Local sailors Hedvig and Hugo Liljegren move into poll position
The waters of Saltsjobaden delivered spectacular conditions for Day 2 of racing at the European Championships, allowing race teams to run four fantastic races in 8-16 knots. Local sailors Hedvig and Hugo Liljegren from The Royal Swedish Yacht Club took advantage of their local knowledge posting an impressive 1,1,4,2 which puts them in the overall lead and top Open team.
FRA 4, Hugo Revil and Carl Devaux also had a good day putting them in 2nd position overnight and top Men’s team going into day 3. Irish team Ben O’Shaughnessy and Ethan Spain enjoyed the shifty conditions and sit just behind in 3rd overall, with only 12 points separating 2nd to 10th positions going into the final two races of qualifying tomorrow.
In the Women’s fleet sisters Boróka and Szonja Fehér are also enjoying the conditions, currently 8th overall ahead of Swedish sisters Ebba and Ellen Fredriksson in 12th and Esther Lagerstrand and Elsa Aronsson in 18th.
The Royal Swedish Yacht club are taking advantage of advances in technology and are using robotic marks for this event. In shifty and gusty conditions as is the case here in Stockholm, the marks are a welcome addition and allow for very quick and easy course changes between races, thereby saving the competitors and Race Committee boats a lot of time and physical energy.
With four more days of racing and likely shifty conditions, points are still very tight at the top and the Championship title battles will likely come down to the wire.
The International 29er Class is very proud of our community and this is never more apparent than in the boat park and on the water here in Sweden. The camaraderie of the sailors, coaches, volunteers and supporters, the fun and enjoyment of the 29er and our sport over all else and the collective spirit to support and encourage everyone involved in the Europeans is what makes this event so special.
A huge amount of organisation and preparation goes into creating magical and memorable sailing events and The Royal Swedish Yacht Club (KSSS) and everyone involved have really stepped up to the challenge.
