Final Day In Punta Ala Brings Big Wind And Big Changes As Team Saetta Claim Title
The final day of racing at the Melges 24 Volvo Cup in Puntal Ala, Italy, brought a complete change in the weather again as crews battled strong and increasing winds to complete the final three races of the eight race series. Going into the day the regatta was wide open and after two days of relative light airs it was soon clear that things would be very different now the breeze was in. Aware that the forecast was for the wind to get stronger as the day progressed the race committee, headed by Fabio Barrasso, got the racing underway at 10am and did an excellent job to complete three races before conditions deteriorated.
It was to be a gruelling day's racing and not one that overnight leader Tonu Toniste in EST790 Lenny, will remember with much fondness. Having started the morning with a nice 14 point lead it rapidly became clear that the team were not so happy in the stronger winds and having finished 16 in race six and 17 in race seven their hopes of the overall title had disappeared and were finally dashed with a thirteenth in the final race of the series leaving them in fifth place overall.
Whilst the Estonian's fortunes might have been waning those of the top Italian teams were going in quite the opposite direction and it was to ultimately be an all Italian podium. Ultimately Carlo Fracassoli helming Michele Giovanni's ITA716 Saetta took the overall honours having scored a fifth in race six and a second in race seven and not finishing the final race of the series. Behind him Andrea Racchelli in ITA735 Altea was giving them a good run for their money but needed to finish fifth or above in the final race to win. Sadly they could only manage ninth but were non-the-less very happy with their overall second place. Alberton Bolzan and Gianni Gatalogna's ITA727 Pilot Italia also gave a good showing with a third in race six and a win in the final race but their thirteen in race seven left them two points behind Bolzan in third overall. For Flavio Favini with Franco Rossini's SUI782 Blu Moon it was also a day of mixed fortune as their 2, 20, 8 scoreline atests and they ended the day fourth overall, two points behind Bolzan and four ahead of Toniste.
Back ashore Pilot Italia had lodged a protest against their black flag disqualification in race three but ultimately the jury decided the race committee had been correct and the overall results stood.
The next Italian Volvo Cup event takes place in Lerici on 15-17 May and further information about that event can be found at www.melges24.it.