Lobert wins only race on third day at Finn Europeans

Split spat everything at the sailors on Thursday at the Finn European
Championship, except enough wind to complete more than one race. Jonathan
Lobert (FRA) won the only race sailed to bring the total tally of races
sailed to just two after three days.

Racing was postponed on shore again as first the wind died and then the rain
came. That cleared and the sun came out and everything began to heat up. At
about 13.00 the race officer sent the fleet out in hardly any wind, but by
the time race two was started at 14.45, a stable 6-7 knot breeze was in. The
course was laid to the north of the club alongside some stunning scenery and
for the first time this week, the cloud lifted to the hills behind Split to
leave a spectacular backdrop to the racing.

The line was pin end biased and the right side of the course was favoured.
Rafa Trujillo (ESP) started at the pin and rounded the top mark in the lead
ahead of Marin Misura (CRO), Alexiy Sivenkov (RUS), Peer Moberg (NOR) and
Lobert.

Lobert takes up his story. "I had a good start at the pin end so then I was
on the left hand side of the fleet. I tacked and kept going to the right and
rounded about fifth or sixth and then I had a very good downwind. I was
catching the waves nicely and managed to gain a bit of distance, but I
rounded the wrong gate mark and Marin was leading again." Trujillo had been
yellow flagged at the top mark and trailed in about 10th place

Lobert continued, "On the last downwind Marin and I had a big fight together
and he got a yellow flag, but then he kept coming back at me and got close
to me and we were just gybing for the finish when his sail caught my boom,
so he did more turns and I won the race. I was a little bit lucky to win."

Misura finished second followed by the defending champion Ivan Kljakovic
Gaspic (CRO), Daniel Birgmark (SWE) and Alejandro Muscat (ESP).

Misura said, "For me it was easy. I had a good start. Then I went all the
way right and rounded the top mark in second. I was leading all the way
after that but I got a penalty just before the finish, but I still managed
to finish second."

The start of race three was attempted almost straight away, but it took
three sequences before the fleet got away under black flag. This time the
left side paid off with more pressure as the wind started to drop across the
course. Mark Andrews (GBR) led the fleet round the top mark, but it was
short lived as the race was abandoned 10 minutes later as the wind failed
and lots of boats who had over stood the windward mark struggled to get back
against the current. Gasper Vincec (SLO), who had rounded second, had waited
all day to sail as he had to sit out race two after picking up a black flag
yesterday. So it was a long day for some and only one more race on the
board.