIERKOWSKI	86
POR 15	PEDRO ANDRADE/FRANSISCO ANDRADE	19
RSA 005	GREG BARKER/DIEDERIK BULTERS	-
RUS 734	ILYA ERMAKOV/MAXIM LAGOUTENKO	-
SUI	CYRIL WASMER/PATRICK WASMER	129
SUI 630	TOM RUEGGE/JORG STEINER	-
SUI 712	MARCEL WAISER/CASPAR BUETTNER	-
SUI 758	CHRIST RAST/EUAN MCNICOL	18
SWE 151	FREDRIK HALLSTEN/KARL LINDSTEN	-
SWE 291	AXEL NETTERLID/JONAS LINDBERG	90
SWE 588	MATTIAS BENGTSSON/NIKLAS BENGTSSON	45
SWE 571	MARCUS HAAS/CHRISTOFFER HAAS
SWE 649	PETER NIELSEN/JOHAN NIELSEN	102
SWE 778	PETER BACKE/ANDERS BENGTSSON	33
UKR 5	RODION LUKA/GEEORGE LEONCHIK	2
USA 625	DAVID FAGEN/BORA GULARI	50
USA 646	TIM WADLOW/PETER SPAULDING	39
USA 697	DALTON BERGAN/ZACK MAXAM	60