Italy: Another win for Luca Maffessoli at Sunset Trophy, Calambrone

Report sent by Pier Faccin - Calambone, May 19th 2014
Calambrone (PI): 12th Sunset Trophy in Calambrone; Luca Maffessoli wins again.
After his victory at Vele di Pasqua, Luca Maffessoli from Associazione Nautica Sebina wins the 12th Sunset Trophy, 3rd stop of the National Italian A Cat calendar. 34 crews took part in this race, which was organized by Centro Vela Sunset.

The good weather conditions remained unchanged during all the weekend and especially on Sunday, when a SE wind (a.k.a. Scirocco) blew starting in the morning from 15 knots to over 20 knots the whole day through. Although all crews have put an extraordinary effort to complete the 3 regattas planned for the day, some of them found some difficulties: many have retreated, a few have capsized bows down - rudders up, some other have suffered due to the big physical effort required by the weather conditions.
Oddly, the precedent day was characterized by completely different weather conditions and because of the light wind in the upwind leg to go on the wire resulted impossible. An efficient Race Committee directed carefully the whole organization ashore and it was constantly kept busy with the changing of the race area following an instable wind, in rotation from S to NE.

Luca Maffessoli outdid both Paolo Penco, from his same sailing club, and Mirco Mazzini, from sport club Riccione 151. Mirco, due to a redress awarded by the Protest Committee, has effectively ousted from the podium Giovanni Calabria, thus preventing by a single point an Associazione Nautica Sebina triplet. Mirco’s 3rd place has a bittersweet taste, for he has now got to repair that big leak that has opened on the right hull during the start of the third regatta on Sunday.
Fifth place for Gegè Casadei, followed by Daniele Menegatti and Francesco Marcolini. Eight position for Pasquale Delongu, from the local sailing club, which obtained very good results in the first day winning two races; then, Guido Longhi and Andrea Penco for the first ten positions. Complete classifications can be found on: http://classeaitalia.it/calambrone-pi-12-trofeo-sunset-a-calambrone-anc…

Occupants of the first second positions participated with Exploder platforms, equipped with Fiberboam masts and Landerberger One Design sails; Mirco Mazzini used a Carbon Lab platform equipped with a Bimare mast and a Challenger Sails mainsheet.

The presence of the Newest Sheurer G7 was noticeable: this is the only boat that raced in Calabrone, which was consistent with the last technical development of the Class, and therefore perfect for going downwind on the wire. In any case, that didn’t help the Swiss helmsman Sergio Vela to handle such difficult weather conditions, strong wind and waves.

This national regatta was also the occasion for an informal Class meeting, which was requested by the majority of A-CAT members to discuss the future of the class. The clear decrease of inscriptions for the national regattas of this season is quite worrying, and A Cat Italy will express this concern to IACA. Anyway, the available data don’t allow to draw any conclusions. In the background there is the well-known big economic crisis. That certainly is having a greater influence on the state of things compared to the last six months of technical developments allowed by the current Class Rules, which are in force from many years.

In the end of the prize giving ceremony the President of A-CAT Italy Marco Gaeti awarded Teo Di Battista from Circolo Vela Cesenatico for his victory in the past season Ranking List.
Next appointment is the International Open Regatta, which will take place from 31st May to 2nd June at Circolo Vela Arco on Lake Garda.

Italian Class Website http://classeaitalia.it/