Windsurfing Euro-Cup Bol 2015

Windsurfing Euro-Cup Bol - Day 1: Wind but no competition

Dear Windsurfing Enthusiasts,

today was the first day of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup in Bol (Croatia).

Below you can find the press release.

Here you can find the photo gallery with pics from day 1: https://www.flickr.com/photos/…02/sets/72157654697538785

As usual you can find all information on the official website: www.euro-cup.org

To ensure that you don't miss any news from the Windsurfing Euro-Cup, you can follow our news ticker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WindsurfEuroCup

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Press Release

Windsurfing Euro-Cup Bol - Day 1: Wind but no competition

As the forecast predicted, the conditions on the first day of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup in Bol were strange. Instead of the western thermal winds that is usual for this time of the year, the bad-weather-wind „Bora“ was blowing from the north-east. Although the wind was strong with gusts reaching up to 30 knots it was impossible to run any official competitions.

„We would really like to start racing. But these conditions are not only unsuitable but even dangerous for the racers.“ states race director Drazen Zdelarek. „The wind is falling down the mountains and spreading out on the sea. this creates extreme gusts and wind shifts and makes it impossible to ensure a fair and good competition.“

Some riders, like James Dinsmore (GBR-659) were none the less teased by the white caps to go out to try the wind. But after some runs they admitted that the conditions were far from what you would normally call suitable conditions. „It was really uncomfortable out there“ summarized the sympathic British competitor and continued „I could really feel the wind coming from above and blowing on my head.“

So the Euro-Cup racers were bound to the beach. But many of them were not too unhappy about the unplanned break. Several of them had a long and stressful journey. So now they had a day to recover.

For the next day the forecast predicts that the Bora wind should vanish and that the sunshine should bring back the thermal wind for which Bol is so famous. If everything works out as riders and organizers hope we should be able to see some slalom action tomorrow.

To ensure that you don't miss any news from the Windsurfing Euro-Cup, you can follow our news ticker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WindsurfEuroCup

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Press Release:
Maciek Rutkowski takes the lead at the Euro-Cup Bol

After two days of waiting the Euro-Cup racers were finally able to hit the crystal clear waters in Bol (Croatia). On the third day of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup Bol the typical thermal wind finally provided racing conditions. In light eleven to fifteen knots the Polish hotshot Maciek Rutkowski (POL-23) was able to win the slalom elimination and ensured the top position in the results after day three of the event.

In the first semi-final the Italian Andrea Rosati (ITA-0) was able to dominate. On his heals he had Sebastian Kördel (GER-220) from Germany. The polish hotshot Maciek Rutkowski finished in third position. Enrico Marotti (CRO-401), the current IFCA European Slalom Champion concluded the list of qualifiers for the winners final.

In the second semi-final the German talent Nico Prien (GER-7) proved another time his performance with the first place. On his heals he had the current German windsurfing Champion and leader of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup ranking, Vincent Langer (GER-1). At his Euro-Cup debut James Dinsmore (GBR-659) from Great Britain was able to qualify straight for the first final. The German Youngster Jan-Moritz Bochnia (GER-9) booked the last ticket for the final.

In the winners final the conditions were extremely light. After a clear start the fleet approached the first mark as one bulky block of riders. In the light wind the riders blocked each other the wind and had to pump hard to get going after the jibes. Polish Maciek Rutkowski was fighting hard with Vincent Langer. During the race Rutkowski was slowly but surely able to pull away to ensure his victory.

„I am double proud about my result. It was extremely light and I normally don’t like this kind of conditions. I am super happy to get this one win.“ smiled the Polish racer, still trying to catch his breath after the exhausting pumping in the final. „The event is probably having some more eliminations but this is the best start possible“.

Langer was now even facing an attack from Andrea Rosati. The Italian was fighting hard and took the last mark so close that his rig hit the mark. Gaining back the control he was moving closer up to Langer who was fighting to defend his second place. Langer was pushing windward and gave Rosati no gap to overtake. So after tactically smart sailing Langer finished in the second position with Rosati on place three.

