Ainslie clinches fourth European Championship

by RYA on 11 May 2008 Ben Ainslie overcame an eight-point deficit going into the final medal race to claim a sensational 2008 Finn European Championship title at Scarlino, Italy on Saturday.

With Frenchman Guillaume Florent having led the Championships since day three, Skandia Team GBR’s five-time World champion Ainslie knew he needed at least four boats to be between himself and Florent at the end of Saturday’s medal race if he was going to claim his fourth European title.

With clinical efficiency the Lymington-based double Olympic champion sealed a dramatic final race win meaning the destiny of the title was unfolding behind him and with Florent finishing eighth, the gold medal was Ainslie’s while Croatia’s Ivan Gaspic took silver and Florent was forced to settle for bronze.

A delighted Ainslie said: 'I had a game plan that I had discussed with my coach, Jez Fanstone, to have a bit of a match race with Florent in the pre-start and to try to put him off his game plan.

'I managed to force him into making a mistake and by halfway down the first beat I could see he wasn’t going so well so I decided to pull the throttle to try to get as big a lead as possible and hope he didn’t pull through.

'This does rank amongst one of my more satisfying victories; it is always nice to win when you have been behind going into the last race. It was really difficult conditions, the wind was really shifting and the medal race was delayed by a couple of hours too.

'The Worlds and Olympics are my big goals for the year but the Europeans are an important event and it was important to keep the impetus going in what was my last big event before Beijing.'

In an incident packed week, Ainslie, who took gold the last time he competed at the Championships in 2005 having also sailed to glory in 2002 and 2003, got off to a perfect start taking victory in the only race of day one.

But having picked up an ultimately discarded 16th and a fourth on a long, hard day two, and a second and eighth the following day, Ainslie trailed Florent by seven points at the halfway mark.

The Brit thought he had pulled himself even further back into gold medal contention after posting two bullets in races six and seven but his Championship hopes took a hit when, following a protest for a pre-start infringement involving Canadian Christopher Cook, Ainslie was disqualified from race seven.

An eighth for Ainslie and a discarded 20th for Florent on the penultimate day of racing left Ainslie knowing exactly what was required to make it a 2008 World and European Championships double and once again in the face of pressure, he rose to the challenge to claim the top prize.

Meanwhile Britain’s windsurfers endured mixed fortunes at the RS:X European Championships which also came to a close in Brest, France on Saturday.

With no wind on the final scheduled day of racing, results remained as of close of business Friday with Britain’s Beijing-bound duo Nick Dempsey and Bryony Shaw finishing in 20th and eighth place respectively in the men’s and women’s Championships.

Shaw will be disappointed not to have had the chance to edge further up the field, with only six points separating her from sixth-place when the decision to cancel the medal race was taken.

Having notched up promising 3-6-3 results from the opening three races, Dempsey’s title hopes came underdone in races four and five when a DNF due to a broken centreboard was followed by an OCS disqualification.

