We had a change of scenery on the second day of matches of the Optimist Open European Championship, which is held at the facilities of the Thessaloniki Naval Club.
In the boys, the European champion, Iasonas Panagopoulos, lost ground and was off the podium. In the only race that took place, he took 20th place and fell in the general classification to 6th place with 25 penalty points.
The race is now led by the Spaniard Nico Palau Espinar with 8 b.p. Second is the Italian Jesper Carlsen (13 b.p.) and third is the Spanish Iker Piñol (15 b.p.)
There were two sailing races for the girls. The fact was taken advantage of by Ukraine’s Olya Lubyanska, who climbed to the top of the overall ranking with 11 penalty points.
She is followed by two Italian women: Maria Silvestri with 12 b.p. and Sofia Bomartini with 13 b.p.
From the Greek side, the best placement is Despina Theodorakopoulou, who is in 12th place with 32 b.p.
In the meantime, the vice-president of the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA), responsible for Europe, Carmen Casco, who follows the European championship live, appeared impressed by the high level of the competitions.
“Over the centuries, Thessaloniki has welcomed sailors from various corners of the globe, cultivating a rich maritime heritage that we are privileged to celebrate today. I am very happy and proud to welcome you to the Optimist European Championship 2023. It is the third to be held in Greece, after 1999 and 2007”, she emphasized initially and added: “You all deserve to be here, as you have trained hard to get a place in this league. The event promises to be an unforgettable experience, with fierce competition, camaraderie and the creation of lifelong friendships. May the winds be favorable, the seas be gentle, and the sailing conditions nothing short of excellent. Have fun and let’s enjoy sailing in the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean”.
See here the highlights of the first day of the games:
We remind you that the competitions are held in collaboration with the International Optimist Dinghy Association, they are open and Greece, as the host country, has the right to participate with twice the number of athletes.
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