ITALIAN CHAMPIONSH LUCA VALERIO & DANIELE CASSINARI WIN IN DOMASO & TAKE THE OVERALL ITALIAN VOLVO CUP SERIES

From Beppe Zavanone of the Italian Melges 24 Class. The Melges 24 Volvo Cup 2004 ended on the "Alto Lario" Lake. Three days of unsteady weather and winds have seriously challenged both the crews (25 Melges24 at the starting line) and the race commitee, in serious trouble while trying to set the marks, as different winds were blowing a couple of yards away from each other. We have seen the boats sailing entire legs without tacking, sometimes even boats holding the same course on opposite tacks.

However, the best are always winners and professional crews, like Luca Valerio and Daniele Cassinari -the new italian Champs on Alina-, Giovanni Giordo with the Ivaldi brothers on Hagar, Flavio Favini with Tiziano Nava and Ciccio Celon on Blue Moon, have proven their ability to adapt to any condition, finishing in the first three positions in this order. This race has been an excellent practice for the upcoming Marstrand worlds, were the italian crews will hopefully show team spirit; besides a few discussions and some shouting at the marks, it's remarkable that no protests were filed over nine races held.

On friday the southern lake breeze called Breva came in early and strong, blowing over 20 kn, and giving us the opportunity to hold four races. Some of the crews, after so manuch racing in light winds, had some trouble taming those big gennakers on the reach. We have seen a few plunging in the lake waters, and in the last race of the day Joe Fly broke the mast, readily replaced overnight by Joe Maspero's pharaonic team. Winners of the day have been Nico Celon on AleAli, Andrea Felci and Giovanni Cassinari tactician on the home team's boat BSI, Luca Valerio on Alina, Alain Rupil and Frickey Antoine on Sogeti. BSI and the organizing club hosted the crews for dinner.

Not quite the same luck on saturday, with shifty winds, puffs and lulls. It took us seven hours on the water for three 40 minutes long races. An extraordinary day for Andrea Racchelli on Altea, winning the first two races of the day and coming in fourth on the last one, won by Giovanni Giordo on Hagar, while Celon, Favini and many others collected OCS.

The crews had to wait until 1.30 p.m on sunday for a very light Berva breeze, once again with suddend wind shifts, but the commitee still succeeded in completing the last two races scheduled. It has been a real battle till the very end. In the first race the victory was for Favini on Blu Moon, followed by Hagar and Alina; in the secon race many boats were OCS, with Hagar winning over Alina and Josef Hackl's Austrian crew.

Winning this regatta, Alina has also won the overall Volvo Cup, with 5 events held this season, over 60 Melges 24 and over 300 sailors competing.

Beppe Zavanone

Results on www.melges24.it