2008 Finn European Campionship

Club Nautico Scarlino

Results are final as of 17:07 on May 10, 2008

Overall

Sailed:9, Discards:1, To count:8, Entries:83, Scoring system:Appendix A

Rank	Nat	SailNo	Helm	Crew	Club	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	M	Total	Nett	Notes
1st	GBR	3	Ben Ainslie		RCYC	1.0	16.0	4.0	2.0	8.0	1.0	(84.0 DSQ)	8.0	2.0	126.0	42.0
2nd	CRO	524	Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic		JK Zenta, Split	(84.0 DSQ)	4.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	8.0	1.0	6.0	4.0	131.0	47.0
3rd	FRA	73	Guillaume Florent		Dunkerque Yachting Club	2.0	2.0	6.0	1.0	3.0	12.0	6.0	(20.0)	16.0	68.0	48.0
4th	SLO	5	Gasper Vincec		Jd Finn Slo	6.0	1.0	3.0	13.0	9.0	15.0	(84.0 DSQ)	4.0	8.0	143.0	59.0
5th	DEN	2	Jonas Hogh-Christensen		Royal Danish Yachtclub	4.0	12.0	10.0	5.0	(30.0)	10.0	2.0	11.0	12.0	96.0	66.0
6th	CAN	41	Christopher Cook		RCYC	14.0	3.0	2.0	3.0	1.0	11.0	(84.0 DSQ)	16.0	18.0	152.0	68.0
7th	SWE	11	Daniel Birgmark		GKSS	3.0	(84.0 BFD)	14.0	19.0	18.0	4.0	7.0	3.0	6.0	158.0	74.0
8th	NED	842	Pieter-Jan Postma		KWS	9.0	15.0	1.0	(20.0)	2.0	17.0	10.0	7.0	14.0	95.0	75.0
9th	USA	4	Zach Railey		ST.FYC	(63.0)	6.0	5.0	7.0	5.0	16.0	3.0	21.0	20.0	146.0	83.0
10th	ESP	100	Rafael Trujillo		Ren la Linea	(35.0)	7.0	11.0	16.0	16.0	27.0	4.0	1.0	10.0	127.0	92.0
11th	POL	7	Rafal Szukiel		AZS UWM Olsztyn	15.0	17.0	16.0	10.0	20.0	13.0	5.0	15.0	(24.0)	135.0	111.0
12th	FIN	218	Tapio Nirkko		EPS	20.0	23.0	17.0	4.0	4.0	26.0	12.0	9.0	(31.0)	146.0	115.0
13th	GBR	111	Ed Wright		RYA	8.0	13.0	8.0	28.0	14.0	2.0	(84.0 BFD)	29.0	14.0	200.0	116.0
14th	NZL	1	Dan Slater		MBBC	32.0	11.0	7.0	(84.0 OCS)	19.0	6.0	16.0	17.0	13.0	205.0	121.0
15th	AUS	221	Anthony Nossiter		Middle Harbour YC	24.0	(28.0)	12.0	23.0	12.0	3.0	9.0	22.0	16.0	149.0	121.0
16th	ITA	117	Giorgio Poggi		SV Guardia Finanza	11.0	26.0	15.0	22.0	(29.0)	14.0	15.0	25.0	15.0	172.0	143.0
17th	FRA	972	Ismael Bruno		Cnschoelcher	7.0	21.0	23.0	29.0	6.0	(31.0)	24.0	28.0	12.0	181.0	150.0
18th	TUR	211	Ali kemal Tufekci		IYK	(62.0)	22.0	18.0	17.0	25.0	24.0	14.0	5.0	28.0	215.0	153.0
19th	FRA	69	Jonathan Lobert		SNO Nantes	22.0	5.0	24.0	(27.0)	13.0	18.0	20.0	27.0	27.0	183.0	156.0
20th	GBR	625	Ed Greig		Warsash SC	26.0	8.0	(84.0 OCS)	15.0	32.0	5.0	29.0	18.0	25.0	242.0	158.0
21st	IRL	5	Timothy Goodbody		RIYC	27.0	(84.0 BFD)	13.0	30.0	22.0	21.0	22.0	2.0	22.0	243.0	159.0
22nd	RUS	9	Eduard Skornyakov		Moscow Sailing School	(54.0)	14.0	22.0	9.0	24.0	25.0	8.0	30.0	35.0	221.0	167.0
23rd	GER	771	Jan Kurfeld		YC Wismar 1961 E.V.	37.0	25.0	25.0	6.0	27.0	(44.0)	18.0	10.0	21.0	213.0	169.0	Juniores
24th	POL	17	Piotr Kula		BTZ Biskupiec	10.0	10.0	(41.0)	14.0	26.0	30.0	37.0	23.0	26.0	217.0	176.0	Juniores
25th	CZE	1	Michael Maier		YCR	(52.0)	30.0	21.0	37.0	15.0	23.0	23.0	24.0	17.0	242.0	190.0
26th	ITA	101	Riccardo Cordovani		FV Riva del Garda	21.0	19.0	36.0	35.0	31.0	(84.0 DNF)	17.0	12.0	23.0	278.0	194.0
27th	GBR	88	Mark Andrews		Largs S S	31.0	33.0	26.0	11.0	28.0	7.0	(34.0)	32.0	30.0	232.0	198.0
28th	NOR	1	Peer Moberg		KNS	23.0	(84.0 BFD)	19.0	84.0 OCS	10.0	28.0	11.0	13.0	11.0	283.0	199.0
