World ORC: top offshore racing in Porto Cervo, 69 boats from 17 nations

Preparations are in full swing in Porto Cervo for the start of the ORC World Championship, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, which will kick off on June 25 with the offshore race and conclude on the 30th. There are 69 registered boats representing 17 nations, 28 from Italy, with many well-known names in domestic and international sailing competing on the water.

Yesterday was a day of dockside tonnage checks and first outings to test the race course for the boats that have already arrived in Porto. Today’s day has a similar schedule, while an official practice race is scheduled for the three racing groups, A,B and C, on Friday 24.

FAVORITE BOATS

There are many top Italian boats, starting with the two TP 52s, Roberto Monti’s Blue and Marco Serafini’s XIO, which will do battle in the largest group, A, but there are the two Ker 46s to monitor, Lisa R by Giovanni Di Vincenzo who comes to the world championship on the heels of winning the Rolex Giraglia, and France’s Daguet.

In Group B the presence of as many as 9 Swan 42s delineate an almost one-design racing situation, at least for the battle in real time, with the Estonians of owner Aivar Tuulberg’s Katarina likely to start with the odds stacked against them, and Renzo Grottesi’s BeWild, Andrea Rossi’s Mela, and Carlandrea Simonelli’s Fantaghirò ready to play it out. Not forgetting also the reigning world champion, the Grand Soleil 44 Essentia of Romanian owner Catalin Trandafir.

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THE CHALLENGE BETWEEN THE SMALL

The duel in Group C, where there are five Italia Yachts 11.98s racing, is also expected to be close, and for them, too, it will be racing to be played out mostly in real time since the boats will have very similar ratings and the differences will be played out on the edge of seconds. Spotlight on the reigning world champion, Sugar 3 of Estonian owner Ott Kikkas. Also worth keeping an eye on is Zdenek Jakoubek’s M 37 HEBE V from the Czech Republic. Among the Italians, Enzo De Blasio’s Scugnizza is one of the boats to monitor, but there may be no shortage of surprises from the rest of the fleet.

It begins on Saturday with an offshore trial of about 24 hours, on a route that will be announced based on weather conditions. Monday and Tuesday races between the buoys, then a day-long coastal trial on Thursday, and more trials between the buoys next Friday to close the program.

www.yccs.it

Mauro Giuffrè

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