Dempsey wins again

The British RS:X sailor has won the European Championship in Turkey

At the RS:X Europeans in Alacati (TUR), Athens Olympic bronze medallist Nick Dempsey led from the second day of the six-day regatta, and posted a solid set of results across the total of eleven races to beat nearest rival, Dutchman Joeri van Dijk, by thirteen points to clinch his first ever European title.

The Weymouth-based 25-year-old has now won a total of five medals - four gold and one silver - from the five major regattas he's sailed in so far in 2006, and is proving a dominant force on the Neil Pryde RS:X.

"It was a pretty stressful event actually," Dempsey explained. "The Dutchman, Joeri van Dijk, made it harder than I would have liked as he just put a string of great results together in the second half of the regatta, which meant that I had to sail a bit more conservatively than I would have liked towards the end. I had to concentrate quite hard on what he was doing as well as on my own performance. But it's all good - it's a really great result for me and things are working out well on the new board."

Bryony Shaw had already started the day well for Skandia Team GBR in Turkey, as she scooped silver in the women's RS:X Europeans behind Spaniard Blanca Manchon. Shaw had a strong start to the regatta on Monday, but left herself with a bit to do in the latter stages, heading in to the final medal race in fourth place just outside of the podium positions. The Weymouth windsurfer was the first of the Europeans to finish in the medal race, which elevated her up to the second podium step.

"I made it so hard for myself!" Shaw recalled. "I had a few missed opportunities. The conditions were just so fluky - no-one managed to hold it together for the whole week, except for Nick!"

Results:

Men

Pos	Helm	Sail Number	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Tot
1	DEMPSEY NICK	GBR 21	2	6	1	1	2	-7	4	1	2	3	4	26
2	VAN DIJIK JOERI	NED 1	-11	9	3	10	3	2	2	2	1	1	8	41
3	HUGUET NICOLAS	FRA 8	4	12	1	5	4	1	18	5	-20	4	16	70
4	OBEREMKO MAKSYM	UKR 19	13	6	17	6	3	18	1	-33	6	8	6	84
5	MYSZKA PIOTR	POL 82	5	15	4	4	4	1	17	17	-18	14	14	95
6	MIARCZYNSKI PRZEMEK	POL 126	10	7	19	16	5	2	16	-44	23	6	2	106
7	LE GAL NICOLAS	FRA 115	10	-19	5	23	8	24	7	6	3	2	18	106
8	ASHLEY TOM	NZL 181	16	8	6	19	15	4	3	4	-37	26	10	111
9	TOBIN JON-PAUL	NZL 1	2	5	11	-22	1	17	19	20	9	16	12	112
10	CHAN KING YIN	HKG 12	7	-29	2	23	10	5	20	27	7	12	20	133

Women

Pos	Helm	Sail Number	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	Tot
1	MANCHON DOMINGUEZ BLANCA	ESP 1	-17	8	3	4	10	12	3	1	6	4	6	57
2	SHAW BRYONY	GBR 94	3	1	6	7	12	11	7	-24	10	6	4	67
3	FRAI ANTONIA	GRE 1	6	3	1	6	5	3	4	-19	18	8	20	74
4	PERRIN PAULINE	FRA 81	11	10	2	2	3	17	13	-18	1	2	14	75
5	CHAN WAI KEI	HKG 8	(dnf )	23	7	20	6	1	9	8	2	1	2	79
6	TARTAGLINI FLAVIA	ITA 46	12	-26	14	13	1	19	1	9	12	3	12	96
7	MASLIVETS OLGA	UKR 9	1	20	4	3	13	10	20	5	3	-21	18	97
8	DAVIDOVICH MAAYAN	ISR 10	5	19	10	-22	2	6	18	10	4	13	10	97
9	KLEPACKA ZOFIA	POL 8	2	16	9	9	8	20	12	-27	13	7	8	104
10	VIDAL LISE	FRA 24	-22	18	5	14	4	9	16	12	9	16	16	119