420 Worlds at Fraglia Vela Riva, Lake Garda - Overall
by Antonio Sueri 7 Aug 2009 09:58 BST
29 July - 5 August 2009
Today marks the conclusion of the 2009 420
Class World Championship: the last of three back-to-back international events held in Riva within
the space of only one month (2009 49er World Championship, 2009 29er World Championship
and also this International 420 ClassWorld Championship). A truly amazing effort on the part of
the entire Fraglia Vela Riva’s organizational machine. And what teamwork!
But, in the end, it’s all about the sailors, who come here in Riva for that Wind. Garda’s winds are
well-known; usually northerly in the morning and southerly in the afternoon. And at full-strength,
they’re always intense, but not always predictable. That’s where last-minute intuition come into
play; the ability to turn on a dime: the challenging work behind the scenes of the Regatta
Committee.
420 Mens’ World Champions are Antonios Tsimpoukelis and George Karonis (GRE 53161)
(scores: 3,(25)1,2,5,2,7,1,5,(dnf)). Second, by only three points: Francisco Lardies and Finn
Drummond (NZL 52550) (scores: 4,1,(ocs)5,1,3,(20)4,6,5). Third for Ben Palmer and Konrad
Weaver (GBR 53116) (scores: (13), 9,11,7,6,7,10,2,(bfd),4). Top-ranking among Italians are
Davide Ortelli and Leonardo Zaggia (C.V. Bellano): fourth in the final overall ranks (scores:
15,14,9,3,2,(16)1,7,8(29)).
Alessandra Maloney and Bianca Babarich-Bacher (NZL 52576) (1,6,6,(33),16,1,4,16) are 2009’s
420 World Champions. Camilla Marino and Claudia Soricelli (ITA 53884)
(scores:2,(dsq),12,107,12,1,14) with a well-deserved second. Sydney Bolger and Caitlin Beavers
(USA 53627) (scores: 11,4,15,(42)18,8,2,3) are third.
Mens’ 420 Gold Group fleet winners of today’s races; Antonios Tsimpoukelis and George Karonis;
Phil Sparks and Ben Gratton (who are also 2009’s Volvo ISAF Youth World Champions) and
Giovanni Meloni and Alessandro Gemini. Womens’ 420 Class winners in today’s races:
Alexxandra Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher, Camilla Marino and Claudia Soricelli e Aimee
Negri and Chelsea Hall (AUS 52969).
Silver fleets hit the lake around noon. Warning signal at 1 pm; southerly winds powered the
regattas: two races for the 420 Mens’ and three races for the Womens’. By day’s end, Mens’ Silver
Group champions are: Logan Dunning-Beck and Ben Goodwin (NZL 52363); second Loukas
Oulkeroglou and Grigoris Zografos (GRE 52636); third Lovro Ivanov and Marco Caric (CRO
53491). Womens’ Silver Group champions are Amy Seabright and Katrina Brewer (GBR 51883);
second Giovanna Massidda and Marcella Mamusa (ITA 53260 – Y.C. Cagliari); third Federica
Beltrame and Cristina Piazzi (ITA 52888 – S.V. Barcola and Grignano).
Great results for Italy’s 420 Mens’ Class in this Championship, not only due to that fourth-position
victory for Ortelli and Zaggia, but also for another six crews in the top 20. Giovanni Meloni and
Alessandro Gemini (Y.C. Cagliari) are in sixth. Federico Maria Maccari and Rocco Vitali (C.V.
Bellano) in tenth. Davide Vignone and Matteo Ramian (C.V. Albenga) fifteenth. Jacopo Plazzi
and Enrico Stella (C.V. Ravennate) in seventeenth. Francesco Falctelli and Gabriele Franciolini
(C.N. Senigallia) are eighteenth. Among Garda’s sailors, Leonardo Dubbini (C.V. Toscolano
Maderno) and Federico Lovison (F.V. Peschiera) took twenty-second.
But among Italy’s 420 Womens’ Class, Camilla Marino and Claudia Soricelli are 2009’s secondplace
World Champions! And among the Championship’s 20 top-ranking female crews, another
four are Italian. Sara Amendola and Giulia Paolillo (L.N.Bari) hold ninth position. Roberta Caputo
and Benedetta Barbiero (Canottieri Savoia Napoli) in fourteenth position. Cristina Celli and Silvia
Morini (C.V. Ravennate) in fifteenth. Federica Wetzl and Marta Parladori (Soc. Triestina Vela) are
twentieth.
Final overall scores and rankings are posted on the Fraglia Vela Riva’s website. News items and in-race results are posted on the 420 Class website, as well as on the Fraglia’s site. Main sponsors of the 2009 420
Worlds are Slam and Trentino SpA.