Top teams ready

163 teams are eady to fight it out in Hungary for the 470 European Championship

Racing at the 470 European Championships will start tomorrow at Lake Balaton in Hungary.

Of the 171 teams already registered 163 from 34 nations have finalized registration and measurement. The current count is 112 male and 51 female teams.

It will be a very challenging event as nearly all leaders of the ISAF Worlds Rankings have arrived at Lake Balaton which will act as a good warm up for the Olympic test event next month.

Current European champions Nick Rogers with Joe Glanfield (GBR) will not be able to participate, as Rogers is still recovering from a wrist fracture he got from falling off a bike a couple of days before the Princess Sophia Regatta in Palma.

One of the favorites for the European Title 2006 is Italy’s top team Gabrio Zandona and Andrea Trani, currently first in the Worlds Rankings. They seem to be stronger than ever after winning Gold at the Holland Regatta and Silver at the Princess Sophia Regatta and Semaine Olympique earlier this year. In 2003 they won the 470 Worlds in Cadiz.

Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page from Australia are reigning 470 World Champions, and winners of the ISAF World Sailing Games in the 470 Class. They will definitely be serious contenders and ones to watch during the event.

Title defenders in the women’s 470 are Ingrid Petitjean with Nadège Douroux. The female duo from France has been fighting hard for every title in the last few years. Opponents like reigning World Champions Marcelien de Koning and Lobke Berkhout from the Netherlands and ISAF World Sailing Games winners Christina Bassadone and Saskia Clark from Great Britain have been pushing this pair hard. In the past only Sofia Bekatorou and Emilia Tsulfa from Greece could keep the female rivals away from the Gold Medals.

Racing begins today, Monday, at 11:00.