A Golfo dei Poeti packed with sails for the last Vela Cup of the year

Lots of crews on the water and challenging conditions enlivened the Tag Heuer Vela Cup/Golfo dei Poeti that was staged on Saturday, September 17. A celebration of sailing that closed the sailing season organized by the Sailing Newspaper in a big way.

We would always like to see a Golfo dei Poeti colored with sails, full of smiling and happy crews, a symbol of a community that goes to sea and is proud to do so, like the one that appeared in front of the city of La Spezia last Sept. 17 during the Tag Heuer Vela Cup. The Ligurian one was the last leg of the circuit of regattas also organized in this 2022 by the Journal of Sailing and it really closed the season on a high note.

As many as 45 boats took part in this event, which was part of a larger and among the most anticipated events of the sailing summer. We are talking about the Golfo dei Poeti Cup, a regatta in its first edition that consisted of a wide range of races and trophies spread throughout the weekend and dedicated to modern Orc-rigged boats as well as cruising cabin cruisers and vintage hulls. Between Vela Cup and Golfo dei Poeti Cup at the end in the water there were about 90 boats with a total of 400 crews. An incredible spectacle.

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High winds, but the most daring had the time of their lives

On the morning of Saturday 17, the atmosphere was one of celebration, with the docks packed with boats and the public. With the registration of latecomers completed, the race committee set up the pre-race brefing, a delicate moment due to the weather and sea conditions that were looking quite challenging. In fact, already at the crack of dawn the wind reached peaks of 40-45 knots, so much so that some crews coming from Tigullio or Viareggio reported their forced absence. Others following an equally cautious approach did not feel like leaving their moorings in La Spezia.

After all, many Vela Cup participants are families with children who just want to have fun or groups of friends who sail for passion and not for the sporting competition, so their decision should still be respected. In the end, the race committee decided to postpone the start by two hours, so that everyone could prepare as best as possible and face wind and formed sea with proper awareness. But the most daring who lined up at the start were amply rewarded with many thrills.

Two race courses also “greeted” from the sky

At 3:05 p.m. the Vele d’Epoca took off, while racing and cruising cabin cruisers left Lerici at 3:30 p.m. Aside from a few breakdowns and unintentional overhangs (someone lost a tooth from a bombing) all participants completed the approximately 8-mile sail in a nice, fresh wind that had meanwhile settled down to 10-20 knots.

Spectacular race course with the fleet lapping the islands of Tino and Palmaria passing by unique seaside villages such as Portovenere, Lerici, Le Grazie. After rounding a buoy set at the crossbar of Tino Island, the Cruise class and vintage boats returned to the Gulf of La Spezia via the Levante Pass arriving at Molo Italia. More technical was the course of the racing boats, which after starting near Palmaria Island with a double windward leg joined the rest of the fleet inside the Gulf of La Spezia. During the regatta, moreover, the Gulf of Poets was flown over by ultralight aircraft, aerobatic planes and Navy helicopters for a memorable spectacle.

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Prizes for all in the healthy tradition of the Vela Cup

Once the TAG Heuer VELA Cup regatta in La Spezia/Golfo dei Poeti was completed, on the evening of Saturday 17, the crews took part in the prize-giving ceremony organized in an atmospheric area of the Sailing Village. Taking the stage, of course, were the class winners, but also those who were awarded the various special prizes and raffle prizes, including the prestigious TAG Heuer Aquaracer watch won by Alberto Majoli, an inflatable Sup from Vetus that went to Daniele Panzi, Plastimo waterproof gloves won by Andrea Corona, a Letherman utility knife won by Gabriele Berti, and a magical roll-up half-navy from Seably that went to Alessandro Bausone.

Among the crews that distinguished themselves the most were “Chaplin” of the Navy in the Vintage category, Walter Tronconi’s “Raffica II” in the Regatta category, “WB 8” the XP 50 of Gianclaudio Bassetti in the FIV Rating category and “Zoe II,” Marco Laboccetta’s Grand Soleil 43 in the White Sails group.

