Press Release
On the 27th of April in Limassol Marina the final stage of the Fareast 28R Cyprus Winter Grand Prix regatta came to an end. The fastest team was the Estonian Clean Energy team led by former European and World Champion Mati Sepp. Second were Ptichki on the Beach, sailed by Limassol's Nikolai Ryzhkov. Third place went to the Freedom24 team led by Evgenii Tiapkin.
Andrei AVSITIDIYSKY
- The Winter Grand Prix is organised by the Cyprus International Sailing Club with Freedom24 as the General Partner of the tournament.
- The competition consisted of five three-day stages. The first of them took place from 30 November to 1 December 2024.
- The Fareast 28R is a modern boat with a cool design. The sails are not sewn, but woven using a unique technology.
‘The fifth round was the culmination of the Winter Grand Prix. Right up to the last race, the intrigue remained - who would get on the podium! In addition, the weather was perfect with strong winds, which one of the regatta participants called “Champagne splashes”’, said Maxim Grischev, the host of the awards ceremony and one of the directors of the Cyprus International Yacht Club.
He said the Cyprus International Sailing Club, established in 2017 by sailing enthusiasts, emphasises the word 'international' because many expats live on the island and people from all corners of the world fly to Cyprus for regattas. In November 2023, Cyprus hosted the European Championships. There is no doubt that the yacht club intends to progress and raise the level of events.
Evgenii Tiapkin, captain of Freedom24 team
‘Competing in the Grand Prix was not only about speed and tactics, it was about passion, teamwork, and resilience. I am proud of our Freedom24 teams, who showed great spirit, dedication, and determination. This tournament once again proved that when you have the right people by your side, you can overcome any challenge and reach new heights.
Mati Sepp, captain of the Clean Energy team
‘Our team is based in Tallinn, and its backbone has been racing for 15 or even 20 years. We have won the World Championship twice, were first in Europe, and have won many regattas. We have been to Cyprus many times - it is the warmest place in Europe and an ideal location for sailing. It has a wonderful climate, good food and hospitable people’.
Elvira Pinchuk, helmswoman of the team Ptichki on the Beach
‘Our team was born in the summer of 2024 in Izhevsk and consisted exclusively of girls. The name appeared after the coach's call "Let's work, my birds!". At the Russian Cup we met yachtsmen from Vladivostok - Ilya Polishchuk and Daniil Maistrovsky - and since December we have been racing together.
Nikolai Ryzhkov joined us in Cyprus. We performed at three stages of the Grand Prix. I fell in love with your island: it's unique nature, hospitable people and a gastronomic feast. After the races we go sightseeing. I am sure that next season we will take part in all five stages of the series’.
Vyacheslav Ermolenko, skipper of Freedom24 team
‘The final round of the Grand Prix was the toughest in terms of the line-up. Seven crews could have taken the top spot. The captain of the winning team, Mati Sepp, who had spent the last year in Thailand and flew to Cyprus a week before the start to train in Limassol, admitted to me that he felt a surge of energy on a cosmic level’.
Timofey Zubkov, captain of the Freedom24#3 team that took fourth place
‘We really enjoyed the first two race days because we had strong winds on Friday and Saturday. It felt amazing: we were flying sometimes faster than the wind, overtaking waves, fighting with our rivals, making complicated manoeuvres. All this energises you, you just physically and emotionally start to understand what happiness is’.
Maxim Grischev, one of the directors of Cyprus International Sailing Club
‘Cyprus is a fantastic place to sail because you can sail here all year round. The mild Cypriot winter is similar to the summer in Northern Europe, where the season lasts no more than four months’.
