The Laser and Laser Radial classes crowned their Trofeo Princesa Sofia’s champions today in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
After the Medal Race and 10 previous qualifying and final series races was finally the Olympic Italian sailor Francesco Marrai ITA who claimed Gold in the Laser male’s competition, followed just one point behind by British sailors Elliot Hanson GBR and also current Laser World champion Nick Thompson GBR, winner of the Medal Race, who finished in third.
This were Marrai words after victory: “I feel at ease sailing here. I have a lot more experience than last time, especially having been to the Olympic Games, mostly about the whole approach to the whole sailing week and staying motivated and focused all the way through the regatta. And I am very motivated after Rio.”
Thompson also reported: “I had a really good week working with a new coach for this week, Mike Bullough, and we were working on a few different key areas and so to come away with a medal is quite nice even though I was not really focusing on the result. I was looking at starting, some strategy and a lot of downwind technique. That is what we have been looking at. So it has been quite hard for me this week because I am generally a bit of an end starter (starts close to one end of the line or the other) and I was sticking out in the middle all the way through the regatta and so it was a bit of a test of my patience, but it was the right thing to be doing. Elliot sailed a fantastic regatta and deserved to win it. He has made big improvements working together through the winter. He just did not get it together in the Medal Race but I am sure he will learn from it.”
Young local sailor Joel Rodriguez ESP finally ended in fourth after a great week leading championship and showing great skills.
Norwegian Mathias Mollatt NOR also showed a great sailing performance occupying fifth place overall.
Trofeo Princesa Sofia 2017 – Full results here.
