J80 Italian Championship, Stefano Polti wins

The J80 National Championship, held in Chiavari and organized by Yacht Club Chiavari ASD in collaboration with Blue Project and the National J80 Class Association, has concluded. Chiavari can truly be considered the home base of the J80 fleet, as most of the boats that participated in this Championship are stationed in our city’s harbor, and the company Blue Project, a specialist in racing sailboat rentals, and which provided a fleet of nine J80s, all identical and all equipped with the same set of North Sails sails, for the event, chose Calata Ovest, the new area of Chiavari harbor, as the location for its boats.

Working alongside Blue Project was sponsor Chanteclair, with its new Vert line of 100% biodegradable eco-detergents. In fact, at the time of registration, all participants received a race bag containing Chanteclair Vert high-performance washing products, which are also great for boats, but with reduced environmental impact and with 100% biodegradable packaging, just the way all those who care about the environment and especially the natural habitat of sailing, namely the sea, like it.

Competing for the title of National Champion were 11 boats: the best and the fiercest crews, those who throughout the year have consistently participated in national and international competitions.
And indeed, important champions and well-known names in the sailing world showed up at the start, such as Giacomo Loro Piana, 2014 title holder, and Stefano Polti, who challenged class regulars Massimo Rama, Paolo Montedonico and Anne-Soizic Bertin, tactician of Blue Project (2nd at the Melges 24 World Championship).
Three trials were held on Friday, with beautiful weather, calm sea and west wind around 6 knots.
On Saturday, however, with the wind still from the west about 5/6 knots and calm seas, only two races were run, as during the second race a significant drop in wind forced the course to be reduced to the second stern and prevented further races from taking place.
On Sunday, a fine 8- to 12-knot north wind allowed three trials to be held: the Championship was therefore concluded with as many as 8 trials being held, the maximum number required by the Rules, and the rankings were compiled taking into account for each boat the discard of the worst placing.

Here are the winners:
1st place and 2015 National Champion J80 Class: MARY LOU by Stefano Polti (Yacht Club Marina di Loano)

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2nd place: MARY J by Giacomo Loro Piana (Club Nautico Porto Cervo ASD)

3rd place: JINK BIOBASICEUROPE by Marco Tafi (Circolo Nautico Cavo ASD – ASD Circolo Nautico Marina Genova Aeroporto )

The award to the youngest helmsman: Alessandro Garibotto of J BES (Gruppo Vela LNI Chiavari e Lavagna)