Dramatic final race

Booth and Dercksen take the Tornado Europeans writes Mark Bulkeley

Race one on the final day was a dramatic one for the eventual champions. However at the front, the race was won by the flying frenchman Yann Guicahrd. He was staking his claim for third overall. Other good performances came from Roma Hagara and Darren Bundock who finished fourth to claim the open Mats Nyberg Trophy with a race to spare. We had a good race up until the second leeward mark when our traveler/mainsheet knot came undone and we had to re thread our mainsheet system. this dropped us from 4th to 12th in the race.

The final race of the championship was sailed in a big sea and 18 knots of wind. The race was the decider for the championship and Mitch Booth needed to put 4 places between himself and Olivier. Booth led the race for all but the last windward mark and left Backes floundering in his wake. However up the final upwind we went against the fleet and took a bit of a flyer out into more pressure and crossed the fleet moving from fourth to first by the top mark. Booth however managed to sneak by down the run to win the fianl race and the championship. It was also a significant result as it ensured Olympic qualification for them.

Second overall was Olivier Backes and Laurent Voiron of France, and third another French pair, Yann Guichard and Christophe Espagnon.

We finished the event in eighth place overall. It has been a hard week for many reasons, we made too many mistakes and suffered some gear failure that should have been avaoided. It has taught us some valuable lessons for the season ahead and in some ways it is best that all these lessons happen in one event. We now have a week back in England before heading out to Barcelona where we can start to put into practice the lessons learnt from here.

Our congratulations go to both Bundock and Forbes who continue to show the fleet a clean pair of heels and training partners Mitch Booth and Herbert Dercksen who have qualified for the Olympics and mean that all three of our group will be in Athens this summer. The other pairing of Johhny Lovell and Charlie Ogletree recently won the US selection trials in Miami.

You can follow Leigh McMillan and Mark Bulkeley on their website: www.gbrtornadogold.com

European Championships, final results:

