Hendriksen clinches European title

Fiona Brown reports from a close final day of racing at the Aberdeen Bragon European championship

At the end of an incredibly closely fought regatta Denmark's Lars Hendriksen and his crew Will Willett and Martin Leifeld, sailing Edward Sawyer's Clairvoyant, are the 2006 Aberdeen Dragon European Champions. By winning today's final race in stunning style Denmark's Frank Berg, sailing with Soren Kaestel and Neils Buddelund took second, while Bo Selko, crewed by Morten Harmsen and Klaus Landsmann of Denmark, was third and Russia's Maksim Semerkanov, crewed by owner Inna Shternberg and Mikhail Kondratiev, was fourth.

This incredible championship came to a close with a final marathon three hour race in the central Solent under more sunny skies and with a superb 15-18 knots of wind. His Majesty King Constantine of the Hellenes, President of the International Dragon Association, and Martin Gilbert, Chairman of regatta sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management, were among a rapt group of spectators who were kept in suspense until the closing moments of the race.

Initially in today's race it looked as if the title could have slipped from overnight leader Lars Hendriksen's grip as he rounded the first mark three quarters of the way down the fleet. Fortunately for him race leader Frank Berg, lying fourth overall going into the day, could not win the regatta and his only two competitors, Bo Selko and Maksim Semerkano were just a few places ahead so all was not yet lost.

From the off Denmark's Frank Berg had decided to close the regatta in style and led the entire way round the course to win by a huge margin. Second place was a battle between Sweden's Tom Lofstedt and the Ukraine's Sergey Pigiugin in which Lofsted was eventually victorious. Cowes girl Julia Bailey took fourth place just ahead of Ireland's Simon Brien in fifth with Britain's Len Jones sixth, Portugal's Antonio Correia seventh and Oleg Kohpersky of Russia eighth.

Back down the fleet the Championship was still to be decided. Hendriksen knew that provided Selko and Semerkanov finished in the teens or worse he was safe despite his own poor position. It was nail biting stuff as the three boats slogged round the course. In an attempt to catch his rivals Hendriksen took a right hand flyer up the second beat but only gained two places. Semerkanov and Selko meanwhile where enjoying a classic dog fight as the pair vied to not only move up the fleet and beat Hendriksen but to beat each other as well. Despite Herculean efforts they could do no better than 18th and 19th respectively and, knowing that he need do no more Hendriksen elected to turn away without crossing the line.

At this afternoon's prize giving His Majesty King Constantine presented the prizes to the winners and congratulated the Royal Yacht Squadron, the International and British Dragon Associations, the Cowes Dragon Fleet and event sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management for an extremely successful championship.

For Lars Hendriksen, Will Willets and Martin Leifeldt this was a particularly poignant win as their owner and regular helm, Edward Sawyer, is currently in hospital following an accident at last week's Dragon Edinburgh Cup. In his acceptance speech crew member Will Willett said "We'd like to thank the Royal Yacht Squadron for five days of fantastic racing and we'd particularly like to thank Ted Sawyer, whose generosity and enthusiasm for Dragon sailing is such that when he knew he would be unable to compete this week he insisted Lars and I race the boat. We are very proud to win this trophy on Ted's behalf."

Martin Gilbert, CEO of Aberdeen Asset Management, said..."Aberdeen Asset Management has been proud to sponsor the 2006 Aberdeen Dragon European Championship and we congratulate all 41 crews on their fine efforts this week. It has been a regatta of the very highest standard. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Royal Yacht Squadron for hosting a splendid week's racing."

The secret committee which has decided the Dubarry Team of the Day Award each evening felt that on this final day it was only fitting that the award should go to the final boat to cross the line in the final race of the series. The entire Russian Team have been wonderful competitors at this regatta and so Sergey Maslov and his crew Alexander Ekhzov and Andrey Dolgov aboard RUS3 received an exceptionally warm welcome from their fellow sailors as they came up to collect their Dubarry boots.

Results:

Pos	Sail No	Boat	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Tot	Net
1	DEN138	Clairvoyant	13	13	3	0	16	25	48	118	45
2	DEN66	My Way	19	17	0	26	43	14	0	119	50
3	DEN372	BB King	34	0	5.7	24	0	22	25	110.7	51.7
4	RUS-77	Diamond	21	5.7	14	14	19	0	24	97.7	52.7
5	SWE 336	Pilen	30	39	15	21	10	5.7	3	123.7	54.7
6	IRL193	Kin	27	3	31	13	17	15	10	116	58
7	DEN368	Flawless	48	14	8	8	26	8	20	132	58
8	RUS44	Red October	3	19	29	10	30	17	17	125	66
9	GER996	Sinewave	0	10	16	22	22	29	27	126	70
10	GBR 682	Ecstatic	14	18	39	23	14	3	29	140	72
11	GBR705	Danish Blue	31	16	13	31	5.7	26	18	140.7	78.7
12	POR-48	El Gringo	18	26	11.7	39	46	10	13	163.7	78.7
13	RUS-1	Godfather	17	11.7	28	37	18	19	14	144.7	79.7
14	GER951	Saphir	16	15	37	5.7	37	21	26	157.7	83.7
15	FRA300	Ar Youleg	11.7	25	19	16	41	23	15	150.7	84.7
16	RUS2	Alisa	8	8	44	48	11.7	31	16	166.7	91.7
17	GBR660	Aimee	37	44	34	20	3	28	8	174	93
18	GBR716	Jerboa	36	37	17	17	44	13	19	183	102
19	UKR777	Transbunker	42	43	25	3	31	38	5.7	187.7	102.7
20	IRL176	Phantom	35	23	10	33	47	16	21	185	103
21	GBR702	Rascal Rat	5.7	35	24	34	27	30	22	177.7	108.7
22	GBR708	Rumours	28	27	21	35	24	36	11.7	182.7	111.7
23	GBR653	Njord	10	34	27	36	8	39	42	196	115
24	DEN380	Lil	20	22	26	30	42	18	48	206	116
25	RUS25	Versiya 3.0	29	30	22	19	25	35	23	183	118
26	GBR688	Quicksilver III	39	29	30	15	36	11.7	41	201.7	121.7
27	GBR693	Virago	41	32	32	11.7	13	47	38	214.7	126.7
28	GBR709	Kuling	15	45	20	48	21	41	32	222	129
29	GBR610 / 788	Rackham	26	36	38	29	15	24	39	207	130
30	GBR684	Hand of Fortune	23	41	18	27	34	42	28	213	130
31	RUS34	Russo Orient Express	24	24	23	25	45	45	34	220	130
32	RUS3	Bars	33	21	43	28	38	20	43	226	140
33	MON-001	Munegu	44	20	36	18	40	32	36	226	142
34	GBR 700	Princess Jalina	38	31	41	40	20	40	30	240	159
35	GBR669	Supremacy	22	33	33	32	39	44	48	251	159
36	GBR710 / GBR679	Avalanche	25	38	35	42	35	33	31	239	159
37	GBR656 / GBR648	Apalala	32	28	46	44	28	43	37	258	168
38	FIN63	Nenya	43	42	40	41	29	27	35	257	172
39	GBR706	Chips	46	40	42	43	23	37	33	264	175
40	GBR681 / GBR690	Stampede	40	47	45	38	32	34	40	276	184
41	GBR593	Flamboyant	45	46	48	45	33	46	48	311	215