Formula Windsurfing European Championships 04-12 June Ialisos/Rhodes
(Greece) at Forum Beach Hotel, Ialisos Beach

From June 4th to 12th the Formula Windsurfing European Championships will
take place in the beautiful town of Ialisos / Rhodes (Greece). Over 100
competitors from 26 different countries representing 4 continents are
already registered for the Championships. Among them will be the whole elite
of the racers. The winner of the event will be crowned as official Formula
Windsurfing European Champion 2005. The Championship is a qualification
regatta for the 2005 Formula World Championships and a Level 1 Formula World
Ranking event. The event offers a total prize money of EUR 20.000,00.
Competitors also fight for ranking points in the Euro-Cup, windsurfing’s
premier racing and slalom series.

In the men’s fleet with already 98 registered racers all but one of the top
ten formula sailors from the 2004 World Championship including World
Champion Micah Buzianis (USA-34, F2, North Sails) will come to Rhodes.
Wojtek Brzozowski (POL-10, Starboard, Neil Pryde) will face a tough
challenge to defend his European title. However he is one of the favourites
after his victory at the first Windsurfing Euro-Cup in Portimão (Portugal).
Other hot names are Gonzalo Costa Hoevel (ARG-3, F2, Neil Pryde) and Ross
Williams (GBR-83, Starboard, Gaastra) who got second and third in Portugal.
Last year Williams was able to win the Formula Windsurfing Grand Prix in
Ialisos. In the meantime the level of competition got extremely high and
there are ten to 15 racers who have chances to win the event.

15 of the elite female racers are already registered in the women’s fleet.
The World Champion 2004 and defending European Champion, Dorota Staszewska
(POL-1, Starboard, Maui Sails) will once again face stiff challenge from
Allison Shreeve (AUS-911, F2, Neil Pryde), and the World Champion 2003
Christine Johnston (GBR-93). The participation of the 2004 Olympic Gold
Medalist, Faustine Merret (FRA-9) may very well bring a surprise to the
established formula racers.

The huge participation level is a great success for the International
Formula Windsurfing Class and the hosts in Greece. But on the other side it
will be a tough challenge for the organizers and the race crew. They will be
forced to run the split fleet system as it will be impossible to start the
whole fleet together. The fleet will be divided into two halves and run a
qualification series of eight races. Then the best 50% of each fleet will
qualify for the gold fleet to fight for the European FW title and the prize
money.

Ialisos on Rhodes island is famous for its racing conditions. The legendary
Greek Meltemi wind blows sideshore from the left with 10 to 25 knots every
day which provides a perfect situation for Formula Windsurfing. This will
ensure the chance to run the full number of races for the 15 race series.
The venue offers enough space for the racers and their equipment and optimal
access to the water. The infrastructure with the Forum Beach Hotel and the
Rhodes Windsurfing Academy right at the beach is perfect for great
windsurfing events.

So everything is perfectly prepared for the Formula Windsurfing European
Championships 2005. The official competitions will take place from Tuesday
June 7th to 11th. The closing ceremony with prize giving will take place on
Saturday evening.

The event is covered on www.euro-cup.org, www.rwa.grand
www.formulawindsurfing.org. Besides the reports and the results you will
also find a live ticker on www.euro-cup.organd a live cam on www.rwa.gr.