Paul & Shark Trophy: Dragons are back in Sanremo
by Carla Anselmi 9 Mar 2019 10:56 GMT
14-17 March 2019
Paul & Shark Dragon Cup 2018 © Elena Razina
From March 14 to 17, a 40-boats strong fleet will visit Sanremo for the Paul & Shark Trophy, second leg of the Open Italian Championship of the Dragon, the boat designed in 1929 by Norwegian Johan Anker and still very popular and much appreciated among sailors from all over the world.
The regatta, sponsored by clothing brand Paul & Shark and organised by the Yacht Club Sanremo in co-operation with IDA, the International Dragon Association, will visit Liguria for the thirteenth time.
"We are delighted to see that Yacht Club Sanremo is a reference point for the Dragon class, a class that numbers top world sailors and teams coming from abroad that enjoy our venue and are always very welcome here." Declared Beppe Zaoli, president of the Yacht Club Sanremo. "I wish to thank all our sponsors and supporters that enable us to put together such high-level events."
Forty teams from as many as twelve different countries have confirmed their participation. Some coming from nearby nations such as France and Switzerland; from Germany and the UK or from further away like Russia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden where Dragons are very popular.
The strong line-up will include British helmswoman Gavia Wilkinson Cox and international renown sailors like German star Jochen Schümann -six participations to the Games and four Olympic medals- or Russian former World Champion Anatoly Loginov while Italy will be represented by seven crews, including Giuseppe Duca, one of the veterans of the class and multiple Italian champion.
From Thursday to Sunday, the fleet will be racing on windward/leeward courses to grab the International Italian Dragon Cup trophy. Prizes will be also awarded to the first five crews and to the winner of the Corinthian division. The first starting signal is scheduled for noon on Thursday, March 14.
The Paul & Shark Trophy is the first event of the season for the class in Sanremo, anticipating the Dragon 90th Anniversary Regatta planned for next October on the Ligurian Riviera, the event expected to be one of the top rendez-vous on a national and international level for the quality and number of teams taking part.