Teenagers Carl Evans and Peter Burling today finished an impressive sixth overall in Greece in their first major regatta in the Olympic 470 yachting class.
The two 16-year-olds, who are the reigning 420 world champions, had gone into the European championships at Thessaloniki hoping for a top-eight placingin the 92-boat fleet.
While they achieved their aim, Aucklander Evans and Tauranga's Burling were still disappointed they didn't end up higher, having been fifth overall going into the final double-point medal race.
Burling's mother, Heather, said the pair made a great start, sailed a superb first leg, showing plenty of boat speed in the chop, and led at the top mark.
They were still third going around the last mark, but on the final run the wind faded and swung 120 degrees, and Evans and Burling dropped further back, she said from the regatta venue.
"They were pretty gutted after being in such a good place, although they achieved their goal of top eight comfortably," she said.
Dan Slater was also disappointed after finishing eighth at the Finn class European championships at Balantonfoldvar, in Hungary.
In the medal race, he had to re-start after being over the line early and then had to do a penalty turn for an infringement at the top mark. He came home 10th.
"I made some really bad unforced errors that cost me big time," he said.
"However, the positives are that I am really fast in the light conditions and if I can put it together then I can win regattas."
In the RS:X boardsailing European championships in Cyprus, Barbara Kendall was second overall after six races and going into tomorrow's rest day.
Kendall was eighth in the only race of the day, leaving her nine points behind leader Marina Alabau of Spain.
Jon-Paul Tobin is equal fourth overall in the men's event, 17 points behind Polish leader Przemek Miarczynski.
In today's race, Tobin fell in the tricky conditions as he rounded the bottom mark in second place, but recovered to cross the finish line fourth.
