ISAF : Sofia BEKATOROU & Emilia TSOULFA (GRE)

Sofia BEKATOROU & Emilia TSOULFA (GRE)

With wins at every ISAF Grade 1 and Grade 2 event in the women’s double-handed event in the 470 Class they have entered in the past 12 months, with the one exception of the ISAF World Sailing Games, Sofia and Emilia have again dominated the class.

They sat firmly at the top of the ISAF World Rankings for most of the period of nomination, from September 2001 until the end of July 2002. They successfully defended both their World Champion title in September 2001 and again in September 2002 (although September 2002 was outside the period of nomination) and their European title in July 2002, retaining both titles for the third successive year.

The Achievements of Sofia Bekaotrou & Emilia Tsoulfa

1st - Athens Test Event, August 2002 – Grade 2
1st - 470 European Championship, July 2002 – Grade 1
16th - ISAF World Sailing Games, July 2002 – Grade 1
1st - Semaine Olympique Francaise, April 2002 – Grade 1
1st - SPA Regatta, May 2002 – Grade 1
1st - XXXIII Princess Sophia Trophy, March 2002 – Grade 2
1st - Barcelona Olympic Sailing Week, March 2002 – Grade 2
1st - Athens Eurolymp Week, February 2002 – Grade 2
1st - 1st Tzeni Gramalidou Cup, October 2001 – Grade 3
1st - 470 World Championships, September 2001 – Grade W

Sofia and Emilia were previously nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award in 2001

Name	Sofia Bekatorou	Emilia Tsoulfa
Date of Birth	28485	26799
Place of Birth	Athens, Greece	Athens, Greece
Profession	Student/Military Officer	Military Officer
Sailor's Website	http://home.t-online.de/home/	http://home.t-online.de/home/
Sailor's Website	Varia.Becatorou/s_home.htm	Varia.Becatorou/s_home.htm
ISAF World Sailing Rankings	1 - 470 - Women's Double-Handed Dinghy	Click here to view Sofia and Emilia's Skipper's Report
Age started sailing	9	12
First boat sailed	Optimist	Optimist
Age started racing	10	13
First boat raced	Optimist	Optimist
What inspired you to take up sailing?	My Father	My family
How did you buy your first boat?	I did not own my first boat	From my sailing club
Which was your first sailing club?	Nautical Club of Tzitzifies, Kallithea, Greece	Sailing Club of Pireaus, Greece
First Event competed in and Year	Optimist, in Greece 1987	Optimist National Championship 1986
First Event won and Year	Race in Greece in 1987	420 National Championships 1988
Principle achievements	Greek National Champion in Optimist and Europe class	1988, 1989 and 1990 420 Greek National Champion
Principle achievements	1990 4th in Mediterranean Games
Principle achievements	1991 2nd in the Balkan Games sailing an Optimist	National Champion in 470 – 7 times since 1994
Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date	2000, 2001, 2002 470 World & European Champion	2000, 2001, 2002 470 World and European Champoin
Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date
Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date	1998 3rd 470 World & European Championships	1998 3rd 470 World & European Championships
Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date
Detail the personal highlights of your sailing career to date	1 in ISAF World Sailing Rankings - Women's 470	1 in ISAF World Sailing Rankings - Women's 470
What are your future sailing aspirations?	Winning the gold medal in Athens 2004, the country where the Olympic Games was born, match racing and the America’s Cup	An Olympic medal in 470 and new achievements in another Olympic Class
Briefly state what sailing means to you	Sailing is my life, inspiration and a way of life that fulfils me in every way. I hope that the 470 campaign with Emilia is just a start.	It is a way of life. Sailing helps me to have the character to face up to life and be strong to all situations.
Briefly state what sailing means to you	Sailing is my life, inspiration and a way of life that fulfils me in every way. I hope that the 470 campaign with Emilia is just a start.	It makes me dream and feel sensations I couldn’t imagine.
Who has had the greatest impact or inspiration in your sailing career and why?	My friends with whom I started sailing with and who keep encouraging me, giving new ideas and perspectives on sailing.	My family who first gave me the opportunity to learn sailing. My brother, Theodore, who is a great sailor and always advises me.
Who do you consider to be your sailing hero?	Theresa Zabell and Paul Elvström.	I couldn’t name one. I respect many men and women.
What other sports do you participate in outside of sailing?	Other water sports	I like sports as a hobby. I try to learn some skiing, diving and tennis but unfortunately I don’t find the time to practice often.
What other sports do you participate in outside of sailing?	Mountaineering	I like sports as a hobby. I try to learn some skiing, diving and tennis but unfortunately I don’t find the time to practice often.
Who do you consider to be the greatest sailor in the World and why?	I admire the whole British Team who have proved that they know exactly the way to unbeatable success.	I would say John Merricks, who I never forget.
Briefly state what being nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award 2002 means to you	It means a recognition from the sailing world for our achievements	It is a great honour. It means that you have tried hard to achieve your goal, you have pushed yourself to the limits and finally all the sailing world recognises it.
If voted as the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2002, briefly say what will this mean to you?	It will be a great honour to be selected from the entire sailing world and it will be a challenge to prove to them that we deserve the title and will trying for the gold medal in Athens 2004.	It will be a great satisfaction not only for me and Sofia, but also for the people that support us and give us positive energy. It is a moment that I will always remember and it is very important to achieve another goal with Sofia. Especially this year that Nilkos Kaklamanakis will announce the winner, I feel much more honoured because he is a sailor who has inspired me a lot!

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