	Sail Nr	Crew	R 1	R 2	R 3	R 4	R 5	R 6	R 7	R 8	R 9	R 10	Points
1	NED 1	MITCH BOOTH/HERBIE DERCKSEN	9	2	3	OCS	3	2	2	4	7	1	33
2	FRA 295	OLIVIER BACKES/LAURENT VOIRON	1	1	8	6	11	5	6	1	1	9	38
3	FRA 28	YANN GUICHARD/CHRISTOPHE ESPAGNON	12	3	18	5	7	7	1	2	2	4	43
4	AUT 380	ROMAN HAGARA/HANS PETER STEINACKER	27	7	1	1	5	9	5	13	4	3	48
5	ESP 1	FERNANDO ECHAVARRI/ANTON PAZ	2	4	5	20	15	8	8	5	5	5	56
6	GER 1090	ROLAND GAEBLER/GUNNAR STRUCKMANN	6	6	11	14	6	6	7	10	9	7	68
7	FRA 279	XAVIER REVIL/LAURENT GUILLEMETTE	5	24	22	9	10	10	15	3	3	6	82
8	GBR 420	LEIGH McMILLAN/MARK BULKELEY	4	5	7	13	8	17	DNC	19	10	2	83
9	GER 1087	JOHANNES POLGAR/CARSTEN HAPPEL	19	9	9	26	4	3	3	26	8	10	90
10	ITA 257	FRANCESCO MARCOLINI/EDOARDO BIANCHI	30	17	2	2	21	12	4	27	6	12	101
11	DEN 1	PEDER RONHOLT/SOREN JORGENSEN	OCS	18	10	3	23	11	13	6	12	11	106
12	ESP 2004	ENRIQUE GARCIA DE SOTO/FERNANDO SALES	20	16	6	12	14	19	24	7	11	18	121
13	POR 1	DIOGO CAYOLLA/NUNO BARRETO	15	10	17	11	30	15	9	22	13	14	124
14	FRA 281	BILLY BESSON/ARNAUD JARLEGAN	14	26	15	18	1	24	18	8	19	16	132
15	GRE 7	PASCHALIDES IORDANIS/GAREFIS CHRISTOS	22	22	12	7	2	35	21	RDG	17	23	143
16	ITA 260	SANDRO MONTEFUSCO/STEFANO RIZZI	10	21	28	24	DNC	1	19	24	15	8	147
17	SWE 201	HANS WALLEN/CHRISTOPHER RAPPE	8	23	16	4	34	27	14	11	24	22	148
18	ESP 121	JOSÉ Mª PONCE/RAMÓN ILLÁN	OCS	20	13	25	25	4	22	15	22	13	157
19	GRE 1	DIMITRIO THEODORAMI/ADONIS BOYGIOURIS	26	33	4	10	17	25	10	21	20	DSQ	162
20	ITA 255	ALBERTO SONINO/GABRIELE BRUNI	25	19	RDG	RDG	22	34	12	14	18	19	168
21	FRA 282	MATTHIEU SOUBEN/GURVAN BONTEMPS	11	34	23	17	28	21	11	16	OCS	17	174
22	POR 2	HUGO ROCHA/LUIS BRITO	7	12	14	15	RDG	RDG	29	DNF	DNC	DNC	193
23	NED 162	SVEN KARSENBARG/MISCHA HEEMSKERK	3	28	25	16	32	18	28	9	DNC	DNC	202
24	FRA 286	FRANÇOIS MORVAN/MATHIEU VANDAME	21	30	32	32	12	16	17	36	16	DNC	207
25	ESP 23	TONI RIVAS/FABIÁN ESCUDÉ	17	11	19	22	27	DNC	38	20	DNC	15	211
26	GER 1088	HELGE SACH/CHRISTIAN SACH	13	15	OCS	31	20	22	32	30	25	28	212
27	GER 1084	ANDREW LANDENBERGER/SEBASTIAN MOSER	23	25	35	27	29	32	27	17	23	RDG	227
28	SUI 227	MARTIN RUSTERHOLZ/MICHIEL FEHR	18	27	33	28	33	26	23	23	28	25	228
29	ESP 11	MANUEL CALAVIA/CARLOS VAREA	28	36	OCS	19	9	OCS	26	29	21	21	233
30	ESP 7	FRANCISCO SÁNCHEZ/JUAN M BARRIONUEVO	RDG	RDG	34	23	39	23	20	33	14	DNC	237
31	SWE 199	MARTIN STRANDBERG/KRISTIAN MATTSSON	DSQ	8	24	OCS	16	14	33	12	DNC	DNC	242
32	RUS 007	DZHIENBAEV SERGEY/RYAZANTSEV OLEG	OCS	37	26	29	40	29	16	28	26	20	246
33	FRA 276	BAPTISTE BALZEAU/GAËL LEDOUX	34	32	36	37	19	20	31	32	27	26	251
34	FRA 293	FRANÇOIS GABART/DAVID ROMAIN	32	31	20	30	24	31	25	25	DNF	DNF	259
35	ITA 5	SORRENTINO VINCENZO/COLOMBO GIORGIO	16	35	29	34	18	33	DNC	DNC	OCS	24	277
36	SLO 1	DUSAN PUH/ALAN BIDERMAN	31	14	31	33	38	30	30	31	DNC	DNC	279
37	ITA 261	ANDREA MURA/LUCA REMAGRINO	33	38	27	8	31	28	39	40	DNC	DNC	282
38	RUS 77	EMELIANOV KONSTANTIN/YANIN ALEXANDZ	24	13	30	38	DNC	OCS	RDG	RDG	DNC	DNC	308
39	GBR 415	LEO FARROW/ROB WILSON	38	40	37	35	36	DNC	36	37	30	30	311
40	RUS 27	CHEKRYGIN ALEKSEY/BOGATKIN SERGEY	36	39	40	36	35	36	37	38	31	31	311
41	GBR 404	JONNIE HUTCHCROFT/MARCUS LYNCH	OCS	41	39	40	37	37	35	34	29	29	314
42	GER 1052	CHRISTINA LOWEY/FLORIAN LOWEG	35	42	DNC	DNC	26	38	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	367
43	ESP 40	JAVIER PADRON/ONAN BARREIROS	37	43	38	39	43	DNC	DNC	39	DNC	DNC	371
44	ESP 5	BERNARDO BENÍTEZ/CARLOS LOUREIRO	40	DNC	41	41	41	39	40	DNC	DNC	DNC	375
45	GBR 398	JOHN READY/SIMON WILLIS	39	44	DNC	DNC	42	40	41	41	DNC	DNC	378