International 505 Europa Cup at Riva del Garda, Italy

by Jim Berry 15 May 2010 08:24 BST 1-2 & 7-9 May 2010

International 505 Europa Cup, Riva del Garda, Italy (7-9 May 2010)

8 races sailed, all in 16+ knot winds. 58 entries from 9 nations, including far-flung Denmark, Finland and Ireland, and Croatia from the east, and furthest of all Mike Holt and Carl Smit from USA.

The regatta was won by GER 8875 Jens Findel and Johannes Tellen. First British boat GBR 9032 was 5th sailed by Ian Pinnell and Ian Mitchell, just beating on tiebreak the Irish IRL 8961 sailed by Ewan Barry and Charles Dwyer.

The weather was not brilliant but the sailing was fantastic. This accounts for the British 6 boat trailer being fully booked for next year's Europa Cup at Riva in May 2011 and the European Championship at Malcesine further down Lake Garda in September 2011. Comments from regular 505 sailors Roger Deane and Dennis Carwright sailing at Riva for the first time was that this was the best sailing they had ever had.

Fourteen years ago a famous yachting correspondent wrote that the 505 was a 40 year old boat going nowhere; how wrong he was.

Overall Results: (top six, 8 races, 1 discard)

1st GER 8875, Findel Jens/Tellen Johannes, 17.6pts
2nd GER 8651, Kellner Christian/Schöler Martin, 22pts
3rd DEN 8964, Saugmann Jan/Ramsbæk Morten, 27pts
4th DEN 8962, Bojsen-Moller Jorgen/Bojsen-Moller Jacob, 30pts
5th GBR 9032, Pinnell Ian/Mitchell Ian, 44pts
6th IRL 8961, Barry Ewen/Dwyer Charles, 44pts

505s at Campione Regatta, Lake Garda, Italy (1/2 May 2010)

The weekend before Riva a regatta was held at Campione further down Lake Garda. Three British boats took part. 3 races were held on the Saturday in a good breeze, comprehensively won by GBR 9006 sailed by Terry Scutcher and Christian Diebitsch. Unfortunately Sunday was a day of unusual flat calm and there was no racing. Campione is a very pleasant place and the club were very welcoming.

Loads of photographs can be found on www.vccampione.org

Overall Results: (top six)

1st GBR 9006, Terry Scutcher/Christian Diebitsch, 4pts
2nd GER 8849, Moritz Bo,hnenberger/Philipp Frisch, 5pts
3rd GER 8975, Alexander Holzapfel/Stefan Worm, 13pts
4th ITA 8916, Enrico Ciferri/Gabriele Natali, 14pts
5th FIN 8632, Jari Hamstrom/Tuomas Laurila, 17pts
6th FIN 8466 Sampsa Hyvsalo/Anzzi Salonen, 19pts