ITALIAN FLEET & SPONSORSHIP UPDATE
From Natasa The Italian Melges24 class is alive and kicking! The Volvo Cup started in March in Alassio, unfortunately with a one week delay. We had to decide at the very last minute, but there’s not much we could do, against the snow storm that closed down highways, railroads and airports! It was worth waiting, as the three days of sailing have been really excellent. We had the surfing, and the nerve wrecking light winds. Some thrill, as a few masts decided they had made their time and came down in the middle of a downwind leg! AleAli, Banca Bsi and Ballalinda Flag took the first trophees of the season. You can find a detailed report and a few pictures further down in the page. On that occasion we also gave prizes for the 2004 Volvo Cup.
The Italian fleet has been represented, with excellent results, in regattas in the USA (the Acura Miami Race Week 2005, Simoneschi wins) and in Europe. The SNIM in Marseille was challenging as ever, and our teams have been fighting for gold untill the very last race. Blu Moon races for Switzerland, but helmsman and crew are Italian, so we feel we could cheer for the all Italian Podium: BluMoon, Banca Bsi and AleAli.
Our next appointment is in Bari, in the deep south of Italy. We are hoping for some real spring sun, in a beautiful regatta setting right in front of the city waterfront, with an eastern afternoon breeze usually between 8 and 15 knots. We will be welcoming two new local fleet members. Playing on the home field will be their newcomers advantage!
They won’t be the only ones racing a Melges for the first time. Two times olympic helmsman, well, helmswoman, Federica Salvà is expected in Bari. The big names list is growing, but the amateurs core of the class is not lagging behind. We introduced a Corinthian division for 2005, and in Alassio 11 of the 30 teams signed in. The Corinthian winners were third overall, and it proves that team spirit counts just as much as experience, when racing a Melges24. They receive the same prize as the first overall. This was possible thanks to the growing number of sponsors supporting the class: Conte of Florence, Unicredit Private Banking; Chivas and PZero Tempo. Others will join us at different times during the season.
We have talked to Roberto Brenner, marketing and external relations manager of Volvo Auto Italia, asking him about their choice to invest and support sailing. Roberto has told us that the initiative stems from the Volvo involvement in the Ocean Race, but it is also part of the Volvo philosophy. After all, Volvo has invented the station wagon cars, and their image has always been related to sports, and freedom of movement. The Volvo Cup in Italy includes some other one design class. The selection criteria have not been just the numbers, but the technology and the competitiveness of these classes. Volvo Cup covers the Optimist class too, and not just for marketing reasons, but because youth sailing deserves extra support. It’s their commitment to sports. Obviously, reaching a larger number of sailors guarantees better results, while the presence of class sponsors and the visibility on the national satellite tv channels has increased the number of team sponsors as well.
Visit www.melges24.it for more information about the Italian Class and the Volvo Cup.