Up and down the boot the regattas never stop. With the cold season drawing to a close, the peninsula’s Winter Championships are drawing to a close with the last gasps and from north to south every weekend there are thousands of enthusiasts engaged among the buoys. Not only winter championships, but also a lively activity of the Olympic classes. Back to our regatta of the week column, let’s take a look at what happened over the past few weekends.
Italy Cup Laser
Some of the specialists in what is undoubtedly the most common drift in Italy and beyond gathered in Genoa. Strong Libeccio made the weekend difficult, but in the end the committee managed to run two trials in good weather conditions.
Standard Laser Class
1st Place Overall and 1st Place Under 21: Nicolo Villa (Circolo Velico Tivano)
2nd Place Overall: Zeno Gregorin (SV Cosulich)
3rd Place Overall: Lorenzo Dattilo (Tognazzi Marine Village)
Laser Radial Class
1st Overall Female: Valentina Balbi (Yacht Club Italiano)
2nd Place Overall Female: Joyce Floridia (Fiamme Gialle)
3rd Overall Female: Martha Faraguna (Yacht Club Adriaco)
Laser 4.7 Class
1st Place Overall Female and 1st Place Over 17 Female: Federica Cattarozzi (CV Torbole)
2nd Overall Female: Lucia Nicolini (CV Canottieri Intra)
3rd Overall Female: Chiara Benini (Fraglia Vela Riva)
J24 and Altura in Anzio and Nettuno
Although victories in the two regattas held went to the Hungarian crew of Juke Boxe and Pelle Nera (crewed by Paolo Cecamore -Nettuno YC- but this time helmed by current Hungarian J24 champion Gabor Sallai and not the 2014 world champion of the Soling class, Hungarian Farkas Litkey), La Superba, the J24 of the Navy’s Naples Sailing Center helmed by Ignazio Bonanno and crewed by Simone Scontrino, Alfredo Branciforte, Francesco Picaro, and Vincenzo Vano, after becoming the 2016 Winter Champion, also won the final victory of the 2016-2017 Winter Championship with one day to spare. The next and last appointment of the Roman J24 Fleet with the 42nd Winter Championship is set for Sunday, March 12. In Offshore deserved success in IRC of Domenico Rega’s “Purchipetola” Half Ton(CVFiumicino) with Pino Stillitano at tactician, followed by Mario Bellotti’s “la cage auX folles” XP 33 (RYCCSavoia) with Raimondo Cappa at the helm, in third place ” Loucura” the Farr 31 of the newly appointed UVAI President Fabrizio Gagliardi (CVRoma). In ORC wins “le cage auX folles” followed by “Purcipetola” and “Calipso” the First 40 of Andrea Orestano (CVRoma) first in real at the finish. In the General Ranking in both IRC and ORC, “la cage auX folles” firmly holds the lead with one day left in the Championship, followed by “Calypso” and “Purchipetola.”
Winter City of Bari
The third day of the 2017 Bari City Offshore Sailing Winter Championship was held on a cloudy Sunday with sirocco winds gusting up to 30 knots. Thirty-five offshore boats engaged in a coastal course north of Bari of about 20 miles. The fifth race of the third day was won in Overall by the boat Dolphin of owner Antonio Riccardo LNI), second place Jolly Roger of Angelo Volpe ( C.C.Barion) followed by Morgan IV of Nicola De Gemmis (C.C.Barion) In overall ranking after the first 5 races at the end of the third day in the OVERALL ranking for the Offshore head to head between the crews of the boats Morgan IV of Nicola De Gemmis (CC Barion) and Obelix of Giuseppe Ciaravolo (CUS Bari), third place to NEO Poliba of Eugenio Di Sciascio (CUS Bari). It is evident the great competition and depth of the crews, who beyond participation, want to win the title.
