Xalient Solo Nation's Cup at Circolo Vela Bellano - Day 4

I shuffled out of bed and ventured over to the balcony with some satisfaction, the first challenge of clothing myself passing without incident. The mountain range to my right was already illuminated, announcing that it would be another sunny day paradise.

The sailing club lay idle, it was only 4.30am after all but I had made sure I was awake before the road sweeper got here. I readied my paper bag of rotten tomatoes and and took up position behind my fourteen year old MacBook Retina Air, flipping open the lid and began to type.

So, to the final day of racing and there would be three races planned before a prize-giving reception which would be held at the Palasole Pavilion later this evening.

I ventured down to the boat park for final interviews. Sadly, Hans Duetz mother had unexpectedly passed away overnight so he would not be racing today. Our love and thoughts are with you and your family at this time.

The mood around the boat park was of a heightened anticipation of excitement, the current top three positions still not safe and fourth to tenth requiring a level of addition beyond my pay grade.

I made my way to the jetty and after rolling aboard the Press rib, headed out to the race arena for what would be the final time this week. We were met by a steady 10 knots, temperatures in the low thirties and an on the water ambulance crew who must have witnessed my pathetic attempt at boarding the vessel a few minutes earlier.

Fortunately they could see I was still breathing so floated off with the blue lights still flashing and left me to ready my Samsung S5 for action.

Race 8

Huisman and Bakker hit the pin end hard with Chris Brown and Vince Horey judged UFD and with Paul De Gues well over towards the committee end. Some, like snakes beguiled by the mystical sound of a charmers flute are out of the wicker basket and off to the right of the course, their fate already determined.

Top mark and Bakker has judged the lay line in perfectly from Huisman with Brown UFD), Mark Lee, Gilles de Coombe and Roger Guess completing the top five. Horey (UFD) hits the mark and does a spin, he has ticked a lot of boxes in this race already. Bas de Rigt, Robin Millidge and Tom Gillard are in the shake-up with the tricky run next and Paul Davis is in the mid-teens.

Bakker is not to be denied and takes a start to finish win after the two laps, improving his overall standing to third with Menno Huisman and Mark Lee the top three from Gillard and Guess.

Race 9

Davis comes out of the line like a human cannon ball and with Huisman bailing out and gybing off towards the right, the southern based Roker lad is contemplating the podium and the rich spoils it would bring... such a shame he would later find out he is UFD, especially as he led start to finish.

Therefore Roger Guess took the lead and a handy gap over Alex Butler, Ted Bakker and Mark Lee as the fleet headed down the first run. Gillard and Huisman were on the damage limitation mission, sitting in the low teens but both highly capable.The second beat saw improvement in advantage for the front two, Davis flogging his horse around the course not realising he had started forward of the stalls from Guess who was happy just to keep clean air on the favoured tack.

At the gun and after two rounds it was Roger Guess from Ted Bakker with Huisman clawing his way to third and cementing his second overall standing. Chris Bunn and Alex Butler completed the top five.

Race 10

No mistakes from Gillard this time, leading from out of the left lay line and, freed from the weight of expectation, never challenged with Ted Bakker second, giving him a 1-2-2 for the day and third overall. Steve Denison took third and showed what the Winder 1a can do when you go left, this result pulled him into the top ten. Menno Huisman cut it fine but his seventh in race 10 gave him a one point advantage over Ted, one more position and he would have lost second overall on count-back. Paul Davis was fourth but had that UFD been a bullet, it could have been so different. Finally, Roger Guess finished fifteenth and that was a counter, his 5-1 securing fifth overall, a great performance.

A huge thank you to Circolo Vela Bellano, to Xalient for your sponsorship and P&B for their prize pot. Congratulations to the Nederlandse Class Association and thanks from the UK team for inviting us.

Bellano has delivered a superb Championship and everyone wants to return soon.

Full report to follow next week with video and drone footage.

Full results can be found here.