Friendship Regatta 2008

On 31st May Pirogovo Yacht Club in Moscow were hosts to the 4th Annual inter club team race against the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club (Burnham).

The week ends activities opened with a flag raising ceremony with Poul Richard Hoj Jensen and Boris Budnikov performing the honors acting as a reminder of their epic duel in the Soling in the eighties..

In Poul Richards speech he reminded the hosts that although the score was 2 wins to Burnham against one to the Pirigovo teams the visitors were determined to improve on the loss they suffered the last time they visited the Lake just north of Moscow.

The racing was hard but taken in good spirit and in the glorious sunshine and good winds on both days racing the Pirogovo team once again showed the five visiting teams from Burnham how to race in the lake conditions.

A convincing overall win saw the Pirogovo team level the score at two matches a piece with individual honours going to Mikhail Senatorov , Konstantin Emelyanov and Alexander Prokhorov.

Sunday evening saw a spectactular gala dinner and prize giving in the club culminating in some highly entertaining singing by Russian Dragon sailor Victor Fogelson.

Next years match will be in Burnham in October and all the talk from the defeated Burnham team was how to match the superb hosting and event from the Pirogovo Club and also how to turn around such a crushing defeat on the water!