The Snipe Europeans took place in Anzio from 15-20 September at Reale Circolo Canottieri Tevere Remo and Lega Navale Italiana. Held in Alternate years with the World Championship, the winners after a hard fought series were Alexey KRYLOV & Evgenyi RYZHOKOV from Russia.
51 boats from 11 nations started to race on Monday 16th with "scirocco" wind from 160 at about 12 Knt decreased during the race. The race committee opted for Windward * leeward course. After the first round, the top mark was repositioned after a consistent shift to the right. The first four boats (2 Spanish, the Russian teams and an Italian) made an incredible mistake going to the the old mark: Birger Jansen with Cecilia de Faire, the former European Champion, were very smart gaining the lead of the fleet and won; second was his teammate Ulrik Sandvig with Steffen Skoenberg and third the Spanish team Palacio Pumariega.
For the second day of racing the weather was rainy. The lack of wind obliged the competitors to wait until the late afternoon for the second race. It was a very difficult race with a light North-eastern wind (4 knt) with long waves opposite to the direction of the wind. Many shift and holes with no wind made the decisions for the sailors problematic. Bart Janssens and Eva Jacobs from Belgium dominated, second was Spanish Rayco Tabarez and Mariano De Leon (8 points for check in failure), third Alexey Krylov and Evgenyi Ryzhokov (Russia). The Belgians Janssen-Jacobs led the series, ahead of Commodore Birger Jansen and the Italian Champions, the Solerios brothers.
The lack of wind forced the Race Committee to postpone the races of day three. Finally at 3 pm a light breeze coming from southwest allowed the start of another windward-leeward course. Strong current and many shifts made the race very difficult. Negrin-Martin, national champions of Spain, captured the race ahead of Pons-Cavaller, also from Spain, and the Russians Krylov-Rizokov, who passed in second overall after the Belgians Janssen-Jacobs.
The wind increase for the second race up to 10 knots. After a general recall and a Z flag the fleet started for another windward-leeward course. Pons-Cavaller took the race, followed by the Danish champions Ullmann-Hyttel.
2 races will be attempted on Thursday.The wind was blowing again around 160° and 10 knts. The RC chosed the windward/leward course. The sea was chopy and hard to sail for little wind shifts on both sides. The fleet was very tight and in few minutes was possible to gain or lose many positions. Also the downwind legs were hard to play. The starting lines were setted properly so we had only a general recall each race that were started under Z+I flag. The race 5 was managed very well by te spanish team Bosh/Mora followed by Janssens/Jacobs very fast in that weather conditions. Forslund/Trettenes were 3rd, Pons/Cavaller 4th and Solerios 5th. The russians Krylov/Ryzhykov were able to manage to score 6th and keep the top of score.
The winners of race 6th were the the Russians that incresed strongly the distance from other competitors for the final success. Forslund/Trettenes were able to play an excellent first downwind leg that allowed them to cross the gate in second place that they kept for all the time. Solerios were 3rd followed by local crew Paolillo/Cristofori that sailed an excellent championship. Palacio/Pumariega scored 5th.
Friday at 12.00 the course was setted and RC was ready for the start but the weather was not good. Under a shower and a risk of a storm, the race was postponed, the fleet recoverd inside the port and ashore untill the wheter improved. At 14.15 the Rc began the procedures but, after two general recall, the second under Z+I flag, at 14.30 (last time for a start) the race was abandoned. At 18.30 the prize giving was celebrated in the square of the town awarding the trophy and prizes to winners.
Pi | sail # | crew | from | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | total |
1 | 29490 | Alexey Krylov&Evgenyi Ryzhykov | Russia | (10) | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 0,75 | 17,75 |
2 | 29613 | Bart Janssens & Eva Jacobs | Belgium | 5 | 0,75 | 5 | (21) | 2 | 9 | 21,75 |
3 | 29870 | Toni Pons & Toni Cavaller | Spain | 11 | (12) | 2 | 0,75 | 4 | 11 | 28,75 |
4 | 29976 | Enrico Solerio & Franco Solerio | Italy | 6 | 5 | 12 | (13) | 5 | 3 | 31 |
5 | 29178 | Cristobal Bosch&Lorenzo Mora | Spain | 9 | 10 | (55) | 6 | 0,75 | 6 | 31,75 |
6 | 30026 | Bjorn Forslund&Hilde Trettenes | Norway | 13 | (17) | 8 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 36 |
7 | 29940 | Birger Jansen& Cecilia De Faire | Norway | 0,75 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 26 | (55) | 50,75 |
8 | 29608 | Paco Ibanez&Clara Torres | Spain | 7 | (22) | 19 | 9 | 7 | 16 | 58 |
9 | 29195 | Nicolo Paolillo & Simona Cristofori | Italy | (38) | 6 | 6 | 24 | 20 | 4 | 60 |
10 | 28278 | Francisco Palacio&Angela Pumariega | Spain | 3 | 23 | (26) | 14 | 18 | 5 | 63 |
... and others 41 boats.
all photos by Gianni Loperfido Euro 2002 (a) Euro 2002 (b) Euro 2002 (c)
Janssen, Jacobs, Ryzhykov, Krylov, Cavaller and Pons (foto Ciufo) |