Gold medalists at the front

Iker Martínez and Xabier Fernández have taken the lead after five 20 knot races at the 49er European Championships

Spanish sailors Iker Martínez and Xabier Fernández are the first leaders of the 49er European championship – Madrid 2016. The first five races of the event were sailed today in the bay of Palma, organised by Club Nàutic S’Arenal.

Following yesterday’s cancellation due to the strong winds in the bay of Palma, today the Race Committee of Club Nàutic S’Arenal offered a complete racing programme. Five races have been sailed today with north westerly winds of around 20 knots that lost strength as the day went by. Sailors had a break between the third and fourth race to go ashore for lunch and have a rest.

In this tough debut for the 64 boats and 128 sailors from 22 nations that participate in this 49er European championship– Madrid 2016, the best team have been Spanish sailors, Iker Martínez and Xabi Fernández, gold medallists in Athens 2004 and the team to represent Spain at the 2008 Beijing Games. The Basque team started ready to defend their European title from last year in the waters of Marsala (Sicily). From the start they proved they were in good shape with a brilliant victory in the first race. A second, fifth, third and another second place in the following races confirmed them as one of the best teams in the class.

Second overall are the Austrian team of Nico Delle Karth and Nikolaus Leopold Resch, who are battling for the Autrian spot at the 2008 Beijing Games . They are five points behind the Spaniards, with a third, first, a 16th (to be discarded), a fifth and a fourth.

Third place on the provisional podium is the Swedish crew of Jonas Lindberg and Kalle Torlen, three points behind Delle Karth and Leopold and tied with Italian brothers Pietro and Gianfranco Sibello, the current leaders of the world ranking list.

It was a tough day of competition for many today, Tuesday, as the conditions meant constant capsizes in the racing areas, causing half of the fleet to retire or not finish in at least one race. Furthermore, the extreme conditions made some of the favourite teams such as Australian sailors Nathan Outteridge and Ben Austin (current world champions) and British team Stevie Morrison and Ben Rhodes (2007 world champions) drop down on the overall results (they are 16 and 26 respectively).

The 49er European Championship is sponsored by Fundación Madrid 2016, the regional ministries of Tourism, Sports and Youth of the Govern de les Illes Balears and Llucmajor city council. Firms Engel & Völkers and Cadillac are collaborators and Seiko is the class sponsor.

Results:

Pos	Helm/Crew	Sail Number	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Tot
1	Iker Martinez	ESP - 7	1	2	5	3	2	8
	Xabi Fernandez
2	Nico Delle Karth	AUT - 10	3	1	16	5	4	13
	Nikolaus Leopold Resch
3	Jonas Lindberg	SWE - 25	5	4	6	6	1	16
	Kalle Torlen
4	Pietro Sibello	ITA - 4	7	3	2	4	11	16
	Gianfranco Sibello
5	Tim Wadlow	USA - 5	2	5	22	2	8	17
	Chris Rast
6	Federico Alonso Tellechea	ESP - 19	9	12	7	1	1	18
	Arturo Alonso Tellechea
7	Lagraviere Morgan	FRA - 20	10	2	2	16	5	19
	Christidis Stéphane
8	Paul Campbell-James	GBR - 9	DNC	9	3	7	2	21
	Mark Asquith
9	Rodion Luka	UKR - 3	7	13	1	4	11	23
	Geogiy Leonchuk
10	Monteau Alexandre	FRA - 31	10	6	6	6	5	23
	Guillou Damien
11	Peter Krüger Andersen	DEN - 21	14	4	3	RDG	10	24.75
	Dennis Dengsø Andersen
12	Kostov Pavle	CRO - 29	1	6	4	15	14	25
	Cupac Petar
13	Jan Peter Peckolt	GER - 6	15	1	7	13	7	28
	Hannes Peckolt
14	Christopher Gundersen	NOR - 17	14	7	10	1	10	28
	Frode Bovim
15	Jorge Lima	POR - 12	13	3	5	8	16	29
	Francisco Andrade
16	Nathan Outteridge	AUS - 1	4	10	13	9	6	29
	Ben Austin
17	Emmanuel Dyen	FRA - 14	4	8	9	10	9	30
	Yan Rocherieux
18	Jonas Warrer	DEN - 8	2	OCS	8	8	13	31
	Martin Kirketerp
19	Janne Uusi-autti	FIN - 44	6	11	4	10	16	31
	Kalle Bask
20	John Pink	GBR - 23	8	9	10	7	7	31
	Simon Hiscocks
21	Andre Fonseca	BRA - 11	12	5	1	DSQ	14	32
	Rodrigo Duarte
22	Emil Toft Nielsen	DEN - 980	6	12	14	14	6	38
	Simon Toft Nielsen
23	Gordon Cook	CAN - 13	8	14	13	21	4	39
	Ben Remocker
24	Daan Schutte	NED - 32	19	10	15	3	RDG	39.75
	Wilco Stavenuiter
25	Giuseppe Angilella	ITA - 24	11	RAF	17	11	3	42
	Pietro Zucchetti
26	Stevie Morrison	GBR - 2	18	18	11	5	13	47
	Ben Rhodes
27	Christoph Sieber	AUT - 28	13	8	15	13	18	49
	Clemens Kruse
28	Akira Ishibashi	JPN - 27	16	7	19	11	17	51
	Yukio Makino
29	Simon Karstoft	DEN - 1019	DNS	13	9	14	15	51
	Jonathan Bay
30	David Evans	GBR - 16	3	11	8	DNC	DNC	55
	Alex Hopson
31	Axel Silvy	FRA - 974	12	17	12	18	15	56
	Ulysse Hoffmann
32	Marcus Baur	GER - 22	15	DNC	DNC	2	9	59
	Hannes Baumann
33	Claus Hastrup	DEN - 81	11	DNC	17	12	21	61
	Uffe Andersen
34	Lauri Lehtinen	FIN - 1060	17	16	16	24	12	61
	Heikki Soininen
35	Chris Rashley	GBR - 1037	OCS	DNC	12	16	8	69
	Matt Gotrel
36	Richard Mason	GBR - 1023	DNC	19	18	12	22	71
	Tom Peel
37	Leopold Fricke	GER - 41	DNC	DNC	14	17	12	76
	Lorenz Huber
38	Erik Heil	GER - 11	DNC	21	19	17	19	76
	Thomas Plößel
39	Carl P Sylvan	SWE - 939	DNC	DNC	11	15	20	79
	Niclas Düring
40	Oliver Lewin	GER - 934	DNC	20	20	23	18	81
	Michel Munker
41	Tonis Haavel	EST - 894	DNC	DNC	20	DNC	3	89
	Lenart Kivistik
42	Marcin Czajkowski	POL - 30	9	15	DNC	DNC	DNC	90
	Krzysztof Kierkowski
43	Patrick Follmann	GER - 972	DNC	22	23	25	20	90
	Nico Lutz
44	Javier Padrón	ESP - 876	DNC	DNC	DNC	9	17	92
	Juan González
45	Vincent Berthez	FRA - 893	DNC	DNC	18	19	22	92
	Thibault Heurley
46	Yannick Lefevbre	BEL - 864	DNC	DNC	21	18	23	95
	Matthieu Janssens
47	Manuel Jimenez Fraga	ESP - 977	DNC	DNC	21	20	21	95
	Jesus Garcia Otero
48	Dylan Fletcher	GBR - 45	16	RDG	DNC	DNC	DNC	98
	Alain Sign
49	Lennart Briesenick-Pudenz	GER - 451	5	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	104
	Morten Massmann
50	Ed Powys	GBR - 835	DNC	DNC	DNC	20	19	105
	Will Morgan
51	Luca Maffessoli	ITA - 866	DNC	DNC	DNC	19	25	110
	Pelissi Stefano
52	Max Lutz	GER - 970	DNC	DNC	DNC	22	26	114
	Lennard Herneit
53	Paul Dijkstra	NED - 761	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	23	122
	Gert-Jan Veerman
54	Jesper Høeg	DEN - 979	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Mathias Aggerbo
54	Peter Ammundsen	DEN - 981	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Peter Lang
54	Jan Gahmberg	FIN - 1025	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Kristoffer Donner
54	Julien D'Ortoli	FRA - 40	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Noé Delpech
54	Mathieu Mellou	FRA - 580	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Sthéphanie Guegan
54	Craig Hepplewhite	GBR - 781	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Sam Thompson
54	Heriette Gruse	GER - 880	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Ludwig Braun
54	Kevin Lee Barche	GER - 888	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Philipp-Wilhelm Stroh
54	Heinrich Bayern	GER - 889	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Danielle Di Martino
54	Daniel Loperfido	ITA - 645	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Niccolo Bertola
54	Marcello Mignone	ITA - 967	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	DNC	132
	Carlo Predali