After one day of relaxation at the 2014 RSX European Windsurfing Championships & Open Trophy in Turkey, today the windsurfers were back on the race track and resumed racing. Perfect conditions with the breeze around 20 knots for some fast and furious racing. [more]


We are now into the final series stage of the Championship, and the men’s fleet are split into gold and silver fleets – so the best of the best are going head to head in the gold fleet.  At stake are leaderboard positions, Championship titles and medals – as well as a prize purse of 30.000 euros for the top athletes across all divisions.


Men’s gold fleet was the first out racing.  Greece’s Byron Kokkalanis is  determined to defend his title and put in a remarkable performance, to make his win in the first race easily – but it certainly wasn’t an easy track to master. Poland’s Piotr Myszka had the last word and put in a perfectly executed comeback to win the next two races and secured a safe lead at the top of the leaderboard. One more day of final series racing on Friday, before the medal races on Saturday.


In the women’s fleet it was the day for the London 2012 Olympic Gold medalist Marina Alabau from Spain to strike back. Despite not starting the day well, she followed up with a second race win to take control at the top of the leaderboard. Reigning European Champion from France, Charline Picon is in second place overall, but very close on points, so this battle has a long way to go yet. 


As the senior fleet raced on one course, the youth were on a separate race track and engaged in an equally intense battle in tough conditions. In the youth women’s fleet, Israel’s Shahar Tibi held on to her series lead, while in the youth men, Polish windsurfer Radoslaw Furmanski extended even more his point difference from the rest of the fleet.


With a risky forecast for tomorrow and winds reaching up to 30 knots it will be challenge for the Race Committee to set a course on the wavy waters of the Aegean and only the strongest and best prepared athletes will be in charge.   


Event website: http://www.rs-xeurope2014.com/


Top 5 Men:


1. Piotr Myszka                   POL 9p.
2. Byron Kokkalanis           GRE 18p
3. Przemyslav Miarczynski POL 20p
4. Julien Bontemps            FRA 21p
5. Pawel Tarnowski            POL 25p


Top 5 Women:


1. Marina Alabau         ESP 33p
2. Charline Picon        FRA 34p
3. Zofia Klepacka        POL 40p
4. Maja Dziarnowska   POL 43p
5. Bryony Shaw          GBR 49p


Top 5 Youth Men:


1. Radoslaw Furmanski    POL 15p
2. Artiom Javadav            BLR  28p
3. Clement Bourgeois      FRA  30p
4. Baz Bell                       ISR   30p
5. Yoav Omer                  ISR   38p


Top 5 Youth Women:


1. Shahar Tibi           ISR   12p
2. Maelle Guilbaud   FRA   15p
3. Stefania Elfutina   RUS   26p
4. Isis Hoekstra        NED   26p 
5. Sara Wennekes    NED   30p



Here you can view the video from day 3: http://youtu.be/YeGkxgOTVfM


More photos from day 3 can be found here: http://on.fb.me/1oeeYww


Photo credits: Vincenzo Baglione