Make your boat happy: race it at ITA 4000, the record-breaking time trial

C‘s so much desire for sailing, there’s so much desire to get back on the water and sail for a long time, even in regattas. The offshore season was orphaned by the Italian Offshore Championship, which involved thousands of fans from north to south in every corner of our peninsula during this period.

ORC, UVAI and Federvela agreed to our idea, so a project was born to allow enthusiasts to return to the taste of challenge, in total freedom and safety.

ITA 4000, four thousand as the miles of the Italian coastline if traveled in both directions, from west to east or vice versa, as we were told in these pages by the FIV President Francesco Ettorre, Uvai (Italian Deep Sea Sailing Union) President Fabrizio Gagliardi and ORC President (Offshore Racing Congress) Bruno Finzi about the format of this innovative regatta. 9 possible routes, three of alternative, viable from July 6 to Oct. 18. On their own, without waiting for anyone. Choose which course you want to race your boat on, around Italy from San Remo to Trieste. Choose the crew and leave. Then all you have to do is make your boat perform at its best, chasing your record. Upon arrival (but also before departure) you are welcomed in the most prestigious Italian circles.

SIGN UP NOW HERE

The ORC regulations, which will be applied to every participating boat, allow everyone to win, no matter the size. And if you participate in four routes, you compete for the overall ranking: you can do each route a maximum of two times (once going and once returning), and if you aspire to the overall ranking, you can choose in the four only one of the “alternative” routes.

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“The idea was born this year when we lost the whole calendar, where there was among other things the European ORC in Capri,” Bruno Finzi tells us. “There was a lot of frustration from the owners, the first regatta to be done will probably be the Italian ORC in Gaeta at the end of August, so they wanted to give a chance to do something other than motor transfer to cruise, so we thought we would offer the possibility of these ‘record. Just notify our secretariat the day before the start, have AIS to track the boats, and we will also have a collaboration with Meteomed that will give us for every single leg, for every boat, the course analysis based on the weather conditions.

There will be a coefficient based on course miles, and the stages that have more boats entered in the attempt will give more points for the final ranking. The compensated time will be with the single number of certificates, ORC Club or International, conspicuous points will be given for a real start, the time of which will be self-reported by the participants. Given the format, it does not disrupt other events, so it can continue in the future.” Finzi told us.

“The mood of the owners is one of ‘nervousness,’ there is extreme eagerness to return to racing since almost the entire season has skipped and some Winters have not even finished,” Fabrizio Gagliardi began. “The initiative was welcomed by all the sailing clubs we contacted who were also enthusiastic because ITA 4000 is a tangible sign of restarting. A new and counter-current solution, you race against yourself, and it will be a fun wayto make transfers to cruises or why not to get closer to the Italian Championship in Gaeta at the end of August, but I bet there will also be professional crews who will use it maybe as training. These are shifts that we shipowners would have made anyway, doing them in certified weather makes it more crisp. We are sure it will generate interest, after all, we are back to year zero and it is also the right time to launch a pilot experiment like this” Gagliardi concludes.

“With what has happened and the appetite for sailing now that the lock down is behind us, it is the right time to start experimenting with new formats and new scenarios,” said FIV President Francesco Ettorre. “I think ITA 4000 is a very good proposal, the event needs to be tested, there is no doubt that it can be a big boost for the offshore world in general. Then maybe, as in all firsts, it will take time to see if the format works and how to possibly improve it. The reopening of sailing now is total, and it is important that it restarts, as it is happening, on the high seas as well.”

So sailors get ready, ITA 4000 the record-breaking chronoregatta is off. There is time until October 18 to get the best time on each leg and aspire to the overall victory by participating in multiple stages. It will be like a very long pole position. But in sailing, not in Formula One.

When racing

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Monday, July 6 through Sunday, Oct. 18

How it works

You choose the course you want to sail, register at www.giornaledellavela.com, declare when you’re leaving and off you go…have your regatta. You must have an AIS so the ORC will follow your navigation. On departure and arrival you can enter and use the services of the most prestigious Italian Sailing Clubs, which will also help you find moorings. Hand by hand the ranking of each stage and the superclassification of those who have completed at least four stages (among which only one can be “alternative”) will be formed.

All routes passable in both directions

San Remo – Marciana Marina: about 120 nm

Genoa – Punta Ala about 120 nm (alternate route)

Punta Ala – Porto Cervo: about 110 nm

Porto Cervo – Riva di Traiano: about 115 nm

Riva di Traiano – Naples: about 140 nm

Capri – Stromboli: about 130 nm

Lipari – Crotone: about 170 nm

Crotone – Brindisi: about 130 nm

Bari – Pescara: about 150 nm

Ancona – Venice: about 120 nm

Alternative routes:

Ancona – Trieste: about 125 nm
Ravenna – Trieste: 90 nm

Sailing clubs

These are the circles that will provide access to the venue and its facilities for all participating crews, as well as facilitate mooring before and after the timekeeping

– San Remo Yacht Club
(www.yachtclubsanremo.it)

– Italian Yacht Club
(www.yachtclubitaliano.it)

– Marciana Marina Sailing Club
(www.cvmm.it)

– Punta Ala Yacht Club
(www.ycpa.it)

– Yacht Club Costa Smeralda
(www.yccs.it)

– Circolo Nautico Riva di Traiano
(www.cnrt.it)

– Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia
(www.crvitalia.it)

– Yacht Club Capri
(www.yachtclubcapri.it)

– Yacht Club Capo d’Orlando
(www.ycco.it)

– Croton Sailing Club
(www.clubvelicocrotone.it)

– Sailing Club Brindisi
(www.circolovelabrindisi.it)

– Bari Sailing Club
(www.circolodellavelabari.it)

– La Scuffia Sailing Club
(www.lascuffia.it)

– Nautical Clubs of Marina Dorica
(www.marinadorica.it)

– Circolo Velico Ravennate
(www.cvr.ra.it)

– Venice Sailing Company
(www.compagniadellavela.org)

– Yacht Club Adriaco
(www.ycadriaco.it)

How much does it cost

– 100 € up to LOA=12 m

– 150 € up to LOA=18 m

– €200 with LOA>18 m.

The registration fee includes all the routes you would like to travel on the circuit.

The entire fund raised will be donated to one or more non-profit organizations active in social recovery through sailing.

INFO AND REGISTRATION HERE

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