Garda Trentino Olympic Week - Overall
by Elena Giolai 14 May 2016 08:30 BST
9-13 May 2016
Komissarov of Russia wins Laser class
Garda Trentino Olympic Week wound up on Friday after a week of very unsettled weather which limited the number of races compared to the usual record on Northern Lake Garda. Only the Laser Standard fleet was able to have its Medal Race, while the other classes weren't able to have any racing due to lack of wind.
Russian Sergei Komissarov won the medal race taking home a gold at the expense of Viktor Teply, (who had been leading until the last day). He dropped to third place after coming eighth in the medal race. Nicolò Villa of Italy (CV Torbole) took second place overall after a second in the medal race while Marco Benini finished sixth. The other Italian in the final was Samuel Naldi (FV Malcesine) who finished in ninth place.
In the other classes the standings for Saturday were confirmed with victory in the Laser Radial going to Karachaliou Vasileia of Greece followed by Balbi of Italy and Moreira of Uruguay. In the paralympic classes a decisive victory goes to Australian Matt Bugg on the 2.4 followed by Americans Dee Smith and Salomaa of Finland tied on points. Nothing doing for Squizzato in fourth place.
In the Skud Rickham-Birell of Great Britain took the gold with silver going to Australians Fitzgibbon-Liesl. Canadians Harrison-Boaden came third (by 1 point). In the paralympic Sonar class Robertson-Stodel-Thomas of Great Britain won with bronze going to Llobet Balcells-Alvarez-Gimeno.
2016 will certainly go down as one of the most disappointing editions of Garda Trentino Olympic Week. On one hand for the absence of many of the Olympic classes (Laser S, Finn), who are in preparation for the Rio Olympics just a few months away, and for the other for the terrible weather that limited the number of races. This is practically unheard of in a location like Upper Garda where the normal weather conditions guarantee at least three races a day with winds on average 12-14 knots. This, however, was not to be.
The regatta Committee on the race courses of Riva del Garda (Fraglia Vela Riva) and Malcesine (Fraglia Vela Malcesine) gave it their best shot. The paralympic classes at Malcesine were able to close the event with a total of 7 races. The Laser Radial with 5 races with no medal race and only the Laser Standard with 5 races completing the medal race which turned things around on the podium.
The future of this event depends on the strategies of World Sailing (the world federation of sailing), Eurosaf and the same Italian Sailing Federation: they need to recognise that apart from the World Cup (which includes only the very best of the world standings), there is the willingness to seriously invest in a European Tour which up to now has only been recognised by Fraglia Vela Riva together with its club partners and Northern Lake Garda and who have invested in the excellence of Olympic sailing in Italy.
Standings at www.fragliavelariva.it/regatta/2060/view
Photo gallery at goo.gl/photos/86cDNmQCdcsutdke7