The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships get underway this week in Eckernförde, Germany, with 382 athletes from 37 nations set to battle it out on the Baltic across six days of racing.

The Australian team heads into the regatta with confidence following a series of encouraging performances throughout the European season, including New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athletes Ruben and Rita Booth’s podium finish at Kiel Week just 30 kilometres from Eckernförde.

Ruben Booth shared, “We found our groove in Kiel and managed to stay consistent throughout the week. The wind conditions were a little different to the previous events which suited us a bit better, so we were really happy to come away with a podium finish.”

On what this week means to their campaign he explained, “The Europeans are a more important event, and our goal is to carry that momentum from Kiel into this week and put together another consistent regatta. We’d love to be fighting for a top five finish and ultimately, we’d love to be back on the podium.

“Eckernförde is quite a closed bay, and the wind can be quite unstable, so I think having our heads out of the boat and staying consistent will be key. At the moment, the forecast looks like we’ll have good breeze for at least the first few days.”

The Booth siblings will be joined by a strong Australian Nacra 17 contingent, with Brin Liddell (NSWIS) and Rhiannan Brown (NSWIS) looking to convert a string of top ten finishes into a podium result, while Archie Gargett (NSWIS) and Sarah Hoffman (NSWIS) will be aiming to build on their impressive fourth-place finish at the recent World Championships. Jake Liddell (NSWIS) and Niamh Meehan round out the Australian Nacra 17 team.

In the 49er fleet, Harry Price (NSWIS) and Max Paul (NSWIS) will be among Australia’s strongest medal hopes after an outstanding World Championships campaign, where a difficult final day saw them narrowly miss the podium. 

Harry Price & Max Paul

“We’ve had an awesome season so far with some good results,” shared Price. “We haven’t really stopped since the Worlds, had a small break but have continued our training leading into this last part of the European season. We are hoping to put together another consistent series and improve our race playbook. It’s going to be a great week.”

They will be joined by five other Australian crews in what promises to be one of the regatta’s most competitive fleets.

In the 49erFX, Olympian Evie Haseldine (NSWIS) continues to develop her new partnership with helm Brooke Wilson (NSWIS), with the pair gaining valuable international racing experience as they build towards future campaigns. Australian Sailing Futures athletes Darcy Robbins (NSWIS) and Eva Atwood (NSWIS) will also represent Australia in the class.

Australian Sailing Team High Performance Director Iain Brambell believes the European Championships presents another important opportunity for athletes to continue their progression.

“It’s been encouraging to see a number of National Squad athletes consistently finishing inside the top ten this season,” said Brambell. “That consistency provides a strong foundation, and the next step is converting those performances into regular podium finishes.

“Pinnacle events such as the Europeans provide the ideal environment for athletes to build the confidence, boat handling and tactical execution required to contend for medals and deliver repeatable podium performances. The fleets are exceptionally strong, and every race presents another opportunity to test themselves against the world’s best. 

“It’s an exciting period for these squads, with Europeans followed closely by the Olympic Classes Regatta in LA. Together, these events provide valuable opportunities for athletes to continue building confidence, refining their racing, and putting themselves in contention when it matters most.”

The 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships begin on Tuesday 7 July, with medal races scheduled for Sunday 12 July.

Australian entries at the 49er,49erFX and Nacra 17 European Championships 

Nacra 17 
Brin Liddell / Rhiannan Brown (NSWIS)
Archie Gargett / Sarah Hoffman (NSWIS)
Ruben Booth / Rita Booth (NSWIS)
Jake Liddell (NSWIS) / Niamh Meehan

49er 
Harry Price / Max Paul (NSWIS)
Jack Ferguson / Jack Hilderbrand (NSWIS)
Kurt Hansen / Charlie Zeeman (NSWIS)
Daniel Links / Keizo Tomishima (NSWIS)
Spencer McKay / Benedict McKay (NSWIS)
Luke Rogers / Kristian Bilston 

49erFX 
Brooke Wilson / Evie Haseldine (NSWIS)
Darcy Robbins / Eva Atwood (NSWIS)

Photos: Sailing Energy

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