Day 5 - The excitement continues before the thrilling finale!
On the morning of the fifth day, the wind remains strong, blowing a solid 25 knots over Artemis. While this is less than the previous day, the race committee decides to limit navigation to the “Bravo” course located at the back of the bay, where the swell from the open sea does not reach.
The U17 and Techno Plus categories are sent out first to open the water, and three races are launched in a wind that shows no signs of weakening, with gusts even reaching up to 28 knots. It’s a tough job to handle the large sails of 7.8 and 8.5 square meters! However, the top competitors are accustomed to these conditions and return to shore with big smiles. They performed exceptionally well, making their Techno 293 boards fly, with GPS readings peaking at over 26 knots despite the choppy waters!
Next, the U15 competitors hit the water, completing three races. The wind has eased slightly but remains above 23 knots. The U13s follow suit, but unfortunately for them, the wind picks up again during their first race, creating challenging conditions for the lighter fleet as they struggle to stay in the race and earn points for the overall standings. They return to shore proud of having completed their courses under such difficult circumstances. This experience is fantastic and will be etched in their memories!
A special mention goes to Astra Krastina, a young athlete from Latvia, who demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship by abandoning her race to assist another competitor in distress. She received a bonus, as is customary in all onshore and offshore sailing competitions.
In the Techno Plus Women's category, Italian Teresa Medde maintains her lead, but the competition is fierce with Greek Nefeli Anagnostou just one point behind.
In the Techno Plus Men's category, Greek Aris Panagopoulos has consistently stayed in the top three throughout all races, distancing himself from Italian Alessandro Giagoni Locci in the overall standings.
In the U17 girls' series, Greek Danai Anagnostou has strung together several first-place finishes, allowing her to create a gap ahead of Turkish competitor Defne Egrilmez, who is closely followed by three other Greek competitors.
Among the U17 boys, the Greek team led by reigning World Champion Ioannou Panagiotis is firmly in the lead and will be hard to dislodge. Only Italian Kristian Porcu is putting up a fight in fifth place.
In the U15 boys' category, the four Greek competitors who have been leading the race for several days are excelling in these strong winds, with their leader Spyridon Monastiriotis winning the last six races. It’s tough to compete against them!
In the U15 girls' series, Spanish Olivia Sanchez Moral remains at the top, but after Estonian Johanna Lukk's three consecutive victories in the last races, she is now within striking distance for the top spot.
The youngest category, U13, is still dominated by Spanish Joshua Castro Jure, but Italian Marta Clemente has climbed to second place after three impressive first-place finishes in the strong wind. Greek Iliana Panagiqui is just one point behind her.
As the championship nears its conclusion, with 12 races completed, some categories already have their winners determined, but three races remain. These could shake up the standings in certain categories, as the weather forecast predicts lighter winds that may favor competitors more accustomed to medium wind conditions.
The excitement continues to build as the championship approaches its thrilling finale!