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Cypriot sailing star Pavlos Kontides secured second place at a regatta in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, where the World Sailing Championships will take place later this summer.
Competing against a field that included Olympic medallists and some of the sport’s leading sailors, Kontides finished with 45 penalty points after nine races. Britain's Eliot Hanson topped the standings with 39 points, while Croatia's Tonci Stipanovic placed third on 49.
The world number one in the ILCA7 class produced a consistent series of results, recording four second-place finishes and two third-place finishes during the event.
Kontides described the regatta as an important opportunity to gain experience on the championship course and become familiar with local sailing conditions ahead of the World Championships, which are scheduled for August in the same bay.
The event also gave sailors their first experience of the Vakaros starting system, a new technology designed to identify boats that cross the line early and instruct them to return and restart. The system is expected to reduce delays caused by general recalls.
Fresh from claiming his third European title last month, Kontides will now return to Cyprus for a short break before travelling to Los Angeles for another training block and two regattas at the Olympic sailing venue as he continues preparations for the season’s major event.
