Centomiglia, favorite’s accusation: ‘Rules changed to hinder us’

The 65th Centomiglia del Garda (Italy’s most fascinating lake regatta organized by Circolo Velico Gargnano, with more than 200 boats at the start each year, a real “magnet” for sailors of all kinds) is about to begin (Sept. 5-6), but it’s already a controversy.

The Clandesteam crew, winners of the last three editions of the stragardesana, in a statement launches its j’accuse that, reading-not even too much-between the lines, sounds like “they are putting a spoke in our wheels.”

BACKWARD RULES, SAFETY TO HELL, ABSURD CLASSES
The statement reads, “There were many changes on board due to recent changes in the regatta rules made by Circolo Vela Gargnano. Clandesteam, in fact, has been lengthened just over a meter by Paghera Shipyard, has a new bulb and will have to meet the maximum crew weight of 1,000 kg. ClanGarda strongly objected to the inclusion of these new rules as being not only against the rules applied to other European lake regattas, which is why many foreigners will not participate in Garda regattas, but even capable of decreasing safety on board and at the same time increasing confusion in dividing participants into different courses for different trophies. Clandesteam will face direct opponents from Grifo, Raffica and newcomers TP 52 in addition to other smaller boats that will start half an hour earlier and on shorter routes“.

What do you think? Is this the usual “Italian ad personam law”?

DISTINGUISHED NAMES ON BOARD
The 2015 Clandesteam crew remains essentially the same as the one that led the boat to victory in the last 3 Gorla and Centomiglia editions, with Luke Valerius e Oscar Tonoli at the helm, Manuel Giubellini, Angelo Campetti and Fabio Zeni on the mainsail, Vincenzo Festa and Lorenzo Tonini on the sheets, Michele Caldonazzi, Giuseppe Tonoli, and Nicola Bandana on the bow, Andrea Boletti and Riccardo Tonini on the halyards, and Duilio Zane on the flywheels.