Tonu Toniste's EST790 Lenny Leads After Day One Of The Volvo Cup In Scarlino

The second event in the 2010 Melges 24 Italian Volvo Cup series got off to a great start yesterday with the 63 Registered Teams enjoying two great races in light to moderate airs and glorious sunshine.  The Italian dominance of the European Melges 24 scene is clearly under pressure this year and with just four months to go until the 2010 Melges 24 World Championship in Tallinn it is interesting to see five nations represented in the top ten and an Estonian boat topping the leader board after the first day of racing.  

With a fifth place in race one and a second in race two Tonu Toniste and his team aboard EST790 Lenny head the ranking on seven points, just one point ahead of Lorenzo Santini's World and European Championship winning ITA787 UKA UKA Racing helmed by Lorenzo Bressani who took second in the first race followed by sixth in the second.  

The top four boats are only separated by three points with Flavio Favini, helming Franco Rossini's SUI782 Blu Moon in third on nine points thanks to an eighth place in race one followed by a win in the second race, and the brand new South African team of Peter Kocsis aboard RSA759 Proximo with helm Ian Ainslie in fourth counting 10 points thanks to a 6, 4 scoreline.  Italy's Alberto Bolzan, helming ITA727 Hurricane for Paolo Testolin rounds out the top five at the end of the first day having won race one and and finished 14th in race two, a score he will no doubt be hoping to discard as the weekend wears on.  With plenty more sailing to come the regatta remains wide open.

You can watch video of Race 1 and Race 2 on the Mediavip Youtube Channel, check out Pierrick Contin's great photos from day 1. and see the Full Results.

As we post this report (approx 11.30 Italian time on Sat 10 April) the teams are on the dock with the AP flying hoping for wind so they can get day two's racing underway. 

As always our thanks to the Italian Melges 24 Class and to Volvo and its amazing Volvo Cup Team for another great regatta.