470 European Championship: German 470 sailors on the upswing: in the top ten at the European Championships

The pre-Olympic year did not start well for the German 470 sailors; a series of poor results had raised concerns about the two-handed dinghy sailors. But just in time for the European Championships in San Remo, Italy, at least two teams seem to have recovered from their slump. Simon Diesch and Philipp Autenrieth as well as Nadine Böhm and Ann-Christin Goliaß were able to build on their successes from last year at the continental championships in San Remo, Italy. The fact that two complete days of racing were cancelled at the European Championships, once because the wind was not strong enough and once because it was too strong, did not upset the Bavarian teams.

Nadine Böhm and Ann-Christin Goliaß finished the European Championships on Tuesday with a strong third place in the medal race, which even allowed the duo from the German Touring Yacht Club to move up to sixth place in the final standings. The good result gave the crew a decisive mathematical advantage over team-mates and rivals Frederike Loewe and Anna Markfort, who were the better team in the first elimination regatta off Mallorca and had opened the year so spectacularly with their World Cup victory off Miami.

On this day, the crews were challenged in more wind in the capricious Italian European Championship area - for some German sailors it brought them into the medal race

"We had a few problems at the beginning of the year and had a difficult start to the season," admitted Nadine Böhm, "at the European Championships we have now focussed on the essentials and perhaps also benefited from our team strength: We go through all the lows and highs together, we are very, very good friends." The duo seem to draw strength from this. However, the 470 sailors will have to wait until June to be officially nominated for the Pre-Olympics, just like all the other promising starters on the German Sailing Team. The German Sailing Association (DSV) will not announce the team for the Pre-Olympics until after the conclusion of all the European Championships in the Olympic sailing disciplines in June.

Simon Diesch (Württembergischer Yacht-Club) and Philipp Autenrieth also have the best prospects of being nominated. They were the best German crew at the European Championships in San Remo in eighth place and were therefore also able to mathematically beat their team-mates and rivals Malte Winkel and Matti Cipra in the elimination round, who started strongly in Italy but were not satisfied with 18th place in the end.

"We were finally able to realise our potential again," said a delighted Philipp Autenrieth. At the same time, the skipper from the Bayerischer Yacht-Club emphasised that one thing is particularly important for both 470 men's teams this year: the national qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games, which still has to be secured at the World Championships. "We believe that one of our two crews will succeed," said Autenrieth. The 470 women face the same task. Like the men, they also missed their first chance to qualify for the nations at the 2018 World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, and now face a challenge at the World Championships in August. The 470 World Championships are therefore also under a special star. Nadine Böhm said: "We are optimistic. One of our teams must and will make it."

The men's 470 open European Championship was won by Australia's Mathew Belcher and Will Ryan, while the women's championship was won by France's Camille Lecointre and Aloise Retornaz, who were also crowned European champions (according to the ranking list adjusted for overseas teams). The 470 men's European champions are the Swedes Anton Dahlberg and Fredrik Bergström.

Click here for the European Championship results.