Sailing: Laser Europa Cup-Julie finishes fifth |18 April 2008
After a bright start to the 2008 season, the five-time Sportsman of the Year registered
With his worst result – a 23rd finish – being discarded, Julie accumulated 60 points for fifth place overall out of 78 competitors. He was ninth in race one, 23rd in race two, seventh in race three, ninth in race four, 15th in race five, fourth in race six and eighth in race seven.
It is worth noting that the 30-year-old was 12th overall in an 85-strong field of the Laser Europa Cup sailed in Andora, Italy, from March 29-30, finished sixth out of 39 in the Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week 2008 raced from March 6-11 at the Forum Port Marina, Spain, was ranked 41st out of 54 in the gold fleet of the World Laser Sailing Championship in Australia in February and finished second to German Philipp Buhl out of 101 sailors in the Laser Europa Cup Standard in Hyères, France, from March 20-24.
Having qualified for Beijing, Julie will be taking part in his fourth Olympics after competing in Atlanta, USA, in 1996 (36th overall), in Sydney, Australia, in 2000 (27th overall) and in Athens, Greece, in 2004 (20th overall).
Chilean Matias Del Solar won the latest Laser Europa Cup race in Italy with 30 points, followed by Italian Giacomo Bottoli with 54, Swede Ardvid Claeson with 55 and Japanese Yoichi Iljima with 57.
G. G.