Garda Optimist Meeting day one + images

by Fraglia Vela Riva on 22 Apr 2011 29th Garda Optimist Meeting - The 29th edition couldn't have started better. Every year this international event, organized by Fraglia Vela Riva, attracts hundreds of youngsters from all over the world to Trentino Garda.

There were 855 participants registered altogether (just short of our goal of 1000, but an impressive number all the same), including 214 cadets ( 9 to 11 years ) and 641 juniors (12 to 14 years). Three great legs where completed for the juniors and two for the cadets under blue skies, a temperature of around 20 degrees and winds of 12 to 14 knots.

The participants raced in heats two for the cadets and four for the juniors. They where divided into groups distinguishable by a yellow, red, blue or green ribbon on their sail. At the moment the final classification after three legs is not yet available but in the cadets Olivia Belda of Brazil is in the lead. Also doing well are Italians Amos Di Benedetto ( CV Marsala ), Elena Tropiano (Varazze Club Nautico ) and Fraglia Vela Riva's Andrea Spagnolli who are all in the top five. They are followed by Hugo Jarrud of Sweden, Phllipp Royla of Germany and Anton Danilov of Russia.

Fraglia Vela Riva website