ADESSO VELA

Ian Percy annovera un altro titolo e lo commenta con una serenità imbarazzante, come per dire: "non potevo far altro che vincere!". Un campione tra i campioni che forse non ha coscienza di aver surclassato la fila di olimpionici e pluridecorati e la truppa Carioca che ne piazza 3 nei primi cinque, 4 nei dieci e addirittura 6 nei quindici. I local non hanno vinto come pronosticato ma di certo non hanno sfigurato! I fratellini Grael le hanno suonate al povero Scheidt; Torben ha dimostrato che planare per due anni a trenta e passa nodi non lo ha privato della sensibilità che lo ha portato al nomignolo di "maestro" e Lars? Che dire? Qualsiasi elogio o apprezzamento sarebbe riduttivo all'uomo che più di qualsiasi altro, dopo l'incidente che gli è costato una gamba, incarna lo spirito dello sport più puro, del sacrifico e del "mai mollare". E' il più bell'esempio che lo sport ci può regalare ed uno stimolo a chiunque si senta perduto.
I nostri due prediletti, quello Italiano e quello Svedese chiudono al sesto e settimo e mentre per Freddy forse ci sarà un pò di amaro in bocca, a Diego vanno i nostri complimenti perchè finalmente è uscito dal tunnel iniziato alla prima bolina della ormai lontana Pechino. Era tanto che non lo vedevamo così in alto e questa cosa ci piace un sacco!
Ora passiamo ai commenti ed alle interviste di chi era al caldo di Rio.

Ian Percy and Andrew “Bart” Simpson (GBR) were crowned 2010 Star World Champions today. The reigning Olympic Gold Medalists continue to add treasures to war chests. Percy’s sterling collection of championship titles includes the 2002 Star World Championship and an Olympic Gold Medal in the Finn in 2000.
Percy and Simpson are in the TeamORIGIN afterguard and began sailing Stars together in 2007. They were persistent in getting every ounce of boat speed out of their Mader Star and won the Olympic Gold Medal in the most exciting Medal Race of all of the Olympic Classes.
Following the Olympics, they took a breather from Star sailing and have been doing a lot of match racing. Their last Star regatta was Sail for the Gold in Weymouth, where they won the Gold. They did not compete in the 2009 Star World Championship nor did they compete in the Taca Royal Thames and South American Championship earlier this season. They had two practice sessions leading up to this regatta. Percy commented at the pre-regatta press conference, “Sometimes short, sharp training sessions can work in your favor.”
This victory places Percy in the rarified company of Torben Grael, Mark Reynolds, Bill Buchan, Jr.; Lowell North, and Agostino Straulino as a Star skipper who has won an Olympic Gold Medal and multiple Star World Championship titles.
Flavio Marazzi and Enrico De Maria (SUI) entered the 2010 Star World Championship ranked #1 by ISAF and hoping to find the Holy Grail after their second place finish in the Taca Royal Thames Regatta and victory in the South American Championship. This second place finish matches their second place finish at the 2004 Star World Championship. They were fourth in 2008.
Marazzi/DeMaria’s doggedness in trying to close the point spread between them and Percy/Simpson kept the World Championship title up for grabs through the final race of the series. Percy went into the race, “holding all of the cards” and knowing that Marazzi/DeMaria would have a difficult time accomplishing two very difficult feats: placing first or second in the race and having the Brits finish eight or more points behind them.
“The start did not quite go as planned,” explained Simpson. “We thought that we were pushing them to the wrong end of the line and a big shift came through in their favor. They did a great job.”
The Brits’ miscalculation put the Swiss more than two dozen boats ahead of them at the top mark and trading places with Lars Grael and Ronald Seifert (BRA) and Johannes Polgar and Markus Koy (GER) and Fernando Echavarri and Fernando Rodrigues (ESP), all talented light air sailors. Said Percy, “We had a nervous moment at first when they crossed the fleet, but we continued to play the shifts and make gains.”
Mark Mendelblatt and John Von Schwarz led around the first windward mark. They, like many others, had problems with the current after tacking for the offset mark, they slipped back to fifth. “We jibed to get clear air, and it turned out to be a good decision,” said Mendelblatt who went on to win his first race in a Star World Championship. He continued, “It was a good way to end the regatta.”
Percy/Simpson made a huge gain half way up the second beat and, “got quite close to them, and actually enjoyed the last lap,” said Percy.
In the end, Flavio Marazzi and Enrico DeMaria slipped from being in contention for first or second to 12th and Iain Percy and Andrew “Bart” Simpson had recovered to 16th place.
Said Percy, who was pleased to win another important sailing title with his best mate, “The race didn’t quite go as planned and was a good reminder that you can’t rest on your laurels especially in the Star Class.”
Alexander Schlonski and Frithjof Kleen (GER) matched their Race 1 second place finish with another second place finish today. Torben Grael and Marcel Ferreira (BRA) followed them across the finish line in third.
Grael/Ferreira claimed third place in the regatta. Lars Grael and Ronald Seifert (BRA) followed their third place finish at the 2009 Star World Championship with a fourth in Rio. Alan Adler and Guiherme Almeida (BRA) finished fifth.
Torben Grael said, “I am very glad with our performance. It was a wonderful way to get back into the Star with a third at the South Americans and a third at the Worlds. There is such a high level of competition locally and it is fun for all of us. The races are always difficult and we are always pushing one another. We have talented newcomers, like Andre Mirsky. It is good for the Class.”
By Lynn Fitzpatrick

Final results – after six races, discarding the worst result
1- Iain Percy / Andrew Simpson (GBR) – 18 (2+11+2+1+4+16)
2- Flavio Marazzi / Enrico De Maria (SUI) – 29 (30+1+6+4+6+12)
3- Torben Grael / Marcelo Ferreira (BRA) – 39 (5+25+21+7+3+3)
4- Lars Grael / Ronald Seifert (BRA) – 44 (35+15+12+10+2+5)
5- Alan Adler / Guilherme de Almeida (BRA) – 44 (6+5+11+13+9+74)
6- Diego Negri / Fernando Colaninno (ITA) – 52 (23+18+5+6+13+10)
7- Fredrik Loof / John Tillander (SWE) – 52 (8+9+18+19+11+6)
8- Eivind Melleby / Petter Pedersen (NOR) – 54 (9+10+4+16+16+15)
9- Robert Scheidt / Bruno Prada (BRA) – 64 (3+19+50+5+5+32)
10- Johannes Babendererde /Timo Jacobs (GER) – 66 (1+8+39+8+15+34)