Stronger wind, more thrills and fun in all categories
On the morning of the third day of racing, the wind was blowing strongly right from the start, and the white-capped waves signal that the anticipated strong winds have indeed arrived.
The weather forecast predicts winds of 25-30 knots. A decision is made to run only two races on the most sheltered course at the back of the bay.
The U17 and U19 categories are sent out first. Although the conditions were physical, the water proved to be more manageable than expected, allowing for two races to be completed quickly.
The other groups followed suit, with the U15 and U13 categories competing in slightly less strong winds. Two intense and fun races were launched, featuring exciting battles at the start and around the buoys, along with endless thrilling slides on the downwind legs, pushing the limits of control.
The championship now boasts a total of 8 races and the mid-point standings confirm the dominance of Greek competitors across many categories. However, several “foreign” competitors have managed to slip into the top ranks, disrupting the well-oiled Greek machine. The “discard” race, which was removed after the sixth race, has also changed the standings.
In the U19 category, Italian Teresa Medde, the current World Champion, had taken the lead from Greek Nefeli Anagnostou yesterday. However, after the removal of an initial discard, they find themselves tied, keeping the suspense alive!
In the Techno + Men category, Italian Alessandro Giagoni Locci had closed the gap on leader Aris Panagopoulos from Greece, but Panagopoulos has performed flawlessly in the strong winds and now leads significantly.
In the U17 girls' series, Turkish competitor Defne Egrilmez has climbed to second place among the top four Greek sailors but remains behind Danai Anagnostou, who adds another first-place finish to her tally. Notably, Spanish sailor Martina Barbara Tor has inserted herself between the two Greek contenders.
In the U17 boys' category, the Greek team, led by reigning World Champion Ioannou Panagiotis, is not letting up and maintains four sailors firmly positioned at the front of the race. The same is true for the U15 boys, where four Greeks occupy the top five spots. Only Italian Lorenzo Orecchioni has managed to secure fourth place but remains far behind in total points.
In the U15 girls' category, however, Spanish sailor Olivia Sanchez Moral leads with six first-place finishes, followed by Estonian Johanna Lukk and another Spaniard, Mia Berazategui. The top Greek competitor is currently in 14th place.
The youngest U13 category is dominated by Spanish sailor Joshua Castro Jure, who leads Turkish Zeynep Mavioglu by just three points.
As the races progress, the standings continue to solidify, but there are still seven races left to run, with many potential twists and turns ahead. Unless the strong winds forecasted for the next two days disrupt this magnificent championship, the competition remains wide open. Except for two categories, nothing is yet decided in this championship, which is unfolding splendidly. Only the strong winds expected later in the week could potentially shake things up.