Attilio Cozzani: “I love the genuine spirit of the Vela Cup.”

Very happy with the success of the event Attilio Cozzani, among the organizers, who commented as follows at the end of the day, “We organized the Golfo dei Poeti Cup 2022 with the aim of promoting the image of the Gulf of La Spezia, as well as nautical tourism, the economy of the sea and the protection of the territory’s environmental and cultural heritage. But above all to make different boats sail together by rewarding the performance of skippers and crews as much as possible. That is why we have embraced the twinning with the TAG Heuer Vela Cup, which, with its philosophy, satisfies the largest number of participants, making sure that everyone can win or get on the podium even with a cruising-oriented boat. Thus, just for the sake of healthy but friendly competition. Any recognition, even a small one, is always appreciated by those who participate in an event, without necessarily having to take for granted the awarding of the most emblazoned boat or a small group of boats.”

That’s right, and those who were there will always have fond memories of this memorable day rewarded by the wind, well organized and spent in the name of the sea, sailing and good fun. Long live the Golfo dei Poeti and see you next year with the Sailing Cup Circuit!

SAILING CUP/GULF OF POETS RANKINGS:

FIV RATING CATEGORY

Group A

1 WB8, Gianclaudio Bassetti, X-50; 2 Arvel, Carlandrea Simonelli, Grand Soleil 46; 3 Corto Maltese, Roberto Vacca, Grand Soleil 46; 4 Le Bateau Ivre, Francesca Gatti, Bavaria 42; 5 Fretos’s, Vincenzo Lodi, Elan Impression 434.

Group B

1 Gigiat, Pietro Antonini, Grand Soleil 39; 2 Viacosì, Angelo Maria Belloni, Grand Soleil 40; 3 Magia Blu, Stan Amato, First 40.7; 4 Squilla Mantis, Riccardo Cerati, Supermaica; 5 Duchessa, Pier Giuseppe Francese, Grand Soleil 37; 6 Work in Progress, Alessandro Brambilla, Bonin 34.

Group C

1 Sound of Silence, Roberto Buia, First 31.7; 2 Laor’s Gold, Massimiliano Lazzini, Cpr; 3 My First, Luciano Scaramella, First 31.7.

Group D

1 Off, Vincenzo D’Ippolito, Bonin 31; 2 Pingone di Mare, Guglielmo Cresci, Elan 31; 3 Johnny Twistino, Alessandro De Luca, Sloop; 4 Peolo II, Raffaele Mannironi, Meteor; 5 Spiffero, Oreste Benigni, Stag 29; 6 Sula, Manuele Micocci, Dufour Arpége.

WHITE SAILS CATEGORY

Group A

1 Zoe II, Marco Laboccetta, Grand Soleil 43; 2 Alisee, Claudio Panciroli, Grand Soleil 40; 3 Naka One, Paolo Oligeri, Solaruis 50; 4 Comba Gianca, Francesco Spina, Bavaria 42.

Group B

1 Mahafaly, Dario Noseda, Jod 35; 2 Frappo, Filippo Zabban, Bavaria C42; 3 Anema, Maria Antonietta Rovida, Hanse Varianta 37; 4 Fammivento, Vincenzo Giannoccaro, Bavaria 36; 5 T2, Stefano Manara, Dehler 36DB.

Group C

1 Skeddih, Enrico Galluzzi, First 31.7; 2 Graal, Gianni Bresciani, Ziggurat 995; 3 Chicca, Sandro Andreoli, Dufour 360; 4 Tanimara, Massimo Gianardi, Ziggurat 995; 5 Fox, Gabriele Ascolese, First 31.7.

Group D

1 Calafuria, Jonathan Emma, Barberis Schnaps; 2 Tucano, Carlo Consolandi, Comet 910; 3 Avalon, Marco Galantini, Barberis Tequila; 4 Sir Bracchetto, Emanuele Faconti, Barberis Sciacchetrà; 5 Maepae, Alberto Majoli, One Off; 6 Nelly, Massimo Perelli, Meteor.