ADESSO VELA

Cosa è successo ve l'hanno raccontato, a loro modo, in tanti.
C'è però qualcosa che non torna.
Pare infatti, e questo non ve lo dice nessuno, che ci sia una protesta del solito simpatico stazzatore francese contro tutte le barche italiane per una presunta irregolarità del certificato di stazza rilasciato dalla classe nazionale.
Le possibilità sono:
1) errore macroscopico dei responsabili italiani
2) movimento rotatorio delle palle dello stazzatore e dei francesi che dal 2006 non accenna a diminuire
3) c'hanno raccontato una c.....a per vedere se la scrivevamo (eccoci qua).

Voi che dite??
Nel frattempo la classifica dopo 5 (giro di boa), che è tanto bella, la trovate qui

Hyeres, France – 25 August 2009
Once again the weather gods have smiled on the 2009 Melges 24 European Championship in Hyeres, delivering perfect sailing conditions for day two of the regatta and enabling three perfect races to be completed. The Race Committee made good use of their trusty Z and I Flag combination throughout the day, ensuring the minimum time was wasted on restarts and only once had to resort to the Black Flag to keep the competitors in line. Although the general expectation was for winds in the high teens, all three races today were sailed in just twelve to fifteen knots which nevertheless kicked up a surprisingly large chop.

Maurizio Abba’s Alina crew continued their impressively consistent performance from yesterday and with five races now completed they top the leader board with a 3,4,3,2,2 scoreline. Tactician Daniele Cassinari attributes their sparkling performance to great boatspeed and good starts. Although the perceived wisdom suggests that the left of the racecourse is favoured, Daniele says that they regularly started at the right hand end of the line. ‘The most important thing is to get away cleanly in the Melges 24 fleet’ he commented. ‘We started mostly on the right but our helmsman Nicolo Bianchi did a great job of finding clean lanes for us off the start line. This meant that we were always able to get to the windward mark in the front pack.’ Although there was little change in wind direction during the entire day, Danielle believes that there were many passing opportunities downwind in all three races. Asked how it felt to be leading the European Championship at this point, he laughed and pointed out that for the Alina team this is a familiar situation. ‘We have been here before many times; leading a big event near the mid point. So far we have not managed to convert this into a major victory.’

No doubt the Alina crew will be aware that yesterday’s overnight leaders UKA UKA Racing, who now sit in second after an uncharacteristic fourteenth place this morning, are nevertheless still very much in the hunt. This afternoon they bounced straight back to more familiar form with a third place in race two and a comprehensive victory in the final heat, putting them just six points behind Alina. Nico Celon aboard Lanfranco Cirillo’s Fantastica is also keeping the pressure on the regatta leaders and his 2,5,5 today sees him sit in third place, tied on twenty points with UKA UKA Racing. Putting in less consistent performances today were fourth placed Saetta steered by Carletto Fracassoli, as well as Franco Rossini’s Blu Moon. Saetta recovered from a disappointing tenth and eleventh showing in the first two races to keep their podium aspirations alive with a fourth in the final outing. Already carrying a twelfth from yesterday, Flavio Favini aboard Blu Moon could ill afford the final race nineteenth which somewhat spoiled his fifth and first in the day’s opening and middle races. Whilst Blu Moon has clearly not quite been firing on all cylinders so far at this Championship, there is a still a lot of racing to do yet and only the foolish would think about writing off this world class crew at this stage.

24 August 2009

Classifiche QUI
Hyeres, France – 24 August 2009 - Weather conditions for championship sportsboat racing don’t come much better than those experienced by the eighty-six Melges 24 crews racing on day one of their 2009 European Championship in Hyeres, France. With temperatures in the high thirties and winds touching eighteen knots at times, the high quality Euro fleet were able to complete the first two races of their twelve race series. Race one saw the fleet get away at the first time of asking but in race two things were more problematic. After an initial General Recall the Race Committee posted flags I and Z for their second attempt to start the race. This appeared not to dampen the fleet’s enthusiasm however and a subsequent second General Recall provoked the reluctant use of the Black Flag. For most this was a big enough deterrent and race two finally got under way. The Melges 24 was specifically designed to excel in exactly these sort of conditions and in both races the sailors and indeed the spectators were treated to some wonderful downwind action.

Lorenzo Santini’s UKA UKA Racing from Italy demonstrated why they are the current Melges 24 World Champions by taking comprehensive victories in each of today’s races. In the process they also sent a clear message to the fleet that they mean business this week in Hyeres. The stories behind both their victories are ominously similar; leading from the off in both races they rounded the windward mark in the lead and proceeded to extend their advantage on every leg. Back on the dock tactician Branko Brein was quick to praise UKA UKA helmsman, Lorenzo Bressani. ‘Conditions were tactically tricky at times today but sailing with a driver as good as Lorenzo makes a tactician’s life easy’ he smiled. Asked how they had managed to get such good starts today, Branko said that they had started towards the middle of the line on both occasions, before immediately heading out to the left of the racecourse. ‘There is a peculiarity of the bay in Hyeres that causes a bend in the wind favouring the boats furthest left. Obviously we wanted to take maximum advantage of this.’