„Today we had wind at the bottom limit. These are the my worst conditions. Therefore I am very satisfied with my second place“ summarized Langer. „I was surprised about the speed of Rosati. One mark more and it would have been really tight!"

The two German team mates Nicolas Prien and Sebastian Kördel completed the top five and confirmed a strong presentation of the German team with four racers in the final and three of them finishing in the top-5.

Tomorrow is the final day of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup in Bol. We hope that the thermal wind will blow again and that it will start earlier and blow stronger to enable some more slalom eliminations. The Skippers Meeting is set for 11:00 with the first possible start at 12:00. We can use the full day for racing as the prize giving is scheduled for Saturday evening at the closing ceremony in the town of Bol.

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Top-10 after day 3 of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup Bol:

Rank Sail Competitor
1 POL-23 Rutkowski, Maciek
2 GER-1 Langer, Vincent
3 ITA-0 Rosati, Andrea
4 GER-7 Prien, Nicolas
5 GER-220 Koerdel, Sebastian
6 CRO-401 Enrico Marotti
7 GBR-659 James Dinsmore
8 GER-9 Bochnia, Jan-Moritz
9 CRO-96 Ante Berlengi
10 ITA-1111 Ferin, Andrea

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Press Release:
Maciek Rutkowski wins the Windsurfing Euro-Cup Bol 2015

Competitors from eleven different countries made their way to the third Windsurfing Euro-Cup of the season. Bol on the island Brac in Croatia is famous for its crystal clear waters and the reliable thermical sideshore wind. But this time the venue didn’t want to cooperate. Only one slalom elimination could be completed.

Maciek Rutkowski (POL-23) was fully focussed on the point and won the decisive race of the regatta to take the victory at the Windsurfing Euro-Cup Bol 2015. "Yess! Winner of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup here in Bol, Croatia. Finally!!“ cheers the Polish hotshot. "After what seemed to be a doomed beginning of the year its so nice to be on top again! Specially in such light wind! Would like to dedicate this one to Alberto Menegatti, who showed us what it takes to win. This one’s for you Alby! Now the overall ranking might even get a little interesting…"

On his heals Rutkowski had the current German windsurfing Champion and leader of the Windsurfing Euro-Cup ranking, Vincent Langer (GER-1). "I am super happy about my result. This light winds are absolutely not my conditions. The more I am stoked to come out as second. It’s a shame that we couldn’t do more races. But on the inscription day we have seen how great the conditions can be in Bol. So I am looking forward to return next year!"

Andrea Rosati (ITA-0) from Italy finished in third position. „Finally a podium finish! This is the best result for me so far this year. The race was very very hard. I was pumping like hell from the beginning to the end and managed to finish third. I hope to come back next year!"

Place four went to the German talent Nico Prien (GER-7). „I won my first round plus the semi with a solid lead. Especially in extreme lightwind I'm super fast. In the final I had a perfect start and arrived in second position and with quite a bit of distance to the rest at the first mark. In the end a 4th place. I know I could have done way better with my speed."

Sebastian Kördel (GER-220) concludes the top-5. „It’s my first time here in Bol and it is a beautiful place. I finished in 5th position here at the Euro-Cup in Croatia. Since Tuesday I have to fight with health problems and for that my ranking is quite okay."

In the womens division Vedrana Brncic (CRO-134) came out on top with a fifteenth place in the overall results. On her heals she had Katarina Pelivan (CRO-144, place 24) from Croatia and Urska Kavcic-Desnica (CRO-51, place 30) who completed the Croatian triple.

Marco Zidic (CRO-315) from Croatia was able to take the victory in the Youth division with a twelfth place in the overal fleet. There German hotshot Julien Pockrandt (GER-287) followed only two places behind with position fourteen.

Croatians young talent Ive Trojanovic (CRO-310) achieved a great twentieth place in the overall fleet. this ensured his victory in the Junior division in front of Luka Martin-Lican (SLO-72) from Slovenia.

With his third place in the overall results Andrea Rosati also won the master division in front of James Dinsmore from Great Britain (place seven) and Bora Kozanoglu (TUR-11) from Turkey (place 16)

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