TRICKY CONDITIONS ON DAY ONE OF THE PRIMO CUP

Dimitri Nicolopoulos reports - Not everything was typical today for the first day of the Primo Cup in Monaco. Of course we had the classic very little wind 30 degrees shifts with swell but THERE WAS NO SUN! Even more uncomon , the race comitee was able to launch the first race without any delay (rarely seen in Monaco). The Melges are racing with 3 other series: Smeralda, Mumm 30 and Swan 45. With 32 entrants we were the largest fleet by far. One start, heavily favored to the race comitee was enough. But taking the best start was far from being everything. It had then to be decided were to go and besides the usual BLU MOON(winner of the two last editions), ALE ALI and ALTEA who played the shifts with a great Maestria, disaster struck others on one leg or the other. For SNUGASABUG it was the first leg and we played catchup for the reminder of the race, finishing 11th. Other teams like Flor Direct managed to stay in the top five until the last leward mark where a fatal left choice landed them finaly in the 22nd position. After the first race, a delay was decided but the wind vanished and left the fleet bobbing on the swell for one hour. The racing was then cancelled for the day and everybody came back ashore for a cocktail at the Monaco Yacht Club followed for most teams by a drink (or more...) at the famous 'Stars and Bars'.

1st BLU MOON / Favini - Nava

2nd ALE ALI / Celon - Paoleti

3rd BANCA BSI / Benusssi - Bernasconi

4th ALTEA / Rachelli - Bonini

5th MU / De Pavant - Nebout

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