It was a good day for Italy overall, with several of UKA UKA’s fellow countrymen also posting consistent scores to make the top five places overall a complete ITA whitewash. Nicolo Bianchi made the best of his opportunity to take over as helm of Maurizio Abba’s Alina with a third in the first race backed up by a fourth place in the next seeing them take the number two spot overall at the end of day one. Fellow Italian Nico Celon, who must hold fond memories of his 2006 World Championship victory on these waters, also performed well today and with a 2,7 scoreline holds the final podium position tonight. In fourth overall is Italian 49er ace Pietro Sibello at the helm of Renato Vallivero’s Allin and in fifth sits Michele Giovannini helming Carlo Fracassoli’s Saetta.

In the separately scored Corinthian Division, current Corinthian Melges 24 World Champions, Storm Capital Sail Racing Team, came out marginally on top in today’s two races. Their 2,4 score gives them just a one point advantage at the top of the Corinthian standings ahead of second placed Mikael Johansson at the helm of John Christian Eriksson’s Aqua Racing, who clocked up a five and a two. In third place and only marginally less consistent with a bullet and a seventh is Sergio Cosano’s Fish Dog helmed by Maurio Ziliani.

Tomorrow the competitors will have an earlier start to their day, as racing is scheduled to commence promptly at 10AM. Two more races are planned and with the spectacular weather conditions looking set to continue, it looks like another marvellous day of Melges 24 racing is on the cards here in Hyeres.

Justin Chisholm

2009 Melges 24 European Championship Press Officer

E-mail justin@justinchisholmsolutions.com

Mobile - +44(0)7769 938722

Da oggi il Nose Sailing Team si allarga. Le due nuove barche che vi entrano a far parte sono il Melges 20 e l'Ufo 22. Entrambi i monotipi saranno timonati da Beppe Cavalli e vedranno Diego Franchini alle scotte, mentre il resto dell'equipaggio sarà composto, in base agli impegni del ricco calendario agonistico, da membri del Nose Team.
Per quanto riguarda la classe Melges 20, il programma odierno per la stagione 2009 prevede la partecipazione ai due "Audi Event" di Malcesine (20-21 giugno) e di Cagliari (11-12 luglio).
Nella classe Ufo 22 il Nose Team sarà impegnato, nel vicino week-end (in concomitanza con la tappa di Lerici del Melges 24), con il Campionato Europeo di Rosignano (15-17 maggio). Successivamente parteciperà al Campionato Nazionale di Ravenna in programma dal 24 al 27 settembre.

Composizione degli equipaggi per le regate del week-end:

MELGES 24 – VOLVO CUP DI LERICI: Carlo Fracassoli (timone), Enrico Fonda (tattica), Michele Giovannini (scotte), Cesare Claudani (scotte), Stefano Nicolussi (prodiere).

UFO 22 – CAMPIONATO EUROPEO DI ROSIGNANO: Beppe Cavalli (timone), Niccolò Bianchi (tattica), Diego Franchini (scotte).

Condizioni climatiche primaverili ad Alassio per l'ultimo appuntamento della Winter Cup Melges 24 organizzata dal Circolo Nautico al Mare. Il più storico e frequentato invernale Melges ha visto scendere in mare 12 imbarcazioni ed il sole, 15 gradi e vento leggero. Sabato 2 prove, entrambe con vento di levante, prima forte poi debole, molto difficili per i continui sbalzi di intensità e direzione.
Subito a segno Alina, Luca Valerio al timone che quest'anno è affiancato da Matteo Ivaldi alla tattica in attesa della guarigione del ginocchio di Cassinari. Per un soffio è seconda Saetta, con Fracassoli al timone affiancato a Chicco Fonda. Seconda prova vinta da Pietro Sibello che da quest'anno timona All Inn, la barca dell'Amante Sailing Team. Di nuovo seconda Saetta davanti ad Alina.
Vista la bella giornata c'è spazio per una terza partenza, non prevista dal regolamento ma siamo tutti qui per provare, ed il comitato generosamente acconsente.
Oggi prima prova con il Levante, vento baricamente non previsto, accorciata infatti per calo alla fine del primo giro. Parte bene e regata benissimo Matteo Balestrero su Giogi, e vince la prova, ancora seconda Saetta con dietro Alina!
Quarta prova col ponente, e salta fuori la vittoria per Furio Monaco, che fino ad allora non aveva regatato all'altezza della sua fama. Secondo Sibello e terzi gli svedesi.