Calasetta RS Aero Cup, LNI Sulcis, Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
by RS Aero International Class Association 14 Jul 2022 17:31 BST
7-10 July 2022
Calasetta, on the small island of Sant'Antioco, in the south west corner of Sardinia has to be one of Italy's best kept secrets as both a regatta venue and holiday destination. Just one hour's drive from Cagliari, it is accessible yet off the main tourist routes.
Arriving very late at midnight I expected the old town of Calasetta to be asleep... but I was so wrong! The wind was still blowing hard and it was 25'C (77'F)! The party was kicking off and families were dancing in the main square into the early hours, just 50 metres from my room - on a Tuesday night! All perfect for a welcome drink after a long travel! Did they know the RS Aeros were coming?! Another season of only training in good breezes in preparation for the 2023 Sardinian World Championship?!
Pre-Regatta Training Day
A great afternoons' training for the local RS Aero fleet prior to the start of the Calasetta RS Aero Cup today. We started at 16:00 after the wind had dropped a little! Fantastic waves, blue skies and warm water!
The champion of the day was 12 year old Ludovica who at 42kg was embarking on her first RS Aero sail in the fresh breeze! After some initial apprehension she stuck at it for the whole session, finishing with a beaming grin on the long broad reach home to the marina!
Day 1
After two days of fresh breezes Day 1 saw steady medium breeze with fun waves to surf on the downwind. 4 races were held for the 23 competitors in RS Aero 5 and RS Aero 7 fleets.
The Day 1 coaching debrief focused on power balance in the medium strength breeze. Heavier sailors mostly had fully powered sails and lighter sailors were de-powering more. The wind varied through the day, peaking in R3 before dropping of to eventually be 'light' in R4 - plus all the frequent short term gusts and lulls in between. It is therefore vital to keep in the correct power balance between sailor weight and wind strength with regular adjustment of the controls. De-power efficiently when you need to, then Re-power up again whenever you are able to.
Day 2
A medium breeze filled in late at 14:30 which dropped to a light breeze by the end of the afternoon. 3 more races were held, R5-R6.
Whilst the top of the leader board remains unchanged, Day 2 saw new race winners in Leonardo Nonnis in the RS Aero 7s and Ludovica Cui in the RS Aero 5s, both from the home team, Lega Navale Sezione Sulcis.
In the Day 2 coaching debrief we talked of adjusting sail controls and the mode of sailing changes as the wind varies. We saw very frequent wind speed variance between a good hiking breeze sand several big holes in the wind. At least vang and maybe downhaul need adjusting each time.
Day 3 & Overall
Another two lovely medium breeze races to conclude the Calasetta Race Week 2022 for the RS Aeros.
Ultimately the prominent north-westerly overcame the initial westerly by early afternoon for a good hiking breeze and some nice waves to catch down the run.
The new race winners of the Day were Franc Esposito di Marcantonio and Sara Murru winning a race each in the RS Aero 5, although not quite close enough in the overall standings to catch the lead pair.
It was tough racing again in the RS Aero 7s with Peter Barton's lead upwind usually proving just enough to fend off the down wind speedsters, Filippo Vincis and Leopoldo Sirolli.
Fantastic racing, wonderful weather, cuisine, culture, easy accommodations and a wonderful friendly atmosphere! Everyone looks forward to returning in 2023 for the 5th RS Aero World Championship!
Results can be found at www.rsaerosailing.org/index.asp?p=results&rid=3989
Next up on the summer championship schedule is the big one - The RS Games in late July - including both the RS Aero Youth Worlds and the RS Aero European Championships over consecutive weeks. The young Italians are sending an eight strong team to join over 200 RS Aeros from around the world competing over the two weeks. RS Games; www.rssailing.com/rsgames