Almost nobody expected the last day of the European Championships to be what the 203 participants had hoped for - sun and wind from morning to night. More on that later.
If the number of participants at a European Championship doubles from 110 to over 200 within five years, there must be good reasons for this. Of course, an attractive sailing area like Lago di Garda with plenty of wind is always an attraction. "But our motto of 50% fun and 50% regatta is the real incentive," emphasised Harold Elfring, the Dutch boss of the International Windsurfer Class Association (IWCA). Alongside the Italians, the Dutch had the most participants, with the German team in fourth place after the French with 14 starters, including such successful riders as Frank Spöttel (raceboard champion) and Dirk Meyer (Olympic participant 84 and 88), who became world champion in the heavy weight class at the premiere of the new Windsurfer LT in 2019.
Starters from 15 nations, parade through Torbole
Once again, all participants were weighed and the men were then divided into four groups: The light A group went up to 71.5 kg and started in yellow lycra, the highest quality B group (up to 79 kg) raced in orange, the blue C class (up to 86.6 kg) and the jumbos (from 86.7 kg) in black. The 20 women, who competed in one group, want to compete in at least two weight classes in future to make the races fairer. In addition to the Europeans, who almost all brought their own equipment to the start, co-organiser Edoardo Thermes from Windsurfer Europe offered rental equipment, which was mainly booked by the riders from overseas (Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, USA). A total of 15 nations took part.
It got a bit crowded on the grounds of the Circolo Surf Torbole, which had everything under control with its regatta team, led by the good soul Chiara. The opening ceremony began with a parade through Torbole, with a band drumming at the front, followed by the individual teams with national signs and flags, which were applauded by numerous spectators.
The real action started on the water, the Practice Day was unfortunately cancelled, after a day's wait it was straight onto the Long Distance, with all participants on one starting line, who struggled for two laps in a light southerly wind (Ora). Silvio Catalano (ITA) finished first, the best Austrian was Thomas Wallner in 29th place and Harry Schönmüller (44) from Germany was the best finisher. The fifth place overall for the women's winner Bruna Ferracane (ITA) was sensational.
Vento and Ora disturbed by thunderstorms
Bad weather Ora was enough for slalom races and two to four course races the next day (depending on the weight group), where Frank Spöttel showed his potential from a German perspective, although he travelled from his Gargano training area with a flu-like infection and was aiming for the top ten in the lightweight category. "My tactical strokes worked really well, I was sometimes first at the windward mark, but the young lads pumped past me on the long reaches," the "oldie" had to admit. "The start was problematic, the line was much too short," said Dirk Meyer, criticising the somewhat high-handed manner of the race director, who did not respond to any advice. The German jury chairman Walter Mielke, known from the DWC, also took a critical view: "Some of the starts could have been quicker.
Further slalom and course races followed, the third day brought a lot of wind, but also unusual cold for this time of year. Almost daily thunderstorms with heavy rain disrupted the familiar thermal system - in the morning Vento from the north, then from midday the south wind Ora, plus blue skies and warm temperatures. Nothing is as it was, climate change on Lake Garda too? "A catastrophic spring," grumbled Shaka shop owner Mikel Slijk, who reinforced the Dutch team but also invited people to a great party with free beer and live music in front of his shop. "Social events are very important in the windsurfing class," added the only competitor from Switzerland, Christine Bauriedl, "I meet lots of friends here, we see each other, we help each other." Another highlight was the four-course dinner before the CST, which fortunately was spared by the thunderstorm.
Another rest day with a mirror-smooth lake, but lots of small talk and other activities - Torbole has a lot to offer - before the final day, after another thunderstorm, brought sunshine, warm temperatures and the Vento and Ora jets.
Award ceremony marathon at the end
Ready to start at 8 a.m. in a northerly wind, two races for all classes, then a lunch break and the Ora from the south called for the final two races. In some groups, the placings were still a little mixed up, with the French in particular snatching one or two gold medals from the favoured Italians. As almost always, Frank Spöttel achieved the best German result, even though he slipped from fourth to sixth place in the course race. "I'm still satisfied," said the man from Windsurfing Club Starnberger See.
It is well known that an award ceremony for the LT windsurfers can sometimes take two hours, as the medals had to be distributed in four weight categories plus women and four classifications (long distance, slalom, course race, overall) and various age categories (junior, youth, men, legend, super legend). With the professional support of club secretary Chiara, CST President Armando Bronzetti also managed this without any problems. "We want to host the International Italian Championships in 2025," said the smart club boss. If that's not a promise for windsurfers LT.
