Wizner Brothers Crowned Champions of Europe in 49er Sailing Competition in Thessaloniki
Fiery Win! Galician Sailors Rule the Waves as 49er European Champions
Brothers Martín and Jaime Wizner, 24 and 21 respectively, ignite the sailing scene by clinching their first major title as European champions in the 49er class. The dynamic duo from Vigo gave Spain a reason to cheer this Sunday, according to the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation (RFEV).
The young guns found themselves in a tight spot going into the final day, trailing the British duo of William Pank and Thommie Grit by just one point in the European ranking.
Two races were scheduled for Sunday with the first deciding the 'top ten' cut for the 'Medal Race.' The Wizners claimed the third spot while their main rivals scored their discard. This set the stage for a thrilling finish as the Spanish crew took the lead in the Europeans, but the 'Medal Race' was yet to come. The British duo finished first, but the Wizners' seventh-place finish was enough to secure the European title with a three-point advantage over Pank and Grit, who took the silver. The bronze went to the Israeli pair of Tal Sade and Maor Abu.
In the open classification, Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush from New Zealand seized the top spot, followed by Americans Nevin Snow and Ian Macdiarmid. Uruguayans Hernán Umpierre and Fernando Diz rounded out the podium, while the Wizner brothers finished fourth overall.
"Gold, That's What We Came For"
"We're over the moon! The Medal Race was nail-biting, and we slipped one spot in the overall ranking, but the goal was to win the European gold, and we did it," an elated Martín Wizner shared with RFEV.
His younger brother, Jaime, admitted this victory was a shocker, "Our initial goal was to qualify for the Medal Race, but from day one, we felt incredibly comfortable on the water and kept climbing positions until we found ourselves at the top. Today, we had to seal the deal."
Martín Wizner, born in 2001, boasts a rich sailing history as a world and European champion in the 420 class with Pedro Ameneiro. Alongside his younger brother Jaime, they conquered the European junior gold in the 49er in 2023. This triumph marks their first significant victory in the 49er class at the senior level.
Diego Botín and Florian Trittel, the reigning Olympic champions of the class, are gearing up for their Olympic campaign and are preparing to compete in the World Championship, which will take place in October in Cagliari, Italy. However, the current 49er European champions for 2025 have not been explicitly named in the latest sources. Some reports have congratulated new European champions, but the names may not correspond to the 49er class, causing confusion with class distinctions. For the latest updates, it's best to consult the official 49er.org or event organizers’ announcements.
"Martín Wizner and his brother Jaime, having won the European gold in the 49er class, were ecstatic about their first significant victory at the senior level, adding another accolade to their sailing careers."
"Despite coming fourth overall in the open classification, the Wizner brothers' success in sports continues to shine, particularly in the 49er class, as they rule the waves in Europe."
