The Hungarian team, named "Shamans" led by Olympic silver medallist Zsombor Berecz, won the Star Sailors League Gold Cup, the world championship of sailing teams, in the Canary Islands.
The final ranking was decided in the four-way final on Sunday, with the Hungarian boat leading almost all the way to the finish, ahead of the Italians, the Dutch and the Spanish. As MTI reports, this is one of the greatest successes of Hungarian sailing. The Hungarians were the only team in the top eight from a country without access to sea, which makes their success no small feat.
What is the secret? If you believe you can win, you will win. It's as simple as that," the Hungarian federation's website quoted team captain Zsombor Berecz as saying during the broadcast of the event. He added: "We are not the best sailors individually, but as a team we are the best." Zsombor Berecz, who will also act as national team captain starting next summer, recommended that their opponents come to Lake Balaton to train.
At the event held in the Canary Islands, the Shamans entered the competition as one of the top 32 teams among 56 nations. All participants took to the water in the same SSL 47 boat.
The Hungarian team was led by Zsombor Berecz, Finn dinghy silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, and steered by 14-time Flying Dutchman world champion Szabolcs Majthényi and Róbert Bakóczy. The team was completed by Csaba Adorján, Marcell Goszleth, Zsombor Gyapjas, Lél Huber, Ákos Lillik, Áron Németh, Domonkos Németh, Levente Takácsy, Balázs Tomai and Sándor Varjas.
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