Pavlos Kontides has triumphed at the North Sea Regatta, in an event that took place in the same waters, in the Severningen area of The Hague, where the World Sailing Championships will be held in August.
The Cypriot sailor took the gold medal by recording three first places, two second and one third. He also had a fourth and a fifth place, while the two races in which he finished eighth and 11th were deleted.
The 33-year-old had 19 penalty points, with Ireland’s F. Lynch second with 25b, while Hungary’s J. Vadnai was third with 34b. Croatian T. Stipanovic, who is in the same training team as Kontides, lost his place on the podium by one penalty point (35b).
“It was a strong race and I am definitely happy and satisfied to win the gold medal, even though it was a race of more of a training nature,” said the 2018 and 2022 European champion.
“There is fatigue, however I managed to cope with three difficult days, especially in terms of fitness. I have a good picture of where I am and where I can build and get to this summer season, with the World Championships as a big goal.”
Unlike other championships, where there are three races a day, at the North Sea Regatta the sailors had four races in the first two days.
“It was quite a tough and strenuous programme, but good preparation was made. We drew useful conclusions for the World Championships, which will also be the first qualification event for the Olympics”, the London 2012 Olympic silver medallist added.
The Cypriot will remain in the Netherlands until the end of the week, having the opportunity to examine the conditions in a city where he will return at the end of July for final preparations before the big battle at the World Championships, which will take place between August 8-20.
Kontides has been supported by OPAP Cyprus as a major sponsor over the years, while Finstella is also a major sponsor. He is sponsored by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, the Leventis Foundation and Petrolina.
Supporters are easyBoat.com, Stelios Philanthropic Foundation, Alassia NewShips Management, Quadcode and VITA Construction.