Ginés Romero and Álvaro Moreno,
Champions of the Euro Flying Cup Altea 2006

Final results. Photos.

After six races disputed and 18 FD from four countries (Austria, Croatia, Spain and Holland) in a heart attacking cup where until the last moment nothing was decided, the Ginés Romero's and Álvaro Moreno's ESP-6, both belonging to the Altea Nautic Club, proclamed themselves victors in this fantastic EuroCup. Our most sincere congratulations to them and the N.C. Altea for their perfect organization both on earth and on water and our thanks because they crave for the Flying Dutchman Class.

1st (ESP-6) Ginés Romero/Álvaro Moreno CN Altea 12 pts.
2nd (ESP-81) Francisco Martínez/Arturo Manchado RCN Torrevieja 13 pts.
3rd (ESP-69) Dolores Sánchez-Herrero/Juan Pablo de Diego CN Altea 15 pts.
4th (CRO-51) Tin Matulja/Robin Matulja FSC Opatija 18 pts.
5th (NED-6) Frank Havik/Pieter Zandstra KWVL Loosdrecht 19 pts.

9th day.To 12,30hr in the morning the first part of the race began, in a race area included by an olympic triangle of 0,8 miles of distance in their first section. The day was sunny and the wind blew with an intensity of seven knots of South component.
The first test was dominated from the beginning by Frank Favik, of the Dutch KWVL, passing through all the beacons of the route in first position and maintaining leader until the end of the test; the fight for the second position was very closed heading the pursuer group Dirk Bogumil (substituted the Austrian Manfred Zeissel in the first three parts of the race) and the Croatian Tin Matulja. The first national was Ginés Romero from the Altea Nautic Club, that passed fifth. After passing the second winward, the three heading positions did not change, honoring overcome of Dolores Sánchez-Herrero, from the Altea Nautic Club, who passed from the seventh to the fourth position. The fifth position was from Francisco Martínez, from RCN Torrevieja.
It was a very fit arrival; Frank Havik prevailed with some metres of distance, and in an infarct end, and after a great overcome, Ginés Romero snatched the second position in extremis to Dick Bogumil. Dolores Sánchez-Herrero finished in fourth position.
The second test was headed at every moment by Ginés Romero, that didn't give truce to his opponents and controlled the fleet from start to end in a very stable race field. In another fit end, Dolores Sánchez-Herrero prevailed by little margin the Croatian Tin Matulja, who ended third. Forth classified was Carlos Beltri, from FVRM/CN Altea, in front of the winner in the first part, Frank Havik.
In the third part the wind fell a little, not surpassing the six knots of intensity, with small role of wind towards the East, but Francisco Martínez took benefit of his incredible speed with sligth wind, heading the fleet from the exit, although being unable to relax, since Dolores Sánchez-Herrero stepped on the heels to him, gambling the final victory section. Third was Carlos Beltri and fourth Ginés Romero, closing the honor list Frank Havik.
The provisional general calification is at it follows:
1º ESP-6 Ginés Romero/Álvaro Moreno, CN Altea 7 puntos
2º ESP-69 Dolores Sánchez-Herreo/Juan Pablo de Diego, CN Altea 8 puntos
3º NED-6 Frank Havik/Peter Zandstra, KWVL 11 puntos
4º ESP-81 Francisco Martínez/Arturo Manchado, RCN Torrevieja 12 puntos
5º ESP-7 Carlos Beltri/Javier Cayuela, FVRM/CN Altea 15 puntos

The 10th dawned with mist, which impossibilised the entry of wind, but at half past two Eolo appeared with 10 knots East component, which permited the celebration of the trials.
In the first of them the fight was centered in two participants, Francisco Martínez/Arturo Manchado from RCN Torrevieja and Tin Matulja/Robin Matulja from Croatia, alternating their positions until the arrival line, in which the spanish imposed. Just after Frank Havik/Pieter Zandstra from Holland, Ginés Romero/Álvaro Moreno and Dolores Sánchez-Herrero/Juan Pablo de Diego, both from N. C. Altea.
The second day's trial was really equalled, with a very closed fight between four spanish tripulations; the wind maintained in ten knots and the ESP-7, ESP-6, ESP-69 and ESP-81 changed their positions metre by metre, presaging a breath-taking final. And that was, in a bit more than ten metres entered the four tripulations in the order above indicated, winning Carlos Beltri/Javier Cayuela from FVRM.
After five races and a discard, the provisional classification was again with four tied in points: 1st ESP-6 with 9 points, 2nd ESP-81 with 11 points, 3rd ESP-69 with 11 points, 4th ESP-7 with 14 points, 5th NED-6 with 14 points and 6th CRO-51 with 17 points.

In the last day, the 11th, the climatologic conditions weren't right but finally could we made a start with five knots from east component. In the first mark the croatian Tin Matulja passed in the first position, followed by Francisco Martínez and the dutch Frank Havik. The leader of the race before this last trial, Ginés Romero, after a bad start, passed the first mark in the 11th place losing every chance of being in the podium.
The route was being completed with a closed fight between the first two, although Tin Matulja knew how to maintain his position until the final; the remount was protagonised by Ginés Romero and Álvaro Moreno during this difficult trial passing boats in each length, and finished off with the stern going to a wind change which situated them in the third possition and gave them the final triumph in the championship.

Congratulations to everyone.