TECHNO293 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019: CLEANING UP THE TITLES AND SAVING THE SEAS

  • 2019-08-14
  • Jeremy Boyce
  • Patrik Pollak
The Techno 293 caravan has found its way to one of the furthest destinations for hosting European Championships, on its mission to deliver fair racing to the many youngsters competing. We’re in the beautiful Michmoret, Israel, on the Mediterranean coast north of Tel Aviv, it is rated one of the best beach and resort locations in Israel, and is part of a Sea Nature Reserve that includes a sea turtle rescue.

We’re here as guests of the Michmoret Emek-Hefer Sailing Club. It’s a fantastic windsurf spot and is home to one of Israel’s windsurf legends, four times World Champion, Lee Korzits.

Now, 168 young sailors from 18 different countries have assembled on the golden sands to compete at the 2019 Techno293 European Championships for the titles that will be awarded to the new champions when all the racing is done. There’s a fascinating spread of countries represented here, from Norway to Israel and Spain to Russia, all the compass points (and more) are covered, with guests from Singapore and even Hong Kong also making the journey to Michmoret. There’s a strong home team, obviously, but they will have their work cut out to prevail against a high quality field of competitor teams from right across the continent.

The first of five scheduled days of racing is this coming Saturday, 17th, with the competition due to close next Wednesday, 21st August.

Windsurf aside, this event has taken on board two of the major issues to have occupied minds throughout Europe and around the world this year: how to survive the heat, and how to clean up and keep our seas and oceans clear of the filth and debris that recent generations of humans have spoiled them with.

August in Israel is extremely hot, especially so in this record-breaking year for temperatures and suspicions of long-term climate change. Staying well covered and using sun cream are part of the solution, but also making sure you stay well hydrated. To this end, and as a means of minimising waste, all competitors have been issued with re-usable water bottles and there is free, unlimited access to water at the water stations spread around the site. Furthermore, team coaches are going to be issued with iced containers and extra water for the sailors during racing. A great initiative and a reflection of the urgency of the need to clean up our seas of plastics and other pollutants.