ADAM HOLM TAKES SILVER AT THE KONA ONE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

As the Kona One European Championship concluded this afternoon in Sandhamn, 20-year-old Adam Holm from KSSS captured the silver medal amidst fierce competition. Polish former raceboard world champion Maksymilian Wojcik took the championship title. The top female sailor was Andrea Holm, finishing in fourth place overall—Adam's younger sister and one of the rising stars in Swedish windsurfing. The Holm family dominated out on Sandhamn, with father Björn, this year's Kona One World Champion, taking home the bronze.

This year's European Championship in the Kona One class brought together a large international fleet totaling 55 sailors. The racing took place on classic waters outside Sandhamn. Throughout the weekend, a stable high-pressure system lingered over the racing area, delivering consistently light winds between 3 and 5 m/s, putting tactical skill and composure to the ultimate test.

“This is the toughest international championship in the Kona One class I have ever sailed. I am very satisfied with my performance, and it has been fantastic to compete on my home waters where I've trained so much over the years,” said silver medalist Adam Holm.

Kona One is one of the world's fastest-growing windsurfing classes. It is a one-design class, meaning all sailors compete on identical boards. Sail sizes are determined by sailor weight to ensure the fairest possible racing conditions right from the start.

Sweden boasts a very strong national team and has achieved major international success in recent years. Perhaps the biggest talent is this year's Kona One European silver medalist Adam Holm. Last year, he won the World Championship in the Canary Islands in the same class, having claimed his first international medal at just 15 years old.

“Now my focus continues toward the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio in RS:X. That is where my main priority lies. The success at the Kona Europeans provides extra energy that I will take into the rest of the season and into this winter’s demanding training block,” Adam Holm continued.

A total of 10 races were completed over three days. Adam Holm posted four race wins—twice as many as the overall winner. Adam’s scoreline was 5-3-1-2-1-5-1-1-(6)-5, giving him a total of 24 points. Maksymilian Wojcik’s winning series was (9)-1-2-1-3-2-2-2-2-3 with 18 points.

Top female competitor was Adam's 16-year-old sister Andrea Holm in fourth place overall, demonstrating impressive sailing and winning one of the races during the championship. Earlier this summer, she won both the Swedish Junior and Senior Championships, beating every male competitor in the fleet.

“The fact that men and women compete together makes the class unique. It is a key reason for its success and why both former windsurfing legends and new rising talents are drawn to it,” said Johan Fallenius, President of the Swedish Kona One Association.