1989. In Naples, Brava’s masterpiece wins the One Ton Cup

Welcome to the special section “GdV 5th Years.” We are introducing you, day by day, An article from the archives of the Journal of Sailing, starting in 1975. A word of advice, get in the habit of starting your day with the most exciting sailing stories-it will be like being on a boat even if you are ashore.

One Ton Cup: Naples Millionaire

Taken from the 1989 Journal of Sailing, Year 15, No. 05, June, pp. 48-53.

Reportage of the most important world championship in offshore sailing where the beautiful Brava finally wins in Naples. On board are a certain Paul Cayard and the very young Francesco De Angelis.

leggi anche

2022. Rondetto. The incredible barge that won’t die

In fact, billionaire. Pasquale Landolfi’s II Brava wins the world championship in a big way with a masterpiece of regularity, winning edges and the indispensable dose of luck. Naples rewards its top shipowner in a grand party setting, accomplices being the heat, the UEFA football cup and the misadventures of Aria

In the fifth attempt of his generous career as a one-tonner owner, Pasquale Landolfi brings his Brava to the top step of the world by winning the specialty’s rainbow title in Naples. The Brava routed her twenty-seven opponents with extraordinary regularity, never falling out of the top ten in the five trials and leading the two offshore races with great acumen, a lot of courage and also, needless to deny it, getting a few nudges from luck. With the wisdom of the aftermath, the victory of the Brava at the One Ton Cup organized in Naples to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Circolo Italia, appears as inescapable. As many as 15 points off the second-place finisher, Britain’s Indulgence, brilliant winner of the first two races but then foundered without glory in the middle of the group; a severe lesson inflicted on compatriot Aria, who is perhaps the real loser of the regatta, only fifth.

A triumph that of Brava, which we have not coincidentally indicated as the absolute property of her owner, Neapolitan Pasquale Landolfi. His face, his unmistakable “big nose,” his eyes inebriated with joy, his big smile, on Friday, May 19 as he returned to port, with the victory he had just won, were of those that one does not forget, as the dozens of spectators crowded on the dock to greet his return to port also showed they understood. Not surprisingly, his first words ashore were, “you know how many sacrifices this victory has cost me.” And indeed to find another victory of this importance for the Italian IOR of the major classes one has to go back to 1983 as another Brava, a first class, won the legendary Fastnet regatta during theAdmiral’s Cup. Six long years without ever giving up, participating in all the regattas around the world.

All seemed forgotten in the waters of the Santa Lucia marina in the traditional “winner’s dive. Pasquale Landolfi often found himself at odds (a difficult character his) with the leaders of Italian sailing. And still not surprisingly, it was FIV President Gaibisso with Altomare Commission President Dalla Vecchia among the first to congratulate Landolfi. Hugs, tears, a beautiful Neapolitan sunset framed a triumphant day for Italian sailing. Since morning the Gulf of Naples was at its best for the final race, 6 meters of wind from 210, sunshine. Brava came to the epilogue with a 7-point lead over Britain’s Indulgence. A quiet lead for a control regatta. But Naples is the capital of superstition, isn’t it? So, now we can say it, Brava had the usual Italian championship crew with only one cruel (for the landed) change to bring aboard Raimondo Cappa, tactician trusted by helmsman Francesco De Angelis. The increasingly Italian (in America’s Cup perspective) Paul Cayard remote-controlled De Angelis, while the rugged Steve Erickson (also being Italianized) directed the crew(Finzi, Volontè, Mazza, Massarini).

The project of Brava is of course by Bruce Farr, the execution, perfect, is by New Zealander Cockson. The last race, the one to win, ended with an easy fourth place, well ahead of the now bursting Indulgence, only 13th. Yet the One Ton Cup of Brava had started with a ninth place resulting from a rather serious mistake at the start, when with the letter X raised for the individual recall, Brava went back to repeat the start after two minutes, believing herself out of (and she was not!) alignment. Then the march of regularity began. De Angelis, who is in his second Gulf of Naples world title after the J24 title he won in 1987, warmed up his hand, which in the average regatta at the championship’s turning point, proved to be very hot. It is the early morning hours near Procida. Air by Carlo Bixio, led by the ill-matched pair Enrico Chieffi and Mauro Pelaschier, is leading the group. Brava is in single file, a few hundred meters behind. Then he puts the arrow, along with the surprising Shardana, and overtakes. That’s right. Without technical explanation, taking advantage of those incredible and illogical situations that arise under the islands; “Great luck” (well, the expression really used is another one) will comment the overachievers, “ability to be at the right time in the right place,” the overachievers will suavely explain.

leggi anche

2012. Saved in the Atlantic. An exemplary story

So while the Shardana of Melis, Paperini ‘s project with Enrico Passoni at the helm (very good) was flying for its prestigious partial victory (it will finish with an absolutely unexpected on the eve, sixth place), Brava mortgages the title with his very valuable second place. Too much sun tarnishes the ideas of Indulgence, Ed Owen at the helm, the well-known Derek Clark at the navigation abdicating from the leading position, leaving part of his bulb on the shoals of Procida harbor. All easy, all a given. Of course, the average regatta started on St. Paschal’s Day (Landolfi), and Paul Cayard celebrated his 28th birthday on the day of the final race.

Final standings: 1. Brava P. Landolfi (9-5-4-2-4) 158.50 – 2. Indulgence B. Walker (1-1-13-11-13) 143.75 – 3. Stockbroker J. Host (8-4-20-5-6) 139 – 4. Abap/4 H. Plattner (2-10-5-4-18) 137.50 – 5. Aria C. Bixio (3-7-11-6-14) 137.50 – 6. Shardana 2 A. Melis (12-9-21-1-7) 129.38 – 7. Bellatrix Navy (24-11-8-8-1) 121.75 – 8. Saudade A. Bull (5-18-1-3-21) 121.25 – 9. Bravura I. Loube (24-6-9-14-2) 120.50 – 10. Mean Machine P. Ridder (22-3-7-17-20) 108. 18 competitors followed.

by Luca Bontempelli

• Check out all the articles from the GdV archive in this section