Palermo-Montecarlo, to Pita Maha the overall victory in IRC and ORC

Aug. 26-After the real time winner, B2 Monaco Racing Fleet (Pierre Casiraghi and Tommaso Chieffi), the 10-year anniversary Palermo-Montecarlo also has a compensated time winner. It is the X-40 Pita Maha, owned by Marche-based owner Renzo Grottesi (Club Vela Portocivitanova)., which succeeded with excellent racing to surpass emblazoned teams, thanks mainly to the great fellowship of the crew. Pita Maha’s coxswain and tactician is Luigi Masturzo, from Pescara, a four-year stint of good results on the Finn Olympic single. The others are Michele Lecce, Paolo Bucciarelli, Sandro Iesari, Lorenzo Cantarini, Aris Paul Leandri, Giuseppe Mattiozzi and Riccardo Cesini. Behind Pita Maha was Piero Plato’s J 111 Black Bull, third place for James Blakemore’s Swan 60 Music. For Pita Maha, victory also came in the ORC classification, again ahead of Black Bull: on the lowest step of the podium was Giuseppe Massimo Barranco’s X-41 Extra 1.

THE WORDS OF THE WINNERS
Owner Renzo Grottesi: “I have been sailing for 10 years and racing for five, always with the same boat. We didn’t think we would win, but we came to do well, aware of the qualities of the boat and the crew. We are a group of friends who have been sailing for years. This is our second participation in the Palermo-Montecarlo, after the one in 2012 that served us to gain experience. After the class win at the Rolex Giraglia, this overall at the Palermo-Montecarlo fills us with pride. I want to thank all the guys and the excellent organization of the regatta.”

Helmsman and tactician Luigi Masturzo: “This year the conditions were difficult, we broke two sails and even considered whether to continue. I would like to dedicate this victory to Guido Leone, who was my first owner, and who was bereaved this month with the loss of his daughter Serena, with whom we used to race together.”

With a total time of 70 hours, 37 minutes and 52 seconds, the TP52 B2 Monaco Racing Fleet won the line honors of the 10th Palermo-Montecarlo. Now it will have to wait to see who will be the triumphant on compensated time, but there are at least three candidates: the J111 Black Bull and the two the X-41 Wb Five (with Luna Rossa Manuel Modena aboard) and Extra 1. The hull rigged by Pierre Casiraghi, with Tommaso Chieffi and Boris Hermann aboard, also had Nello Pavoni, Cristian Griggio, Massimo Farina, Francesco Scalici, Jaime Arbones, Yvon Berremar, Aotoine Lutz, and Gregoire Boitel on board. For Casiraghi the win is an encore of last year when he won again in real with another TP52, and for Tommaso Chieffi it is a first-time participation success.

B2, A REGATTA ALWAYS IN THE LEAD
For B2 it was an all-out race, following the weather evolution along the way: first very light wind in the crossing from Sicily to Sardinia, then the arrival of the strong Mistral already before the Porto Cervo gate, and along the passage of the Bocche di Bonifacio. Then the ascent of Corsica and then the final stretch on the open sea, driven by a good wind that, however, dropped at dawn, until the slow-motion finish line was cut shortly after 10 a.m. on Sunday.

MANY RETIRED.
This was a difficult regatta, challenging because of the different conditions encountered, from becalmed to gusty, a regatta for real sailors and sailors. Especially along the Sardinian and Corsican coasts the wind has been strong, in some cases gusts of over 30 knots have been reported. There are 12 retreatants: Nimrod (Marte 80, YCM, Marco Stevenazzi), stopped for treatment of an injured person on board; Black Pearl (Carkeek 47, Stefan Jentzch) repaired in Porto Cervo after gate for breakdowns; Duvetica WG (Aria 41.5 CDV Venezia, Sergio Quirino Valente) grounded in Porto Cervo after breaking rudder; Malloc (cat Mattia 52, Marco Negri) grounded in Sardinia; Prospettica* (Comet 45S, CN Scarlino, Giacomo Gonzi) retired after gate Porto Cervo; QQ7 (Farr 53 Velaclub Palermo, Alessandro Candela) reported retired after several sails broke including mainsail; Botta Dritta (A66 YCM Adalberto Miani), withdrawn in Porto Rotondo; Lung’ta* (Sun Fast 3200, SN Antibes, Jean Philippe Bismuth); Duffy (Dufour 36, LNI Pozzuoli, Enrico Calvi); Garuda (First 50, Konstantin Zhuravlev); Junoplano (Open 60 YCI Sandro Buzzi); Patricia II (Class 40, Mario Girelli), the only solo entry, reported withdrawal in Olbia due to fatigue.