OpenSkiff Eurochallenge at Circolo Vela Arco - Preview
by Elena Giolai 3 Apr 2024 22:13 BST
5-7 April 2024
OpenSkiff Eurochallenge © Elena Giolai
The regatta season kicks off at Circolo Vela Arco: on Garda Trentino from 5 to 7 April, almost 200 young sailors from 10 nations will take part in the first stage of the OpenSkiff Eurochallenge, a prologue to the class World Championship at the end of July.
The RS Aero class joins the competition with the first international regatta, involving youngsters under 17 and under 22, as well as the over 21s
Circolo Vela Arco's 2024 sports season opens under the banner of the ecological transition and the youngsters of the Open Skiff class, as well as the RS Aero single-handed regattas. In fact, after announcing that it has begun the replacement of its assistance equipment, wanting to switch to electric dinghies tested together with VSR, next weekend (5-7 April) it will begin with the first regattas organised, by delegation of the Italian Sailing Federation, by the club chaired by Carlo Pompili. Nearly 200 under-12, under-15, and under-17 kids (international category subdivision, under-12 and under-15 for the Italian ranking) will take part in the first stage of the OpenSkiff Eurochallenge, also valid as the second national class regatta, after the positive debut in Taranto. Coming from 10 nations, they will join the RS Aero fleet, singles that will race in the first national regatta of the 2024 calendar, with a decidedly international character given the foreign participation, which will make it very interesting.
Stage 1 OpenSkiff EuroChallenge - 2nd National Regatta
The OpenSkiff regattas will be particularly exciting, as they will take place on the same race course as the Class World Championships scheduled for late July (28 July-2 August). Among the nations present will also be India, New Zealand and the USA, which have been present for three seasons now in the Italian racing programme of the class, which numerically and technically is on the rise, while maintaining that fun, serene and "smart" spirit that makes it affable. The weather finally seems to be turning nice and above all warm, since the forecasts give maximums of up to 29 degrees for the three days of racing. Among the almost 200 participants, Italy naturally had the largest number of athletes, followed by Poland, Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, India, France, the USA and New Zealand. There were over 40 under-12s, a positive sign for the entire OpenSkiff movement, the FIV youth drift that meets with the approval of many youngsters, who have a character somewhere between sailor and surfer. In fact, the speed characteristics guarantee great fun and the self-emptying hull makes it easier for those who may be in difficulty due to a possible capsize.
In Arco the regattas will be valid not only for the national ranking, but also for the European Circuit "OpenSkiff Eurochallenge", which includes four stages: Sopot (Poland), Balaton (Hungary) and Cavalaire (France) will follow. The itinerant Circuit wants to be not only a competitive moment, but also an opportunity for travel, friendships, and discoveries, maintaining that spirit that the OpenSkiff class wants to transmit to young people, without too many tensions caused by competitions, which must be lived with serenity, fun, commitment, and a taste for the challenge.
RS Aero-Regatta International and 1st National
Around forty racers in the RS Aero singlehanded race, with excellent foreign participation: in addition to Germany, France, Ireland, Great Britain, Switzerland, and Italy, Australia and the USA are also present. The fleet is divided into the under-17 and under-22 youth categories, as well as the over-21 category, with the respective classes/sails, scheduled respectively in RS Aero5, RS Aero 6, and RS Aero 7.
First race scheduled for Friday from 12 noon.