Team Barbarians Win Volvo Cup 2 in Bari
From Natasa Avlijas of the Italian Melges 24 Class - Day 1 - Bari is the most eastern town of Italy, and easternly are the prevailing winds. On the first day of racing, the eastern wind "levante" ( meaning rising) showed up in it’s worst version, with grayish skies and high humidity. However, it allowed somke good sailing for the 29 boats lined up right in front of the city waterfront.
High adrenalin as usual for the first start, a general recall, then a good start with about 10 knots from 70°. At the first windward mark, the "almost local" Sandro Montefusco on GEBL leads over Team Barbarians, Alina Helly Hansen, and Fratelli Giacomel. The wind then shifts some 20° to the right, becoming the usual full 95°, and a further shift helps Team Barbarians passing GEBL and winning the first race. Altea sneaks in between those two, finishing second in front of GEBL, Alina e Fratelli Giacomel. First corinthian crew is Francesco Lagirti helming Sudomagodo.
Race two is preceded by a recall, the wind is now steady between 95° and 100°, the gust generally coming in from the right, yet not enough to help those sailing the right side of the course, as local crews usually do, and the first ones rounding the mark are the crews coming from the center of the course. It’s the usual suspects, and Dodo Gorla. They shift at the lead, and in the end it’s Alina, Team Barbarians and Fratelli Giacomel. First corinthian is homeboy Alessio Muciaccia on Chimera. It started raining by then, the race commitee tries a third start, then the thunderstorm gets too strong, and everybody hits the shore. There’s a snack, so to say: focaccia barese (a typical local sort of thick pizza without cheese, but with fresh tomatoes) and “patate riso e cozze”, another traditional dish.
Day2 - Regattas, regattas, regattas! Today’s three races, that’s all the crews are talking about now that they are back at the club, having their "healthy snack" again.
Race 3 started around one o clock, with light northernly winds, bright sun shining. Nothing to do with the huge waves the same wind offered last year. The fleet splits, yet most of the boats hit the ground, sailing the left side of the course. At the first mark Fratelli Giacomel, helmed by Riccardo Simoneschi, tactitian Branko Brcin, rounds well ahead of everybody else. Behind him Team Barbarians and Alina, taking a penalty. At the downwind gate there are already some changes in the standings, and at the second windward mark, behind Fratelli Giacomel, it’s GEBL e AMF Nikita. Andrea Casale, used to Laser and J24, has a hard time with the light air and misses the mark. Team Gill tries to take advantage of his mistakes, but there comes Federica Salvà helming Se Godemo, an olimpic 470 sailor, in excellent shape today and just runs over all of them! Sandro Montefusco comes a little bit closer and finishes third, but Simoneschi remains first, Pouligny helming Team Gill second and Federica Salvà fourth. Chimera wins over the corinthian fleet, eleventh overall.
Just a few minutes and race 4 is on it’s way. The crews are jammed on the starting mark, Mitja Kosmina on Computer Discount is the first boat coming out brilliantly from the starting line. First windward mark roundings are Team Gill, Computer Discount and AMF Nikita. They keep a distance from the fleet all the way to the second windward mark, where Casale shows some matchracing skills, pushing Kosmina well over the lay line. Runa and Mini Hotel are running up. Team Gill wins easily, while Computer Discount and AMF Nikita fight for second and third till the last millimeter . There’s still enough wind, still plenty of sun, so the third race of the day (race 5) goes on it’s way. The counterstarter boat is covered with boats,recall, then a regular start. Team Barbarians stays in the middle of the course, while Alina and AMF Nikita keep to the right, and a wind shift helps them. Alina rounds the marks first, and she will race alone ahead of everybody else. Federica Salvà was sailing mid course too, she rounds second and keeps the position till the end too. Casale and Montefusco fight for third place, and taking a chance and sailing out turns out to be the right choice for GEBL (Montefusco).
Day 3 - Eastern breeze is back, sunny and clear, and 3 races are held in a little over 4 ½ hours. The race committee is comitted to the task of getting as many races as possible done, so black flag is the rule of the day.
Montefusco starts next to the boat and tacks first, some follow him, as it seems the most appropriate tactics in these wind conditions. Yet the wind is still coming from 75°and not more than 8 knots. Unusual, so the usual local tactics don’t work, and the english teams round the mark first, follwed by Salvà, Gorla and Simoneschi. Not much changes in the second lap, apart from AMF Nikita coming closer. Team Barbarians, Fratelli Giacomel and Team Gill, all finish a few seconds apart.
In the second race of the day (race 7) the wind gets alittle stronger, 10-12 knots. GEBL is off to a good start, and wins easily. The going gets tough for the next positions, and close to the finish line Team Gill doesn’t react fast enough in giving right of way to Fratelli Giacomel and Nikita, both starboard, and has to take a penalty . Runa "steals" forth place. Federica Salvà is fifth, but she lost two or three boats in the last 100 meters, chosing the wrong approach to finishing line. What a shame! Corinthian crews fight hard as well, Chimera and Sudomagodo finishing very close too.
Not even 10 minutes after the last boat crossed the finishing line, the third and last race was on it’s way. Black flag right away, and seven boats have to go home early.Team Barbarians leads from the beginning. They seem to be racing a tactics lesson, keeping always at the middle of the course, keeping everyone in control. No chenges at both the windward roundings: Team Barbarians, Computer Discount, GEBL, Fratelli Giacomel, MiniHotel. Sandro Montefusco passes Kosmina in the last leg,m the other standings don’t change. Alessio Muciaccia is first Corinthian, both in this race and in the regatta.
In the overall standings, Team Barbarians wins, with 15 points, over GEBL (16 points) and Fratelli Giacomel (17 points).