After a beautiful summer of great victories, even in autumn our members continued to carry our flag high.
We started in September with the victory of the Zaoli family’s Resolute Salmon at the Vele d’Epoca in Imperia in the IOR Classics class. Also on the vintage circuit, several successes at the Regates Royales in Cannes with Fifi (Epoca Marconi B) and Transbunker (Dragoni) on the podium, and Il Moro di Venezia I in 5th place in the Classic IOR class.
The following week, at Les Voiles in Saint Tropez, Il Moro di Venezia I of our member Massimiliano Ferruzzi won the Trophy for the best IOR in the Tradition category and the Club 55 Paul Watson Cup, a historic challenge between gentlemen, against Belle Aventure, the 25-meter Bermudian Ketch designed by Fife. The match between the two great classic yachts took place in the historic Journée des Défis, on Thursday, starting from the Portalet tower. “It was a sumptuous generational clash, just as we like it, at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, between Raul Gardini’s first Maxi (1976) and the almost century-old ketch Marconi (1929) – explains Patrice de Colmont, founder of Nioulargue and head of Club 55 – “these challenges in the name of Paul Watson are not a tribute, but designed precisely to help the president of Sea Shepherd”.
Out of 250 boats registered with Les Voiles, three of our other members are present. They are Miss K Checkmate by Marco Babando 8th position out of 34 IRB Modern category, followed by Ange Transparent II by Andrea Zaoli, and Ottocinque XL by Dario Caffaro in 10th position IRC.
In October, at the Smeralda 888 International Championship, in Monaco, our member and advisor Paolo Bonetto aboard the Millennium Falcon won second place in the seasonal championship – Vittorio Zaoli aboard Django and Andrea Statari on Gorilla Gang also participated.
There was no shortage of success in offshore regattas such as the famous Rolex Swan Cup 2024 with the young Matteo Volpari who took third place in the Swan 45 class aboard Tethis. YC Sanremo was also present at the Barcolana with our sports director Marco Cilli aboard Oby Wan, who placed 22nd among the 177 “small hulls”, and member Daniele Bonetto.
Andrea Abruzzese and Fabio Boldrini, our 420 instructors, at their fourth participation in the Italian Match Race J70 Championship, this year won silver in Torre del Greco.
Great successes also among our dragon riders – currently engaged in the Dragon Winter Series that has just begun in our waters: Transbunker, with Yevegen Braslavetz at the helm together with Andrea and Vittorio Zaoli, won a nice second place at the European Grand Prix 2024 in Imperia, after fighting to the end. And Dragondine Onkahye, with our athlete Marco Gerbaudo, won the title of Italian Champion. Congratulations to all our participating dragons – Transbunker, Dragonfly and Dragondine.
We close with the recent award of the title “AVUI Owner of the Year 2024 – Absolute and Class C” to Gianluigi Dubbini, a member of our yacht club since 2017 with the Italia Yacht 9.98 Sarchiapone Fuoriserie. The Unione Vela Altura Italiana, the class association that brings together Italian owners who carry out competitive activities, awarded the title after the 59 races of their program, on the merit of the season of great successes of Sarchiapone, in August “Italian Offshore Champion” in Brindisi.
Thanks go to all the members for the commitment and success of the club in competitions.
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