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The final two races on Saturday completed the programme of the ISAF Grade C1 OVB Star European Championship. The 39-strong fleet representing 14 nations completed a total of eight races over four days with winds varying from the stormy northwesterly through to weak easterlies to the breezy southwesterly. With the 2008 Olympic Games now less than two months away, the big names of the Star fleet opted not to compete in Hungary giving the opportunity for some of the emerging names in the class to shine.

The final day at the Spartacus Sailing Club in Balatonföldvár started with postponement, and the first start was around noon in a breezy southwesterly. There were many wind shifts and to make it even more challenging it was fresher near the shore, those were more successful who compromising a lot could sail hard against the wind near the south shore to tack to the mark.

It was about the same in the second race of the day although a longer than normal southerly wind shift challenged the skill and flexibility of the race committee. The fleet started on the second black flag start.

Overnight leaders Robert STANJEK and Markus KOY (GER) finished third in the first race and with that secured the European title for the first time. With six top-three finishes from seven races (including three bullets), the German crew scored an impressive victory with a race to spare. Matthias MILLER and Manuel VOIGT (GER) won both race 7 and 8 with ease and they did the same in the second, thus securing the silver medal.

The two young German pairs were exceptional in the fleet, used great tactics, were very disciplined and their spectacularly athletic racing introduced a new style of Star sailing. The bronze medal winners, Norwegians Eivind MELLEBY and Petter Morland PEDERSEN pair used good tactics in the brand new southwesterly, their second and third place proved their excellence.

The best Hungarian Star boat, brothers Marton GEREBEN and Peter GEREBEN finished seventh in the championship.

Results - click here