World J/70, Calvi Network silver, Mexicans win

It was close and they fought to the last Carlo Alberini and Branko Brcin on Calvi Network, but in the end they did not get the better of the Mexicans of Flojito y Cooperando led by Julian Fernadez Nickleman who deservedly earned the world summit of the second edition (the first in European waters) of the J/70 World Championship.

STRONG SAPLINGS AND CRONIES
Climbing to the second step of the rainbow podium, the Calvi Network team tenaciously tackled today the last two rounds of the ten-round series, on a deceptive course where, in the penultimate race, the fleet leaders found themselves on the wrong side of a wind shift of more than 40° that compromised the outcome of the race for Nickeleman (who finished 15th on the finish line), and the fate of the championship for Alberini (25th) and for Briton Ian Atkins’ Boats.com (28th), who at that moment saw the third step of the podium fade away, on which defending champion Tim Haley with the U.S. team Helli Hansen eventually climbed.

WELL THE OTHER ITALIANS
Relegated to the foot of the podium, the Brits precede the two Italian crews of Franco Solerio on L’elagain (tactician Daniele Cassinari) and Luca Domenici and Benedetto Giallongo on Notaro Team (tactician Diego Negri), fifth and sixth in the final standings, respectively. In the Corinthian division, Ling Simon’s Brits on Team RAF Benevolent Fund Spitfire won, followed in second by Ian Wilson’s Gill Race Team compatriots. Closing the podium were the 2014 rainbow champions on Muse by U.S. duo Heather Gregg -Joe Bardenheier . Ninth position for the Italians of Matteo Difino and Filippo Zabban on Jedi 70. So the J/70 Worlds, which saw 77 teams representing 16 nations and some of the world’s strongest sailors, now regulars on the circuit reserved for the small J/Boats, go into the archives with as many as three Italian crews in the top positions.

The next appointment with the Italian J/70 class is set for September 9-12 in Riva del Garda for the Euro Cup, final act of the circuit J/70 ALCATEL ONETOUCH Italian Trophy at which a massive participation of foreign crews is expected, also in view of the following European Championship (Monte Carlo, October 12-17)

J/70 World Championship – Final standings up to sixth position
1. MEX 384 – Flojito Y Cooperando – Julian Fernandez; 33 points
2. ITA 456 – Calvi Network – Carlo Alberini; 47 points
3. USA 2 – Helli Hansen – Tim Haley; 62 points
4. GBR 557 – Boats.com – Ian Atkins; 82 points
5. ITA 629 – The elagain – Franco Solerio; 94 points
6. ITA 725 – Notaro Team – Luca Domenici; 102 points