RRD One Hour Classic - Day 1 & 2
by Elena Giolai 26 Jun 2022 00:57 BST
Twenty World Cup athletes are present in Torbole for an edition that rejuvenates the most historic regatta organised by Circolo Surf Torbole.
A record edition of the RRD One Hour Classic, an event organised by the Circolo Surf Torbole in collaboration with the AICW class (Italian WIndsurf Class Association) and the Italian Sailing Federation: since 1989, this event based on a one-hour race between two buoys on the beam has been an ever-growing success. This year in particular, there is the participation of athletes representing the excellence of the slalom fin and foil specialities, with many World Cup riders competing. There were more than 100 participants, with entries limited to a limited number.
At 13:00 the first regatta in the fin slalom version started, while at 15:30 the second "marathon" of the hour, for slalom foil boards, which raced between the two buoys positioned at the two ends of Garda Trentino (east-Conca d'Oro and west-Ponale).
And it was immediately a record in the foil discipline, with even two more boards made in 1 hour, demonstrating the great evolution of both the equipment and the athletes, who are increasingly prepared with the 'flying' boards. The Dutchman Vonk was the real star, winning in both disciplines: the first, slalom fin, he dominated right from the start, demonstrating great speed and precision in manoeuvres: he achieved 19 edges in 1 hour and 1 minute; behind him was the record man and Circolo Surf Torbole athlete Bruno Martini, and the other Italian Matteo Iachino in third place. But it was in the foil that Vonk shattered the previous record set last year by Bruno Martini: the Dutchman completed 21 sides out of the previous 19 in 1h 01'. Vonk himself achieved as top speed - the second fastest ever - 33.24 knots in the foil race. Faster than him as "top speed" was Vrieswijk, who reached 33.59 knots (over 62 Km/h) on the last tack.
Bruno Martini wins the second session of the RRD One Hour Foil, but does not take back the record
After the abundance of wind in Torbole on the opening day of the RRD One Hour Classic, in which both the slalom fin and foil versions of the race were contested with the record being broken, on Saturday the Garda Trentino hour blew with less intensity, allowing the second session of the foil version only to be contested, but it was still a great spectacle.
The record holder Bruno Martini, an athlete from Circolo Surf Torbole who also races in the World Cup, started off strong immediately, gradually building up an advantage over his pursuers, Croatian Enrico Marotti and Italian Matteo Iachino. Martini, who encountered much less wind today than on Friday, although he did not manage to beat the record set yesterday by Dutchman Vonk, amazed by the muscular endurance of his last three sides, achieved before the hour was up, as his trapeze lines broke and he had to carry on with his arms free, sustaining a pull, which is usually discharged by his own weight thanks to the use of the trapeze. Bruno Martini did not give up and crossed the finish line with sore forearms, but satisfied with his performance, which in any case allowed him to improve on his own record of 2021. Behind him were Croatian and team-mate Marotti and Italian Matteo Iachino, second and third respectively.
In the afternoon a slalom fin start was tried, but the wind often below 10 knots along the course on either side of the lake (one buoy at Conca d'Oro and the other under Ponale) forced the Race Committee to cancel the race shortly after the start. The RRD One Hour Classic, organised since 1989 by Circolo Surf Torbole in collaboration with AICW and FIV, has for the last few years been combined with the Trophy in memory of Alberto Menegatti, who was also remembered in the morning with an emotional video projected on the ledwall, in the presence of his mother and sister.
The RRD One Hour Classic, which will end on Sunday, takes into account the best performance achieved by each athlete among all the races held. The course of the regatta this year is also made with gps through the Metasail application, which allows to check the athletes' buoy laps and record the speed of each participant: in today's race the fastest was the Dutchman Vonk, (the athlete who on Friday broke the foil record), scoring at 13:49 32.64 knots as maximum speed (today sixth). Frenchman Guiraud, with 32.15 knots, was seventh on the day.
Sunday will be the last session of the windsurfing "marathon", which for an hour will see over 100 racers go from one side of the Upper Garda to the other in a race on the water, which will not lose its lustre, despite its 23 years and the continuous technical evolution of windsurfing, which is bringing new frontiers in terms of records, especially in the new foil discipline.
For more information visit www.circolosurftorbole.com/it/regate/2022/onehourclassic-2.