CCA Wins 1st AUDI Italian J/70 Sailing League

(Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy)- The first qualifying event for the 2017 AUDI Sailing League was organized by the YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo and saw 12 teams participating. A round robin formula ensures that each team will race against all of the others over the course of 30 short and highly competitive windward-leeward races with 6 boats on the starting line each time.

"After the kickoff in 2015 and an exciting 2016,” commented Roberto Emanuele de Felice, President of the Italian Sailing League, “we are ready for a new season that will take the Italian Sailing League from Sardinia to Trieste and on to Crotone for the national final in October. Twelve teams are competing in this first leg and the forecast weather conditions should be excellent for this type of racing; we expect spectacular and competitive performances from the clubs: these will be three days of great Italian sailing.”

Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of YC Costa Smeralda, said “interclub events are fundamental in our sport in order to attract young people to sailing, so we are delighted to host the second edition of the Audi - Italian Sailing League once again in Porto Cervo.  I would like to take the chance to welcome the teams that have travelled here from all over Italy, including our own YCCS team. Given the format of the event, with fast, technical regattas raced in a healthy spirit of enjoyment, we are looking forward to three thrilling days of racing.”

The teams doing battle included Marina Militare (Team Leader Vincenzo Vano, Ignazio Bonanno); Centro Velico 3V (Team Leader Matteo San Giorgi, Helmsman Edoardo Mancinelli Scotti); Circolo Canottieri Aniene (Team Leader Luca Tubaro, Helmsman Lorenzo Bressani); Circolo Nautico Torre del Greco (Team Leader Claudio Polimene, Helmsman Raimondo Orpello); Circolo Velico Ravennate (Team Leader and Helmsman Michele Mazzotti); Club Nautico Gela (Team Leader and Helmsman Massimo Barranco); Club Vela Portocivitanova (Team Leader Alessio Marinelli, Helmsman Michele Regolo); Club Velico Crotone (Team Leader Alessio Frazzitta, Helmsman Mattia Pagani); Yacht Club Quartu (Team Leader Mauro Farris, Helmsman Davide Schintu); Yacht Club Porto Rotondo (Team Leader Camillo Zucconi, Helmsman Ferdinando Palomba); Yacht Club Riviera del Conero (Team Leader Vincenzo Graciotti, Helmsman Francesco Falcetelli); and the home team representing YC Costa Smeralda (Team Leader and Helmsman Antonio Sodo Migliori).

After three days of sailing, it was clear who was the dominant sailing club team for the first event! With eleven 1sts in thirteen races, the Circolo Canottieri Aniene with Lorenzo Bressani at the helm (crew Luca Tubaro, Umberto Molineris and Matteo Mason) claimed victory. Racing went well on Friday, Saturday’s sailing had to be cancelled due to a mistral blowing at 40 kts plus, and Sunday’s sailing saw 18 races crammed into a tight schedule to permit a total of 26 races to be sailed.

The team representing Circolo Canottieri Aniene (CCA) performed well both in Friday’s strong wind conditions and in Sunday’s medium and shifty breeze, totaling just 16 points overall. In second place with double the number of points was Circolo Velico Ravennate (Michele Mazzotti, Andrea Bazzini, Cesare Trioschi, Francesco Ivaldi) ahead of a team competing in the Italian Sailing League for the first time, the Centro Velico 3V (Matteo Sangiorgi, Edoardo Mancinelli Scotti, Erica Ratti, Alessandro Franzì) which claimed the final place on the podium.

"We are very pleased with the first AUDI sailing league event,” commented Roberto Emanuele de Felice, President of the Italian Sailing League. “The conditions kept the teams and the organizers the YC Costa Smeralda busy. Our thanks go to the YCCS for their work at sea and the splendid hospitality on land. We now have the first qualified teams for the final in Crotone and what is really apparent is how much the quality of the sailors and the racing has risen in just one year. This is a very positive sign for the future and for the role that the Italian Sailing League plays at an international level. Congratulations to Aniene for the resounding victory, to Ravenna for never abandoning the fight for first place and to 3V for such an intelligent debut with a team of well-trained and determined young athletes!”

"We battled against Ravenna,” commented winning helmsman Lorenzo Bressani of Circolo Canottieri Aniene. “We knew they were our closest rivals, but we were able to win with a good margin and I’m particularly happy about that as it means we have started the season on the right foot.”

“The CCA takes the Sailing League season very seriously,” explained Vice President of the Circolo Canottieri Aniene, Francesco Rocco. “We fielded a team that will also compete in the European qualifiers for the next Sailing Champions League. We built the team using athletes from diverse disciplines such as the 49er and Nacra and with experience of offshore boats.”

The next leg of the Italian Sailing League is scheduled for July in Portopiccolo (Trieste, Italy) where the full line up for the national final in Crotone will be decided.

"This first event provided spectacular racing in challenging conditions, with strong wind on the first day and medium and unstable wind on the third day,” commented Vice President of the Italian Sailing League Alessandro Maria Rinaldi. “The League’s formula foresees a large number of short, intense races which allow the teams to repeat starts and maneuvers dozens of times. This is great practice for expert sailors and an excellent opportunity for new teams to find the right balance for future events. The J/70s have proved to be very suitable, agile and fast in all conditions, making the Italian Sailing League a spectacular platform bringing fast and thrilling racing to the world of sailing.”

Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of YC Costa Smeralda said, “we are pleased to have hosted the AUDI Italian Sailing League. Today was an intense race day and the event has proved once again to be an exhilarating one. I would like to thank the Italian Sailing League, the Race Committee, Jury, Umpires and YCCS staff as well as the title sponsor Audi and all the teams who travelled to Porto Cervo for the occasion.”

During the final prize giving ceremony the top three classified Clubs received prizes from Garmin Marine, technical Partner of the event. The Circolo Canottieri Aniene (1st place) received a GPS InReach communications system, the Circolo Velico Ravennate (2nd place) a portable GPS 78s and the Circolo Velico 3V (3rd place) a portable GPS 78.  For more YCCS AUDI Sailing League informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.


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