29th	ITA	90	Emanuele Vaccari		CV Roma	5.0	29.0	29.0	(47.0)	33.0	38.0	13.0	26.0	37.0	257.0	210.0
30th	AUT	3	Florian Raudaschl		UYC Wolfgangsee	30.0	20.0	28.0	36.0	21.0	19.0	21.0	41.0	(84.0 DNC)	300.0	216.0
31st	CYP	19	Haris Papadopoulos		CYA	39.0	(84.0 BFD)	46.0	31.0	11.0	20.0	19.0	14.0	44.0	308.0	224.0
32nd	SWE	6	Bjorn Allansson		GKSS	(50.0)	9.0	20.0	26.0	40.0	35.0	39.0	31.0	29.0	279.0	229.0
33rd	GBR	634	Andrew Mills		Queen Mary SC	(84.0 OCS)	84.0 BFD	35.0	24.0	17.0	9.0	25.0	19.0	33.0	330.0	246.0
34th	NED	787	Nanno Schuttrups		WSV Het Witte Huis	34.0	32.0	42.0	18.0	41.0	41.0	(55.0)	34.0	20.0	317.0	262.0
35th	CZE	3	Rudolf Lidarik		LS Brno	17.0	24.0	30.0	38.0	47.0	34.0	38.0	35.0	(49.0)	312.0	263.0
36th	ESP1	1	Diego Fructuoso		Club Islas Menores Murcia	(51.0)	27.0	34.0	34.0	38.0	42.0	28.0	39.0	32.0	325.0	274.0
37th	CZE	52	Tomas Vika		YC Cheb	33.0	36.0	33.0	32.0	37.0	37.0	33.0	(44.0)	41.0	326.0	282.0	Juniores
38th	CAN	1	Matt Johnston		RCYC	48.0	(84.0 BFD)	44.0	41.0	34.0	22.0	26.0	38.0	34.0	371.0	287.0
39th	GRE	8	Alexandros Dragoutsis		Sea Sports Club	47.0	37.0	(50.0)	25.0	35.0	48.0	31.0	36.0	46.0	355.0	305.0
40th	ITA	40	Marko Kolic		CV Torbole	13.0	(84.0 DNC)	37.0	60.0	23.0	29.0	60.0	84.0 BFD	19.0	409.0	325.0
41st	ITA	70	Francesco Lubrano		RCC Tevere Remo	41.0	34.0	49.0	33.0	(57.0)	32.0	35.0	56.0	45.0	382.0	325.0
42nd	UKR	5	Andriy Gusenko		DNIPRO	25.0	35.0	38.0	48.0	(51.0)	43.0	46.0	47.0	48.0	381.0	330.0	Juniores
43rd	BUL	24	Mihail Kopanov		OMK Nessebar	(72.0)	18.0	47.0	42.0	43.0	39.0	47.0	45.0	50.0	403.0	331.0
44th	NED	45	Dennis de Ruiter		WV Randmeer	12.0	45.0	40.0	57.0	45.0	(63.0)	43.0	55.0	36.0	396.0	333.0
45th	ITA	68	Piero Romeo		CV Grosseto	68.0	(84.0 BFD)	48.0	12.0	49.0	53.0	32.0	62.0	18.0	426.0	342.0
46th	RUS	14	Dmirtry Tereshkin		Krasnodar	(70.0)	43.0	31.0	40.0	55.0	49.0	49.0	49.0	43.0	429.0	359.0
47th	HUN	8	Marton Beliczay		Alba Regia SC	38.0	40.0	(68.0)	43.0	46.0	50.0	64.0	42.0	55.0	446.0	378.0
48th	ITA	97	Carlo Recchi		CV Torbole	45.0	(84.0 BFD)	53.0	46.0	44.0	45.0	52.0	48.0	47.0	464.0	380.0	Juniores
49th	HUN	6	Gaszton Pal		YEGY-BKV SC	16.0	31.0	43.0	(68.0)	54.0	56.0	58.0	63.0	60.0	449.0	381.0
50th	ITA	2	Marco Buglielli		CV Roma	43.0	42.0	51.0	56.0	(59.0)	51.0	42.0	46.0	51.0	441.0	382.0
51st	CAN	4	Abe Torchinsky		Royal Vancouver YC	74.0	(84.0 BFD)	45.0	45.0	60.0	36.0	27.0	57.0	42.0	470.0	386.0
52nd	GER	717	Sebastian Kaule		SC Schkossbucht Schwerin	56.0	(84.0 BFD)	27.0	54.0	62.0	46.0	48.0	54.0	40.0	471.0	387.0	Juniores
53rd	POL	1	Michal Strusinski		Spojnia Warszawa	58.0	38.0	64.0	53.0	(67.0)	52.0	41.0	37.0	59.0	469.0	402.0
54th	BRA	10	Eduardo Couto		CBVM	(84.0 OCS)	84.0 BFD	39.0	44.0	39.0	47.0	30.0	84.0 BFD	39.0	490.0	406.0
55th	ITA	82	Roberto Bosetti		CV Torbole	18.0	49.0	56.0	(66.0)	64.0	58.0	50.0	61.0	58.0	480.0	414.0
56th	ITA	926	Simone Mancini		YCRM Pisa	49.0	48.0	55.0	51.0	(66.0)	54.0	62.0	51.0	52.0	488.0	422.0
57th	NED	41	Karel Van Hellemond		Hwh Kwvl	46.0	(84.0 BFD)	84.0 OCS	39.0	48.0	40.0	51.0	33.0	84.0 DNC	509.0	425.0
58th	RUS	5	Alexey Selivanov		Krasnodar	(84.0 OCS)	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	21.0	36.0	33.0	44.0	40.0	84.0 DNC	510.0	426.0	Juniores
