Bulgarian sportsmen dominate 53rd Balkan Sailing Championship

Bulgarian sailors won the most awards at the 53rd Balkan Sailing Championship, held from October 16–19 off the Black Sea coast at Nessebar, the Bulgarian Sailing Federation said Monday, CE Report quotes BTA.

The competition brought together 125 sailors from six Balkan countries: Serbia, Romania, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkiye, and Bulgaria.

It was organized by the Bulgarian Sailing Federation and OVC Nessebar with the support of Nessebar Municipality and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

After a six-year break, Bulgaria successfully revived the prestigious championship, which was last held in 2019 in Montenegro.

The star of the championship was Alexandra Lukoyanova, who triumphed in the ILCA 6 Women class. The young athlete, considered one of Bulgaria’s strongest Olympic prospects, demonstrated consistency and speed in all races, confirming her excellent form as part of her pre-Olympic preparation, the Sailing Federation said.

Lukoyanova said she was very happy to have won. "We had three racing days under challenging conditions," she added. She thanked her club, Chernomorets – Burgas, her coach Valentin Nikolov, and the Bulgarian Sailing Federation. "We are now entering the winter training season — my goal is to qualify for the Olympic Games in LA. We continue working hard, and I’ll see you back on the water soon,” said Lukoyanova after the final.

Following are the results by Class:

ILCA 6 Women: 1. Aleksandra Lukoyanova (Bulgaria); 2. Ebru Bolat (Romania); 3. Diana Markova (Bulgaria).

ILCA 6 Men: 1. Viktor Stanoev (Bulgaria); 2. Andrey Bozoki (Serbia); 3. Nenad Zakic (Serbia)

ILCA 4 Boys: 1. Borislav Nikolov (Bulgaria); 2. Atanas Zlatev (Bulgaria); 3. Tino Tomov (Bulgaria)

ILCA 4 Girls: 1. Sara Patache (Romania); 2. Nikol Dimitrova (Bulgaria); 3. Jovana Stepanovic (Serbia)

Finn Class: 1. Zlatko Atanasov (Bulgaria); 2. Svetlin Popov (Bulgaria); 3. Anastas Petrov (Bulgaria)

Optimist – Boys (Senior): 1. Nikolaos Pappas (Greece); 2. Agis Angelopoulos (Greece); 3. Giorgios Kontos (Greece)

Optimist – Boys (Junior): 1. Kerem Kilic (Turkiye); 2. Iliya Kavrakov (Bulgaria); 3. Tihomir Tuzlukov (Bulgaria)

Optimist – Girls (Senior): 1. Penelopi Stratou (Greece); 2. Kyriaki Georgopoulou (Greece); 3. Ada Tufekciler (Turkiye)

Optimist – Girls (Junior): 1. Maya Karabat (Turkiye); 2. Deniz Acele (Turkiye); 3. Nikoleta Kirova (Bulgaria).

With over 15 medals, including numerous golds, the Bulgarian sailors dominated most of the classes. "Their success is the result of consistent work by clubs, coaches, and the Bulgarian Sailing Federation in developing youth sailing and preparing a new generation of elite athletes," said the Sailing Federation.

The Principal Race Officer of the championship was Zlatko Jakelic, Vice President of EURILCA, and the Deputy Race Officer was Todor Ivanov. The official opening and closing ceremonies took place on the main square stage in Nessebar’s Old Town, where participants and guests celebrated the revival of one of the most prestigious events in the regional sailing calendar.