Both Irish boats competing at the SB20 European Championships 2025 in Belgium are in the top five after six races sailed.
Ted Trio Michael O'Connor, with Davy Taylor and Ben O'Donoghue of Royal St. George Yacht Club, lie in second place on 17 points, and Ger Dempsey, Colin Galavan and Artem Basalkin from the Royal Irish Yacht Club have moved up from 17th to fifth position in the 42-boat fleet.
After two demanding days and six races, the leaderboard has been shaken, but team Xcellent (GBR) still leads after a relentless day on the North Sea.
Their dominance, however, was challenged on every beat and run. Even for the reigning World Champions, nothing came easy on Day 2. With all the starts on Black flag after general recalls, the BFDs happened in every race. Good day for team venuesworld.com, after missing yesterday's Race 3 due to a breakage, with 6th, 3rd and a 2nd, putting them fifth overall.
After another demanding day on the water Desert Eagle trimmer Will Sargent shared his thoughts on the racing and the tactical challenges of Ostend.
Ger Dempsey, Colin Galavan and Artem Basalkin from the Royal Irish Yacht Club have moved up from 17th to fifth position at the SB20 European Championships 2025 in Belgium Photo: Anna Zyk
"We were second in the first race, sixth in the second and then leading the last one for most of it, until we had a little issue with the spinnaker sheet being caught under the bow," - said Sargent. "We still managed to finish third, so overall, a solid day."
Conditions on the racecourse proved tricky with both tide and a large sandbank playing a major role in tactics. "The tide was with us upwind and against us downwind, so the downwinds were really long in the first two races," – Will explained.
"You had to choose whether to stay on the sandbank in less tide, or go either side of it in more tide. Depending on the phase of tide, one side would suddenly pay. There was also a bit of a left shift and more pressure, so you really had to balance it all."
Sargent, who has coached in this venue before, said his local knowledge may have given his team an edge. "Funnily enough, the locals haven't really mentioned where the sandbank is, but if you've studied the charts and been here a bit, you know it's there. The top teams are figuring it out, but there are still plenty who probably haven't quite worked out why the side calls are so critical."
Racing was close throughout the fleet, particularly in Race 2. "The top eight were all locked together, and at the last top mark anyone could have crossed the line first. It was probably the closest race of the regatta so far," – he said.
The changing tide in the final race created dramatic swings. "The Belgian team Go with the Flow rounded the first top mark in first with a big gap, but by the next rounding they were around the seventh. That's where the sandbank really came into play – the tide had switched on one side but not the other, so suddenly the left paid huge."
Weight dynamics between teams have also shaped performance. "John Pollard's team is a bit lighter, so they're faster downwind. But in the last race, we were definitely quicker upwind. The weight makes a big difference in these conditions," – Will noted.
Despite the physical and tactical challenges, Team Desert Eagle were positive: "At the end of the day, the fastest boats are still at the front. It's tough racing, but that's why we're here," – concluded Will.
The end of Day 2 saw many sailors sore, but smiling, thanks in part to the Mensa Praktijk physiotherapy team working tirelessly to keep crews race-ready. With four days still to go, stamina is as important as speed.
With six races sailed and the discard in, team Xcellent remain in control, but TED's bullet, the consistency of Desert Eagle and sprints from other teams suggest the battle for the European title is far from over. Tomorrow promises more breeze and more drama – and perhaps more visits to the physio corner.
Top 5 results after 6 races:
- Xcellent (John POLLARD) - 1.0 1.0 1.0 (5.0) 1.0 1.0 - 5 Pts
- TED (Michael O'CONNOR) - 5.0 3.0 6.0 1.0 2.0 (43.0)BFD - 17 Pts
- Desert Eagle (Hendrik WITZMANN) - 4.0 6.0 2.0 2.0 (7.0) 3.0 - 17 Pts
- FFVoile Youth (Paul LOISEAU) - 3.0 2.0 (7.0) 7.0 6.0 7.0 - 25 Pts
- venuesworld.com (Ger DEMPSEY) - 8.0 7.0 (43.0)DNF 6.0 3.0 2.0 - 26 Pts
