Melges 32 Audi Sailing Series - Day 2 in Porto Ercol

by Joy Dunigan on 12 May 2013 The second day of the Melges 32 Audi Sailing Series in Porto Ercol finally got underway, after a long wait, with a late afternoon mistral. A dedicated Race Committee delivered two races when a solid 10-12 knots pumped in from the North, with wave action perpendicular to the wind direction.

Conditions did not prevent overnight leader Lanfranco Cirillo on Fantastica from holding onto first place with a five point lead. With a new afterguard that includes Nathan Wilmot as tactician and Olympian Gabrio Zandona, Filippo Pacinotti aboard Brontolo felt good, enabling him to keep his second overall position. Also holding firm in third is Spain's Marc de Antonio on Bribon-Movistar, just two points behind Pacinotti.

Edoardo Lupi's Torpyone has truly found harmony with tactician Pietro Sibello as they managed to move up the leaderboard to complete the day in fourth. Right on his heels is Edoardo Pavesio on FRA MARTINA rounding out the top five.

It was not an easy day. Andrea Pozzi's Bombarda continues to be off-again and on-again after submitting a 15-1 score for the day. Gaeta Champion Valentin Zavadnikov helming Team Synergy continued to struggle as his 7-16 dropped him out of the top ten completely. Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino felt the effects of a better day improving their daily result with a 5-2. 2013 OtterBox® Melges 32 Virgin Islands Sailing Series Champion Roberto Tomasini Grinover on Robertissima won the first race of the day, then suffered a disappointing fourteenth in Race Five.

Event No. 2 of the Melges 32 Audi Sailing Series completes on Sunday. The Race Committee will strive for three more races, however much depends on the breeze and its punctuality.

Porto Ercole happens this weekend hosted by the Circolo Nautico e della Vela dell'Argentario, organized by B-Plan Sport and Events in collaboration with the International Melges 32 Class Association (IM32CA) and Melges Europe. The next events are Portoferraio (Event No. 3 on 31 May-2 June), and Torbole (Event No. 4 on 12-14 July). The final event will be the 2013 Melges 32 World Championship on 18-22 September in Porto Rotondo, Italy.

Top ten results (After five races)
1.) Lanfranco Cirillo/Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; 1-7-4-9-4 = 25
2.) Filippo Pacinotti/Nathan Wilmot, Brontolo; 3-11-1-2-13 = 30
3.) Marc de Antonio/Gustavo Martinez Doreste, Bribon-Movistar; 4-9-2-12-5 = 32
4.) Edoardo Lupi/Pietro Sibello, Torpyone; 8-2-15-4-6 = 35
5.) Edoardo Pavesio/Chris Rast, FRA MARTINA; 2/SPI-3-10-10-8 = 37
6.) Yukihiro Ishida/Richard Clarke, Yasha Samurai; 6-5-14-8-12 = 45
7.) Carlo Alberini/Flavio Favini, Calvi Network; 13-14-7-3-9 = 46
8.) Wolfgang Stolz/Jesper Radich, Opus One; 5-6-6-16-15 = 48
9.) Deneen Demourkas/Mark Mendelblatt, Groovederci; 15-15-3-6-10 = 49
10.) Vincenzo Onorato/Gabriele Benussi, Mascalzone Latino; 11-19-13-5-2 = 50