29er Euro Cup at the International MedSailing Regatta - Overall
by Carlos Pich 20 Feb 2017 06:04 GMT
16-19 February 2017
Victory for Italians Zampiccolli & Chisté ahead of the French team of Revil & Guevel
A fantastic Easterly wind that began with 9 knots and picked up progressively to 15 offered an awesome playing field for the fourth and last day of the MEDSAILING-EUROCUP Regatta. The 29er fleet sailed four races on Sunday, making a total of 12 races in the championship.
The event brought together 61 boats from 13 countries; Germany, Austria, Denmark, Slovenia, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, and Spain.
They were joined by a fleet of twenty-five 420s, who had a three-day program with 9 races scheduled that was completed. The level was also outstanding in this fleet, with top teams from Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Valencia.
After the eight races sailed on the previous days, the 29er fleet launched with two clear favourites who would fight for the victory; the French team Théo Revil and Gautier Guevel (CV Nantes), leaders with 8 points, and the Italians Federico Zampiccoli and Leonardo Chistè (CV Arco) with 10 points. A minimal difference that made all outcomes possible.
The Italians managed to turn the tables thanks to their outstanding performance in the four races of the day, which were in windier and wavier conditions than those sailed the previous days. Impeccable scores (1-2-4-1) by Zampiccolli-Chisté have awarded them a well-deserved victory at the MedSailing-EUROCUP with 14 points, after two discards. It was a sharp contrast to the French Revil-Guevel who did not seem comfortable in the new scenario offered by the racing course today, and so it showed in their scores with 19 points (4-6-1-32). Both teams have raced at an equal level and were quite superior to the rest of the fleet, grabbing between them six of seven wins in the Gold Fleet.
Behind them the Spanish Pep Costa and Fran Núñez defended with great authority their third place and secured the podium finish. Their good performance (7-1-12-4) gave them the win in the second race of the day, being the only team that could mathematically beat the two leaders. Fourth place was for the French Benjamin Jaffrezic and Leo Chauvel. Fifth, and first mixed team, was for the Italians Margherita Porro and Luca Fracassi, while the Spanish Tania Bonilla and Nuria Miró finished sixth and first female.
Victory for Marta Garrido (Punta Umbría) and Clara Llabrés (Arenal) in the 420s
With six races already sailed, the 420s faced the day with a triple tie at 15 points by the teams Garrido-LLabrés, Bover-Balaguer (RCN Valencia) and Akrich-Homar (RCN Palma). Behind them were the brothers Parés (21 points), Hernández-Rodríguez (23 points) and the brothers Luján (25 points). The strong breeze offered a new scenario that could change the teams' performance and present alternatives in the three scheduled races, and there would also be a second discard.
The tie between the three leaders did not get broken until the ninth and last race of the MedSailing Regatta, although Lala Akrich-Cata Homar (8-2-2) and Garrido-Llabrés (1-4-9) still remained tied. A nerve-wrecking final that has forced a tie-breaker by number of wins, and that went in favor of Garrido-Llabrés, who became the overall winners. Third place was for the formerly-tied team María Bover and Nacho Balaguer (7-1-26), who were burdened by a BFD in the last race and thus impeded from a better discard. The level of the female sailors is noteworthy, as they have taken all the podium places.
The team from the Canary Islands Hernández-Rodríguez consolidated their upward tendency and gained yet another place today, finishing fourth. A place that they took from the brothers Parés (CV Blanes), while the brothers Luján (CN Javea) kept the sixth place they had yesterday.
Full results can be found here.
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