59th	DEN	231	Kenneth Boggild		Vallensbaek Sejlklub	40.0	(84.0 BFD)	52.0	55.0	50.0	60.0	56.0	67.0	53.0	517.0	433.0
60th	CZE	21	Jan CaJCIC		YC Pardubice	53.0	41.0	69.0	(74.0)	53.0	57.0	40.0	65.0	57.0	509.0	435.0	Juniores
61st	CZE	81	Tomas Hrncal		YC Pardubice	28.0	60.0	(77.0)	63.0	56.0	62.0	57.0	59.0	64.0	526.0	449.0	Juniores
62nd	POR	5	Frederico Melo		Naval De cascais	67.0	(84.0 BFD)	32.0	50.0	42.0	55.0	84.0 DNF	84.0 DNC	38.0	536.0	452.0	Juniores
63rd	NED	844	Gert Van der Heijden		DSWZ Broach	44.0	59.0	65.0	49.0	61.0	75.0	36.0	66.0	(84.0 DNC)	539.0	455.0
64th	ITA	71	Lorenzo Podestà		CV La Spezia	55.0	(84.0 BFD)	67.0	64.0	52.0	59.0	54.0	50.0	56.0	541.0	457.0	Juniores
65th	RUS	91	Viacheslav Sivienkov		Moscow Sailing School	29.0	57.0	73.0	69.0	(75.0)	67.0	65.0	43.0	66.0	544.0	469.0	Juniores
66th	POL	77	Maciej Pezala		MKR Tramp Mielno	42.0	54.0	66.0	52.0	65.0	66.0	66.0	60.0	(68.0)	539.0	471.0	Juniores
67th	HUN	270	Geza Huszar		Siraly Vsc	36.0	47.0	60.0	72.0	72.0	71.0	45.0	68.0	(84.0 DNC)	555.0	471.0
68th	RUS	17	Vasily Kravchenko		Moscow Finn Association	60.0	46.0	(74.0)	71.0	63.0	61.0	59.0	58.0	54.0	546.0	472.0
69th	HUN	128	Peter Haidekker		AYC	59.0	53.0	(72.0)	62.0	58.0	64.0	71.0	53.0	65.0	557.0	485.0
70th	ITA	13	Paolo Cisbani		CVP	(73.0)	50.0	59.0	59.0	73.0	73.0	73.0	52.0	62.0	574.0	501.0
71st	USA	24	Conrad Brown		California Yacht Club	19.0	39.0	54.0	70.0	70.0	(84.0 DNF)	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	588.0	504.0
72nd	GRE	71	Davourlis Panagiutis		NCPF	66.0	44.0	62.0	58.0	68.0	69.0	67.0	(84.0 DNC)	84.0 DNC	602.0	518.0
73rd	POL	9	Tomek Kosmicki		WKZ Wolsztyn	64.0	56.0	61.0	67.0	(77.0)	77.0	69.0	71.0	63.0	605.0	528.0
74th	ITA	27	Andrea Bianchi		CN Scarlino	57.0	(84.0 BFD)	58.0	65.0	69.0	68.0	70.0	64.0	84.0 DNC	619.0	535.0
75th	SRB	1	Srdjan Volarevic		YC Zemun	69.0	62.0	57.0	73.0	(78.0)	72.0	72.0	70.0	61.0	614.0	536.0
76th	SRB	7	Branislav Erac		Gemax	61.0	61.0	70.0	61.0	(80.0)	78.0	68.0	74.0	70.0	623.0	543.0
77th	GRE	3	Constantinos Gnafakis		N.O.K. Vouliagmenis	65.0	55.0	71.0	78.0	71.0	79.0	63.0	69.0	(84.0 DNC)	635.0	551.0
78th	ITA	5	Francesco Cinque		LNI Anzio	(84.0 OCS)	51.0	63.0	75.0	79.0	74.0	53.0	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	647.0	563.0
79th	GRE	2	Eirinaios Gnafakis		N.O.K. Vouliagmenis	75.0	58.0	76.0	77.0	74.0	65.0	74.0	72.0	(84.0 DNC)	655.0	571.0
80th	SRB	71	Darko Burcul		YC Gemax	(76.0)	52.0	75.0	76.0	76.0	76.0	75.0	73.0	69.0	648.0	572.0
81st	ITA	722	Michele Tognozzi		CV Castiglione Pescaia	(84.0 DNC)	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	70.0	61.0	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	719.0	635.0
82nd	ITA	103	Mauro Merlini		LNI Follonica	71.0	(84.0 DNC)	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	67.0	726.0	642.0
83rd	GRE	7	Aimilios Papathanasiou		Olimpiakos	(84.0 DNF)	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	84.0 DNC	756.0	672.0

 

Scoring codes used

Code	Description	Points
BFD	Black flag disqualification under rule 30.3	84
DNC	Did not come to the starting area	84
DNF	Started but did not finish	84
DSQ	Disqualification	84
OCS	On course side at start or broke rule 30.1	84