Filipe Silva from Portugal has won his second Finn European Masters title following a final race at Los Alcazares, Mar Menor, Spain, on Friday. He finished second in the race behind Eric Bakker from The Netherlands, securing overall victory by a significant 20 points. Laurent Hay and Valerian Lebrun from France took silver and bronze respectively after a challenging light wind race.
Full results: https://fvrm.sailti.com/es/default/races/race?text=2026FinnEuropeanMasters-es
Despite an improved forecast overnight, the conditions on the water did not cooperate, delaying the scheduled 12:00 start until past 13:00. A general recall on the first attempt further postponed the start as the wind fluctuated between 5 and 8 knots throughout the afternoon.
The second start, conducted under a black flag, proved advantageous for those who favoured the left side of the course. Eric Bakker performed exceptionally well, leading from the start and maintaining his position to take the win. Silva also navigated the race effectively, crossing the finish just behind Bakker in second place. The battle for third was fierce, with several boats vying for the position, but Christoph Burger from Switzerland ultimately emerged to claim it.
As the wind continued to die down and time ran out for a second race, the fleet was sent back to shore. Laurent Hay, finishing in 16th place, moved up to second overall, while Valerian Lebrun dropped to third after coming in 21st. Bakker’s win elevated him to ninth place overall, while a tenth place finish for Bas de Waal secured his position in the top ten.
Silva had previously clinched the Finn European Masters title in 2019 in Schwerin, Germany, where he defeated the two-time champion, Valerian Lebrun. Silva expressed his joy, stating, “It’s amazing. So, it was a great event and I’m so happy. There’s always pressure when you go into the final race with the chance of losing the first place, but I actually did a very good strategic race, so I managed to come second and secure the first place.”
Laurent Hay remarked, “It was a light-weight championship with very shifty options. I managed to be consistent in all the races. My worst place was 12th, so I finished second. Congratulations to Filipe; he has done a very, very good championship, very good option. There’s a Finn class spirit with conviviality in this championship. So that’s a master championship.”
Next year, Hay’s club in La Rochelle is set to host the Finn Gold Cup, preparing for a major event with 120 boats from 30 countries expected to participate.
At the prize-giving ceremony, a commitment was made to return to Los Alcazares in five years. The facilities at the Centro de Tecnificación Deportiva have proven to be excellent for the class, complemented by fantastic hospitality throughout the week from the Federación de Vela Región de Murcia.
Final results after 7 races:
1 POR 21 Filipe SILVA 28
2 FRA 75 Laurent HAY 48
3 FRA 111 Valerian LEBRUN 56
4 ESP 161 Miguel FERNÁNDEZ VASCO 62
5 AUS 22 Paul MCKENZIE 67
6 NED 148 Peter PEET 68
7 ITA 40 Marko KOLIC 72
8 SUI 7 Christoph BURGER 74
9 NED 703 Eric BAKKER 82
10 NED 29 Bas DE WAAL 90
Full results: https://fvrm.sailti.com/es/default/races/race?text=2026FinnEuropeanMasters-es
Gallery from Day 5: https://www.flickr.com/photos/finnclassphotos/albums/72177720336289815
#FinnClass #FilipeSilva #SailingNews #EuropeanChampionship #MarMenor
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