German Championship Optimist Open at Lake Garda: Penultimate day
by Elena Giolai 27 Jul 2018 09:20 BST
2018 German Championship Optimist Open © Elena Giolai
Apparently classic conditions on Garda Trentino in the penultimate day of regattas of the German Championship Optimist Open, the first event of its kind, organized by the Circolo Vela Arco with the German Optimist class and turned into a real mini world championship for the number of nations present (25) and the high technical level.
On Thursday, after qualifying for the first three days, the best 76 of the fleet were seen to race together (and the others included in the silver, bronze and emerald fleets), who competed directly in the Gold Fleet. But the first race of the day was certainly characterized by two major wind jumps, which reversed the usual partial rankings: in the ninth regatta in fact - you see almost all the top of the provisional ranking with a very high partial. To understand, the head-list and current world champion Marco Gradoni has finished with a 41, the European champion Demurtas a 60, the other Italian Davide Nuccorini 55.
In practice almost all the strongest have discarded the ninth test, while in the second race normal positions returned, which reflected the general classification and the value of each one, with the wind obviously more stable on 12-14 knots. Marco Gradoni (Tognazzi Marine Village) with a second in the tenth regatta is first with a margin of 10 points; always according to the American Stephan Baker, winner of the last test of the day; the Maltese Schultheis went up third, third in the ninth regatta.
The first two Germans, respectively Anna Barth-first female- and Caspar Ilgenstein respectively, have been improved and currently in fifth and sixth positions. Down-under the seventh of the provisional classification, the Autraliano Links; the rivan Alex Demurtas (Fraglia Vela Riva) came down in eighth place; no day for the Roman Davide Nuccorini (CVRoma) who after a 55 took a disqualification at the start and is ninth; immediately behind Maria Vittoria Arseni (CVRoma), second absolute female. Italy is in excellent shape, given that there are 7 Italians in the first fifteen of the provisional ranking and 6 other nations.
Friday the conclusion of this German Optimist Championship, which was particularly fortunate for the wind and weather conditions, for the happiness of over three hundred participants and their families, who took advantage of the combination of holidays and regattas.
Full results [PDF]