looking back on our euros 2005 preview, we got the form of the top five remarkably correct. if anything our predictions were a little conservative, not fully recognising the changing performances taking place. so this year we've stuck our neck out just a bit further. don't bet your shirt on it...

if we left you out. sorry no offence intended. prove us wrong and get in the top ten!

foil grand-masters

ok, we predict the 2006 world champion will be one of our six foil grand-masters. but which one? all six will be in horsens a week before racing starts psyching each other out.

si payne: prowler 4 - 3:2 favourite

si, european champion, starts as our favourite. his closest competitor at garda was adam may who was just a whisker behind. si's preparation this season has been perfect sailing out of hayling island he will be fit and sharp and the new boat fully tuned. The Prowler 4 is basically the same boat Si used to win the Europeans. Rear wingbars are moved fwd a fraction, saving a little weight and windage. The biggest difference this year is the latest generation fastacraft foils. Elliptical planform for less induced drag. Reports from all who've sailed with them are very promising.

adam may: mistress 2 - 2:1

had it not been for adam's involvement in the america's cup in valencia we would have rated him evens with si. but he may be a touch short of race practice. His Mistress 2 is the same boat he used in the Europens. It always takes a while to unlock the potential of a new boat, and Adam seems confident in using the Mistress 2 he built for last years Euros. It is light, small, and pretty similar in shape to the new M3. Many of the features on the M2 have actually appeared on the new designs this year. Adam says it was a rush to finish the boat for the Nationals and Euros last year, so a variety of small refinements were undertaken over the Winter.

rohan veal: prowler 4 - 3:1

rohan is reigning world champion from melbourne in january '05. the distances between sailors in australia has left rohan relatively short of competitors to train with. if it's windy he'll have his best shot.

sam Pascoe: mistress 3 - 3:1

the most improved UK sailor. sam and his training partner alex have put in the hours all winter at weymouth and it shows. could upset the old order in his new mistress. The M3 is the Full Force production version of the M2. With full length chines and a central wand system. It features smaller foils in area and aggressively elliptical in planform, it will be interesting to see how they perform against the bigger fastacraft foils. Will they have less drag at speed or lift out later?

jason belben: mistress 1 - 3:1

highly experienced mothy and sail racer now totally at home in his foiler. fifth at garda, jason beat sam at the weymouth open this season and is clearly fired up to squeeze the most out of a boat he knows well. He's focused on getting 100% out of the old boat rather than tuning up a new one. The Mistress 1 hull shape is more suited to the low speed stuff, but his performance may ultimately be determined by the foils beneath.

mark robinson: prowler 4 - 3:1

fourth at garda, mark is one of the original class of '04 foilers so now highly experienced and onto his third boat. we don't know how much practice he has been getting in singapore but it's possible this year will be his chance to claim the top southern hemisphere slot - and maybe the big one.

foilmasters

these guys are quick and all capable of taking a race and getting involved in the action.

ian forsdike: hungry tiger/fullforce - 5:1

ian's a multiple moth UK champion and achieved top ten at garda when very new to foils. he's put in the hours over the winter and is much quicker this season. watch him if it's marginal foiling, ian's quick in both modes.

alex adams: mistress 3??? - 5:1

alex has trained all winter with sam and progressed leaps and bounds (sometimes literally). expect to see him at the sharp end for periods at least.

sven kloppenburg: hungry tiger/fastacraft? - 5:1

sven's a proven mothy and made a great foil debut with a seventh at garda. one year on, if he's been practicing he'll be the quickest man in a dry suit.

patrick ruff: prowler 4? - 5:1

another seasoned mothy and ex european champion in his first season foiling. difficult to rate since we don't know how long he has had his foiler.

john ilett: prowler 4 - 5:1

we have never actually seen john sail but assume he's pretty hot. his results at the 05 worlds were inconsistent but if his best second place reflects his potential our odds could look very long.

linton jenkins: mistress 3 - 5:1

easy to forget that last season was linton's first in moths never mind foilers. he's an experienced and proven dinghy racer and presumably gets to sail from time to time. probably at his quickest in marginal foiling winds.

andrew macdougal: bladerider - 5:1

like john we have little to go on in terms of past results. he'll be keen to prove the new bladerider design and presumably trying all out for a good series. hard to rate.