Polish women close to medals at European Sailing Championships
Aleksandra Melzacka and Sandra Jankowiak (YKP Gdynia / AZS Poznań) finished 4th in the 49erFX class European Championships held in La Grande Motte, France. Gabriela Czapska and Hanna Rajchert (Spójnia Warszawa) placed 6th. In the 49er class there were two Polish crews in the top ten. Łukasz Przybytek and Jacek Piasecki (AZS AWFiS Gdańsk) came 6th, while Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki (AZS AWFiS Gdańsk / AZS Poznań) finished 7th.
Throughout the week in French La Grande Motte, the sailors experienced all weather conditions. It started with racing in almost stormy winds and high waves, and then, with each passing day, the strength of the wind weakened, so that the last three days of the regatta were sailed in a light breeze. Almost all the world’s top sailors were on the start line and the European Championships were open.
Before today’s final day of competition, Aleksandra Melzacka and Sandra Jankowiak had a real chance of a medal. The last medal race, with the participation of the top 10 crews, is always a double point race with a lot to gain and a lot to lose. The Polish women neither gained nor lost. Today, the sailors waited for the wind for a long time, went on the water several times, only to return to shore as the wind was dying down. In the end, the medal races were able to be held in very light winds.
Aleksandra Melzacka and Sandra Jankowiak did very well in it, but 4th place was not enough for a medal. Not much was missing, but the ambassadors of PGE Sailing Team Poland once again confirmed their belonging to the world’s top. Gabriela Czapska and Hanna Rajchert also joined this top group for good, for whom 6th place is the best result in a senior regatta of the championship rank.
We are happy that we found ourselves well in all conditions, although we did not avoid mistakes when there was little wind. We need to improve our starts in light winds, because during this regatta we had problems with that and I think that in general it was the reason why we missed those three points to the medal. Now we need a rest, we need to get refreshed before the second part of the season, because the first one, when all the most important regattas are held before the Olympics, was really exhausting,’ say Aleksandra Melzacka and Sandra Jankowiak.
The medal race did not go the Polish sailors’ way today in the 49er class. The crews of Łukasz Przybytek and Jacek Piasecki and Dominik Buksak and Szymon Wierzbicki closed the pile and did not improve their positions held after yesterday.
The races in the elimination series were not our best, but we are satisfied with our sailing in the final series. In the gold group (top 25 crews – editor’s note) and in poor wind conditions we were able to make up for our losses and advance to the medal race. We are satisfied with our starts and the speed we achieved in light winds, although against the background of the Uruguayan team, which was very fast in such conditions, we can still improve,’ says Łukasz Przybytek, a three-time Olympian.
In the 49er class the regatta was won by Uruguayans Hernan Umpierre and Fernando Diz, while the European champions were British James Peters and Fynn Sterritt. In the 49erFX class, Isaura Maenhaut and Anouk Geurts (Belgium) triumphed.
The Polish sailors now have a moment to recuperate, take care of their relaxation and health, and on 26 May they will report to Marseille, where they will prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games on the Olympic surface. Poland has secured Olympic qualification in both the 49er and 49erFX classes. For the time being, however, it is not known which crews will represent Poland at the Olympic Games. A decision on named nominees will be made soon, after head coaches Paweł Kacprowski (49er) and Zdzisław Staniul (49erFX) have made detailed analyses.
The places of the other Poles in the ME:
18 – Mikołaj Staniul and Jakub Sztorch (AZS AWFiS Gdańsk)
22 – Tytus Butowski and Borys Podumis (AZS AWFiS Gdańsk / Navigo Sopot)
26 – Patryk Kosmalski and Tomasz Lewandowski (ChKŻ Chojnice / AZS AWFiS Gdańsk)
35 – Adam Głogowski and Maciej Krusiec (Nauticus YC Olsztyn)
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Source: PortalMorski.pl