Official Melges 24 Blog

After strong winds overnight day one of the second Melges 24 Italian Volvo Cup event in Punta Ala dawned wet, miserable and windless.  It wasn’t until 3pm that the race committee was able to send the 57 Melges 24s from ten nations out to the race course for two races in what proved to be extremely light and testing conditions.

The light airs made for a snakes and ladders sailing session and there are a lot of tired sailors still making their way back to the harbour as we write this report at 7pm.  Although the Italian crews were expected to dominate it was actually Estonia Olympic 470 Bronze Medallist Tonu Toniste of Estonia sailing EST790 Lenny who got the better of today’s tricky conditions to win both races and take the overall lead in the competition.  Behind him the fleet struggled for consistency as can be seen from the provisional individual race top five results below:-

1st race
EST 790 Lenny – Toniste
ITA 718 Saeta – Giovannini
ITA 727 Pilot Italia – Bolzan/Catalonga
ITA 735 Altea – Racchelli
SUI 578 Music55 – Hueber/Boy

2nd race
EST 790 Lenny – Toniste
NOR 554 – Jahre
GER 731 .Men’s secret business – Houdek
SUI 599 Poizon Rouge – Monnard
SUI 782 Blue Moon – Favini/Rossini

We hope to have a more detailed report of the racing for you later and full results should be posted HERE shortly, but in the meantime the very provisional top five results are:-

EST 790 Lenny – Toniste
ITA 727 Pilot Italia – Bolzan/Catalogna
ITA 718 Saeta – Giovannini
SUI 599 Poizon Rouge – Monnard
SUI 578 Music55 – Hueber/Boy

57 teams from ten nations are preparing to race in the second Italian Volvo Cup regatta of the seaon, being held in Punta Ala on Italy’s beautiful Tuscan coast.  With crews from Norway, Sweden, Austria, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Etsonia and the Czech Republic ready to line up against the strong Italian home fleet and with a forecast for strong winds and sunshine it promises to be a great opening day to the regatta.

Yesterday many of the teams spent the day afloat practising, taking advantage of the beautiful spring weather and light afternoon sea breeze.  The Italians continue to dominate this season and for this event Alberto Bolzan and Gianni Catalogna’s Pilot Italia, Luca Valerio and Maurizio Abba’s Alina, Riccardo Simmoneschi’s Team Giacomel Audi, Nicola Celon and Lanfranco Cirillo’s Fantstica, and Flavio Favini with Franco Rossini’s Swiss Blu Moon team, all have the potential to top the podium.

Racing gets underway at noon and the Volvo video and photography team will be on site to capture all the action.  We’ll bring you daily updates and results as soon as we get them so check back with this site this evening for today’s update.

The second Volvo Cup of the season, to be held in Punta Ala on Italy’s stunning Tuscan coast from 24-26 April, is now just a few days away and already Melges 24 teams from across Europe are making their way to this popular destination for what promises to be another outstanding weekend of sailing.  For further information about the regatta please visit www.melges24.it and of course we’ll bring you coverage, photos and video as it happens.