Uka Uka Racing Snatches Italian Open Championship In Stunning Final Day Showdown
The final day of the Italian Open Championship and event 4 in the 2009 Italian Volvo Cup Series in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, brought more incredible sailing conditions and three final races in this tightly fought twelve race series. Going into the day Flavio Favini helming Franco Rossini's Blu Moon had a narrow three point lead over Italy's Luca Bressani helming Lorenzo Santini's Uka Uka Racing.
The stage was set for a stunning finale, the weather gods performed bringing sparking sunshine and a steady 10-12 knots of wind from the south-east as the teams set up for a dog fight to beat all dog fights. Round one went to Uka Uka with Blu Moon hard on their heels in second. Third place went to Furio Patrizio Monarco on Billo Baccani with Andrea Racchelli's Altea fourth. Blu Moon and Uka Uka Racing were now separated by just one point with two more races still to come.
Round two/race eleven was to prove the decisive moment in the Championship. Uka Uka Racing kept their heads and sailed a conservative race to finish in third place behind winner Luca Valerio in Alina Helly-Hansen and second placed Nicola Celon sailing Fantastica. For Blu Moon however, it was to be a disasterous race with them eventually crossing the finish line in 11th position.
Going into the final race Uka Uka now had a six point lead over Blu Moon and the two teams went at it hammer and tongs from the moment of the warning signal. Blu Moon did everything they could to best Uka Uka Racing but ultimately it simply wasn't possible to shake their competitors off and put boats between them and at the line it was Blu Moon finishing first with Uka Uka Racing hard on their heels in second place and claiming the overall victor's laurels.
The battle for third place had also been hard fought through the day and third place was eventually claimed by Pietro Sibello sailing All In with Nicola Celon in Fantastica fourth and Carlo Fracassoli sailing Saetta in fifth. Winners of the Corinthian, all amatuer division, were Fabio Mazzoni and his team aboard ITA567 Spirit of Nerina.