Euro joy as Rigg has Wind in sails (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Euro joy as Rigg has Wind in sails

4:00pm Friday 5th October 2012 in Sport By Scott Kirk, Reporter

ROYAL Windermere Yacht Club sent three boats to compete in the Flying Fifteen European Championships on Lake Garda, Italy.

Defending European champions Steve Goacher and Phil Evans, Nigel Tullet and Gavin Tullet, Philip Snewin and Ros Coleman and Richard Rigg, who was sailing with Greg Wells from Hayling Island Sailing Club took part among 40 other boats from six countries.

The week, which consisted of two races over five days, started well with Goacher and Evans battling it out with one of the Irish boats to take the lead.

The second day saw the wind build to more than 20 knots and Rigg and Wells took first place in the first race of the day. It was all change for the second race as the wind dropped, with Wells and Rigg becalmed and passed by the Irish as they took second.

At the end of day three Goacher and Evans had moved into the lead after finishing second in the first race and winning the second race of the day.

Day four brought mixed weather and with a forecast of gales for day five the race officer was looking to get three races in. Unfortunately only one race was managed, which went to Wells and Rigg.

Going into the Final day Wells and Rigg led Goacher and Evans by seven points with everything to play for in the last three races.

The final days first race saw Goacher and Evans show why they are triple world champions and double European champions as they led the first race from start to finish comfortably. Wells and Rigg only managed to finish fourth so the title was still up for grabs.

in the second race of the day the roles were reversed and it was Wells and Rigg who got away to make all, which was enough to give them the European Title with a race to spare.

With Wells and Rigg winning and Goacher and Evans second, Snewin and Coleman finished 15th and the Tullets came home 16th overall.