Regattas up and down the boot, here’s who wins among the buoys

The end of summer signals the beginning of a new season of racing between the buoys and on the high seas, for juniors or seniors. Olympic classes, monotypes, dinghies or cabin boats, there is room for everyone. Here’s how the latest events held in Italy up and down the boot went.

Viareggio – Italian Star Open Championship

Yet another success, the third consecutive in three years, forEnrico Chieffi and Nando Colaninno Who are graduating once again Italian Star Class Champions after six races held in Viareggio September 1-3 in light wind conditions, with as many as twenty-seven crews entered representing eight nations: Italy, Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Greece, Holland and the United States. For Chieffi and Colaninno, this is the third consecutive success, following their 2022 success in Gaeta and 2021 success in Brenzone on Lake Garda. In second place were Valerio Chinca and Daniele Andreini, and on the third step of the podium were Giampiero Poggi and Davide Mugnaini.

Verbano Classic Regatta

A total of 36 vintage, classic and traditional sailing boats participated in the11th edition of theVerbanoClassic Regatta fromSeptember 1-3, 2023, in Cerro di Laveno Mombello, a lakeside village on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore. Two regattas were held, with light breezes and summer temperatures. In the groupings into which the fleet was divided, San Giuseppe (Gozzi), Star 1907 (Cruiser), Alouette (Racing), Tivano V(Dinghy 12′) and finally San Giusto III (Dinghy) won. Oblio of 1893, the oldest participating boat, won the prize for the best vintage dinghy restoration.

Gargnano (Garda) – 69F Women Foiling Gold Cup

The inaugural 69F Women Foiling Gold Cup was won by New Zealand team VMG Racing, with Olympic champion Jo Aleh at the helm, with Olympic silver medalist Molly Meech and Olympian Erica Dawson as crew. The team’s talent is evident, as is that of the entire fleet consisting of 10 teams from nine nations, totaling about 35 female sailors. Sixteen of them have participated in at least one Olympic Games and six of them have won at least one medal. This was undoubtedly the most outstanding lineup ever assembled for a 69F event, and it was all female.

Venice – Io&Te, A Man and a Woman in Sailing

After 1 hour and 03 minutes of racing to cross the finish line first was Grafite of Ferro Stefano and De Lorenzo Roberta (DVV), ahead of Safran of Gandolfo Alberto and Macha Francesca (CNC) while Ali of Maran Oreste and Dalla Costa Laura (Treviso SC) closed the podium. Class victories went to Safran di Gandolfo Alberto and Macha Francesca (CNC) in Alpha class, Idril di Lovato Riccardo and Zennaro Sofia (CNC) in Bravo class, Grafite di Ferro Stefano and De Lorenzo Roberta (DVV) in Charlie class and Aloha Di Cova Gabriele and Beata Aneta Osika in Delta class.

During the awards ceremony, the organizing committee deemed to give awards to the youngest couple composed of Ippogrifo crew Taliana Giuseppe and Mastrantuono Aurora and the ‘differently young’ Ines couple composed of Vaccaro Enzo and Carnazzi Ines Anna. Special mention also for Ardinghi Andrea and Vettori Alessia of Tamarisk, the last boat to cross the finish line.