J/70 Alcatel Onetouch Italian Trophy at Yacht Club de Monaco
by Isabelle Andrieux 30 Mar 2015 08:50 BST
28-29 March 2015
J/70 Alcatel Onetouch Italian Trophy at Monaco © Fabio Taccola
Vikings triumph in Monaco
The J/70 Alcatel Onetouch Italian Trophy Italian Championship kicked off in fine style this weekend in Monaco where the first of five acts took place, the others being scheduled for Sanremo, Cervia and Lake Garda.
Twenty-eight teams were out on the water at the instigation of Italian J/70 Class President, Vittorio di Mauro, in collaboration with the YCM and the J/70 Monaco Class Association, headed by Jacopo Carrain.
"It is thanks to my friend Jacopo Carrain that Monaco has without a doubt the biggest concentration of J/70s in Europe, while the YCM is one of the most dynamic clubs, having organised the five-act Sportsboat Winter Series that started in October, the Primo Cup and not forgetting the European Championship in October. So it seemed only natural that we should launch our Italian championship here in Hercules Bay and we hope to continue this collaboration in the years to come," said Vittorio di Mauro.
The Yacht Club de Monaco's Race Committee, led by Olivier Roinson this weekend pulled off five races in spring conditions with sunshine, a calm sea and a 6-14 knot breeze over the two days.
These were ideal conditions for racing with everyone jostling for position on the start and arriving in groups within three minutes, a perfect illustration of how intense the competition is in this one-design class which continues to grow. Difficult to stay ahead at every mark, like Joker (Fabrice Papazian) who led the fleet mid-way and then finished 12th in one race, or the team on Le Redoutable (Jean-François Fino) who were last to make the start and then finished among the top ten.
Just back from the Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, the Swedish team on Rocad Racing, led by Ingemar Sundstedt won the event with two race wins, although only two points separated them from Luca Dominici's Notaro Team in second. Regulars on the Melges 20 and 24 circuits, these two teams dominated the competition and look like serious contenders for the European Championship which will be held in Monaco on 12th to 17th October 2015.
Franco Solerio's team from the Yacht Club de Sanremo on L'elagain completed the podium.
Congratulations also to Pelle Nihlmark (Rededge) who won the Corinthian Prize for the 100% amateur team, while the Masters Prize (average age +49 years) was won by the Monegasque team on Jalapeno (Ian Ilsley) with Levante, helmed by Guillaume Holin from the YCM Sports Section, taking the Juniors Prize (-25 years).
The next events at Sanremo are on 25th/26th April and 16th/17th May 2015. The 17 teams from Monaco are already confirmed, their aim being to prepare for the World Championship in La Rochelle in July where ten Monaco teams are already signed up.
Overall Results: (top three, 5 races, 1 discard)
1. Rocad Racing, Ingemar Sundstedt (SWE), 7pts
2. Notaro Team, Luca Dominici (ITA), 9pts
3. L'elagain, Franco Solerio (ITA), 17pts