Melges 32 Sailing Series - Team Synergy conquer the field in Gaeta

by Joy Dunigan on 15 Apr 2013 At the 2013 Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series, from the moment that Valentin Zavadnikov's Team Synergy with tactician Tommaso Chieffi arrived on the Gulf of Gaeta, they commanded the event. As the final day of racing unfolded, Zavadnikov held off attacks from a combative, second place finisher Andrea Pozzi on Bombarda alongside of tactician Lorenzo Bressani to take the overall win.

Zavadnikov, in addition to Chieffi were accompanied by Anton Sergeev, Pavel Mshenski, Konstantin Besputin, Alexander Ekimov, Valeriy Zatsarinskiy and Filippo Ardito as crew. It was a first class event that in the end, separated the overall winner and the rest of the fleet by one point after a fully completed schedule of eight races.

Rounding out the top three was 2011 Series Champion Lanfranco Cirillo aboard Fantastica. Spain's Marc de Antonio's Bribon Movistar finished fourth, followed by Carlo Alberini's Calvi Network in fifth. Deneen Demourkas on Groovederci closed the event in sixth.

It was a very disappointing day for Edoardo Lupi on Torpyone and Edoardo Pavesio's Fra Martina and as they fell from top three positions overnight to end the event in seventh and eighth.

The next Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series event takes place in Porto Ercole on May 10-12, and promises to summon a higher number of participants. The arrival of more teams from the United States as well as Europe and abroad are expected to attend.

The season will then continue with Portoferraio (May 31-June 2), Torbole (12-14 July) and the 2013 Melges 32 World Championship in Porto Rotondo on 16-22 September.

Top 10 Results (FinalL, After eight races and one discard):

1.) Valetin Zavadinkov/Tommaso Chieffi, Team Synergy; 3-1-3-8-3-6-4-[15] = 28
2.) Andrea Pozzi/Lorenzo Bressani, Bombarda; [10]-3-6-7-6-2-1-4 = 29
3.) Lanfranco Cirillo/Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; [12]-11-1-9-4-3-3-7 = 38
4.) Marc de Antonio/Gustavo Martinez Doreste, Bribon Movistar; [13]-12-7-4-8-1-7-3 = 42
5.) Carlo Alberini/Flavio Favini, Calvi Network; 2-14-9-11-2-[15]-5-1 = 44
6.) Deneen Demourkas/Mark Mendelblatt, Groovederci; 6-2-16-6-[16]-5-2-8 = 45
7.) Edoardo Lupi/Branko Brcin, Torpyone; 1-10-8-2-7-11-9-[14] = 48
8.) Edoardo Pavesio/Chris Rust, Fra Martina; 4 (ZULU)-4-2-3-11-13-[16]-12 = 52
9.) Vincenzo Onorato/Gabriele Benussi, Mascalzone Latino; 8-5-13-[15]-1-10-6-10 = 53
10.) Naofumi Kamei/Manuel Weiller, Mamma Aiuto!; 7-6-12-5(DPI)-5-8-8-[16] = 54 Melges 32 Audi Sailing Series website