Thunder and lightning swept through Poland on Sunday evening, bringing heavy rain and some flooding just before the Finn European Championships. The weather shifted the picture ahead of a 10-race series that is due to begin on Tuesday at 12.00.
Rob McMillan at the top mark
Rob McMillan, the Finn Class President, led round the top mark in the practice race on Monday afternoon. Arkadii Kistanov of Italy followed, with Valerian Lebrun of France next in line.
Many boats pulled out after the storm-hit build-up, but Andrzej Romanowski of Poland led the remaining boats across the finish line. The practice race was sailed in a 10-15 knot northerly and very high temperatures, a sharp contrast to the Sunday evening weather that left heavy rain in its wake.
Monday Evening in Poland
On Monday the practice race was followed by the opening ceremony in the evening. That left the fleet with one more day before racing is scheduled to get underway, and the week ahead is expected to stay dry and hot with sunny skies and light to moderate winds.
The forecast for the day is light, though there is a window of opportunity with an onshore breeze in the afternoon. That gives the first race day a narrow weather margin after a weekend storm that already forced some boats out of the practice race and changed the feel of the venue before the Finn Europeans begin in earnest.
Tuesday at 12.00
Racing is scheduled to get underway on Tuesday at 12.00, with the 10-race series running through Saturday. For crews and officials, the main practical question is whether the light forecast can hold long enough to let the fleet start on time after the storm and the hotter, breezier practice session.
