Laser sailing: Laser Europa Cup-Julie settles for 11th position |09 July 2004

During the Laser Europa Cup in Warnemünder, Germany, former three-time Sportsman of the Year Julie had a good start with a second place in race 1, two third places in races 2 and 3 and a ninth position in race 4.

With the wind condition not in his favour in races 5 and 6, Julie, who was 11th overall out of 52 competitors in the gold fleet of the Kieler Woche regatta, came in 23rd and 41st to retrograde in the final standings.

With 81 points for 11th place, Julie did not compete in the final two races as he had to leave for Greece to take part in the ongoing Open Greek Championship.
It is to note that Julie, whose single-handed dinghy ranking has improved from 36th to 33rd worldwide on the latest world ranking, will be making a third consecutive appearance at the Olympics in Athens, Greece, next month.

After the Open Greek Championship in Greece, Julie is to stay in Athens to train for the Olympics and at the same time test the Games' sailing area.

South African Gareth Blanckenberg, fourth in the world ranking behind seven-time Brazilian world champion Robert Scheidt (first), Australian Michael Blackburn (second) and English man Paul Goodison (fourth), won the Laser Europa Cup with 13 points.

Blanckenberg, who like Julie did not sail the last two races as he is also competing in the Open Greek Championship, was unreachable by his opponents after three first places in races 1, 2 and 3.

He was second in race 5, third in race 4 and fifth in race 6.
Germans Alexander Schlonski and Mathias Rieck were second and third respectively.

G. G.