The paddlers from Lanzarote have shone with an exceptional performance in the European Sea Kayak Championship, held from April 10 to 15 on the island of Terceira, Azores. Despite the challenges presented by the adverse weather, which marked the week of competition, the Marlines from Lanzarote remained firm, standing out in every wave and curve of the course.
In total, three gold medals return to Lanzarote, although they feel like six for the Marlines, who savored what would have been the medal won by Eloy and the other two by Ariadne and Gabriel if it weren't for the misfortune of the rudder. The Marlines return home with the satisfaction of an exceptional job in the Azores.
The paddlers of the Marlines demonstrated an extraordinary performance from the beginning to the end of the regatta. However, Ariadne and Gabriel suffered a misfortune when a technical failure in the rudder of their boat forced them to abandon after completing half of the test, despite leading in their category. Eloy Woelke crossed the finish line as the fifth fastest in Sub23, an achievement that, if his real category, that of Youth Male, had been officialized, would have crowned him as European Champion. Eloy has demonstrated exceptional talent and a bright future in this sport.
On the other hand, Jonay Rodríguez was proclaimed European Champion in the SS1 Master category, while the SS2 Mixed Youth team formed by Gabriela Díaz and Eduardo Fajardo also reached the finish line in first place. Raúl Salmeron finished in a magnificent sixteenth place in the SS1 Senior category.
The event was marked by crucial decisions by the Competition Committee and the ECA, who had to face a constant challenge from the bad weather. On Thursday, the decision was made to unify all competition days into a single regatta, which meant that paddlers who planned to compete one day in the SS1 (Individual Surfski) race could not double the next day in the SS2 (Double Surfski) race. This situation proved to be a challenge for all athletes and technical bodies, who had to make difficult decisions about which category to compete in.
In another twist, the Youth category, both in men and women, ceased to be official, adding one more element to the complexity of the competition. However, for the Marlines, the strategy was defined with cunning:
- Eloy Woelke, ascending from Youth to Sub23, competed in SS1.
- Raúl Salmeron stood out in the Senior Men category, competing in SS1.
- Jonay Rodriguez fought in the Master Men category, also in SS1.
- Gabriela Díaz together with Eduardo Fajardo faced each other in SS2 Mixed Youth.
- Ariadne Gimenez and Gabriel Cabrera competed in the Senior category of SS2 Mixed.
The regatta was scheduled for Saturday, April 13 at 11:00 a.m., however, at the same starting point, the weather conditions worsened. A dense fog, waves of more than four meters and winds of 90 kilometers per hour presented an extreme challenge. After long deliberations, the committee decided to cancel the 25-kilometer route and proposed a safer route within the bay of Praia da Vitória, with a circuit of three laps to complete the distance of 12 kilometers. The start of the test was delayed three hours until the starting gun was finally fired.
Now, a well-deserved rest awaits them, but the next event is just around the corner: the Eurochallenge in Vilajoyosa, which will be part of the World Cup. Four Marlines will once again represent Lanzarote in this prestigious international regatta.