Flower blooms to victory in European Champs

Devon sailor and Paignton Sailing Club member Ben Flower has put aside the disappointment of missing out on the Olympics by winning the European Championships, and the National Championships, all in the space of three exhilarating days on the water.

An ILCA Olympic campaigner for the past eight years, Flower has won 13 national championship titles across several sailing classes; however the international victories have eluded him.

The end of June into the start of July saw the opportunity for European success with two European Championships in the RS Aero and D-Zero classes along with the National Championships for the latter.

Flower set his eyes on sealing victory through one of these championships with the first being the RS Aero European Championships in Carnac, France. Travelling with fellow Paignton SC team member Mark Ripley, Flower got off to the perfect start winning both races on the opening day and taking a three-point lead heading into day two.

However, day two didn’t go off as planned with second place overall Peter Barton taking victory in the first two races of day two with Flower being disqualified from race 4 for a start line infringement.

Flower was able to bounce back with victory in races 5 and 6 to hold on to a narrow lead over Barton. Ripley was being consistent, knocking in top 6 race result finishes placing him 5th overall and first youth (under 23).

Day 3 saw lighter conditions but Flower was able to share the race win honours with Barton across the day’s two fading races to hold a three-point lead heading into the final day of racing.

Ripley got race results of 5th and 7th, which kept him in 5th overall and an outside chance of the podium places heading into the final day.

Unfortunately, racing was abandoned on the final day of racing due to insufficient wind but that meant Flower was able to walk away with his first international victory and was joined in success by Ripley in receiving Youth European Champion status in the Aero class.

Two days later, Flower was back in action again, this time at the jointly held D-Zero National and European Championships. The European Championships consisted of four days of racing, whilst the National Championships comprised a shorter three days racing taking place in Portland, England.

Three races a day for each championship was a gruelling test, especially with the first two days at the upper end of race able wind strengths, however these are the conditions Flower excels in, famously beating Matt Wearn, Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, after two days in similar conditions at the 2022 World Cup in Palma, Mallorca.

Flower was able to get straight individual race wins in dominant fashion over the first two days and held a commanding lead from the chasing pack.

The third day of racing saw lighter winds and with the final day forecast to be the most difficult day to get racing in, the race management decided to get an additional fourth race in on the penultimate day of racing.

Over the four races, Flower was able to share the honours with Scotland’s Roo Purves, both getting two wins and two second place finishes across the four races. This then resulted in Flower being in the rare position of winning both the D-Zero National and European Championships with a day to spare.

For both South Devon sailors, Flower and Ripley, the next major event is the Aero World Championships at the end of August with Ripley also competing in the Youth World Championships a couple weeks prior in Sweden.