Monegasque conditions bring Stefano Roberti to top of the J/70 fleet

by SVG Verlag on 24 Jun 2016 The J/70 class has undergone a rapid development in the previous years, the seven meter boat is booming in North America and Europe like no other boat class.

With a record number of participants of 94 crews at the second official European Championship, several professional teams from Southern Europe were attracted to come to the Kiel Week. And they are dominating the fleet after the first race day.

Stefano Roberti from Monaco is at the top of the fleet after a series of two, one, one, followed by the Italian crews Carlo Alberini (one, two, one) and Claudia Rossi (one, four, two). The best German crew is the team of Sven-Erik Horsch (Hamburg) on rank ten.

IOne of the German sailors, on whom hopes are pinned, did get to realize, how hard Italians and Spaniards are fighting to win. Oliver Schwall (Hamburg) was pushed away from Gonzalo Araujo from Spain at the first start, got caught at the mark and thus was late catching up with the fleet again. An almost impossible adventure in a fleet of such quality.

So he ended up on rank 19, which is also his result in the overall ranking after the first day. Carsten Kemmling (Hamburg), third best German on rank twelve, was satisfied with the first race day:

“Our results were respectable with five, fifteen and five. But the Italians and the Monegasque are just slightly faster. It is not much, but they obviously have found better settings. We have been trying for three days to adjust the trim accordingly, but the Italians just have had much more training.' The day has not been easy with the current and uncomfortable swells.

Sven-Erik Horsch (Hamburg) has been successfully fighting a cold. Without much training he could sail onto rank ten. „We are satisfied. The Europeans are our highlight of the season, because we are not sailing in the national sailing league“, said Horsch. He has great memories about the sailing territory on Stollergrund. In 2009 he did sail to fight for the European Champion's title on the X41. Pit Finis (Duesseldorf) did squeeze in between Horsch and Kemmling, having the smart tactician Karol Jablonski on board, who knows all disciplines from ice sailing to match racing.

Claudia Rossi can possibly follow a successful path in Kiel. In 2014 her father Alberto won the ORC Worlds at the outer fjord with his boat 'Enfant Terrible'. His daughter now shows with her 'Petite Terrible', that the sailing sport flows in the veins of her family. The father, who did fly to Kiel on Thursday, will sure be satisfied with rank three overall.

Between Claudia Rossi and rank one are three points. On rank two is Carlo Alberini, the Vice World Champion of the previous year. Stefano Roberti surprisingly is on rank one: 'This is way much above our expectations. Last year, I was on rank 40', said the boat owner, who has exchanged the crew after the Europeans 2015 in his home territory: 'I thought last year, that I can keep up sailing with friends, but had to realize that this is not possible in this class. So I took very good sailors on board.'

The many regattas in winter in Monaco, where the J/70 did establish itself as a one design class, were a good possibility to prepare for the Europeans. 'And the conditions were mine today. That was similar to Monaco. The starts also worked well. I can say, it has been a happy day.“

In the close distance of the J/70 fleet, the seagoing yachts were sailing to win the traditional 'Senatspreis' trophy. The 'X-Day' from Walter Watermann (Dortmund) has been dominating the medium distance race in the class ORC Club for three years. And the crew was again at the top of the ORC I fleet. In the other classes, the Polish 'Hobart' from Miroslaw Zemke (ORC II) and the German yacht 'Halbtrocken” from Knut Freudenberg (Amrum, ORC III) did bring home the victory. In the overall ranking for all classes, the 'X-Day' did win on corrected time and can take home the silver trophy of the city of Hamburg permanently.

Results:

J/70 European Championship (after three races):

1. Stefano Roberti / Enrico Fonda, Lucovic Broquaire, Filippo Lamantia (MON, 2/1/1) points 4
2. Carlo Alberini / Carlo Alberigi, Sergio Blosi, Branko Brcin (ITA,1/2/1)4
3. Claudia Rossi / Matteo Mason, Simone Spangaro, Michele Paoletti (ITA,1/4/2)7
4. Edoardo Lupi / Lorenzo Bressani, Giorgio Tortarolo, Edoardo Lupi, Luca Faravelli (ITA, 4/4/2)10
5. Mauricio Santa Cruz / Mario Soerensen Garcia, Luiz Marcelo Maia, André Lekszycky (BRA,7/1/3)11
6. Charlie Esse / Charlie Makepeace, Jason Sivyer, Anthony Esse (GBR,3/3/7)13

Senatspreis:

ORC I:

1. “X-Day' Max Gurgel (Hamburg)
2. 'Aquis Granus IV” Rolf Wittenberg (Aachen)
3. 'Pustekuchen“ Florian Thoelen (Hamburg)
4. “Bella Mente“ Søren Larsen (DEN)

ORC II:

1. 'Hobart” Miroslaw Zemke (POL)
2. 'Heaven 77” Reiner Brockerhoff (Duisburg)
3. „One Group“ Niels Gauter (Hamburg)
4. „Dwinger 2.0 “Jens Dwinger (Strande)
5. „Boatox” Jan Krüger (Hamburg)
6. 'Inspiration' Dr. Sven Borchert (Hamburg)

ORC III/IV:

1. 'Halbtrocken” Knut Freudenberg (Amrum)
2. „Misty”Michael Kock (Luebeck)
3. 'Karma” Klaus Hesselmann (GER)
4. 'Carpe Vivem” Andreas Betz (Ueberlingen)
5. 'Otago” Klaus Born (Moenkeberg)
6. “Windhexe” Peter Birwe (GER)

Kieler Woche (18. until 26. June):

Part 1 (18. until 21. June):

29er, 505, Albin Express, Contender, Europe, Flying Dutchman, Folkboat, F18, Hobie 16, J24, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial (open), Musto Skiff, OK Dinghy.

Part 2 (22. until 26. June):

2.4mR (IGC), 470 (W), 470 (M/both with JWC), 49er, 49er FX, Finn, Laser Radial (W), Laser Std (M), Nacra 17, Sonar (IGC).

Part 2 (23. until 26. June):

Melges 24, J/70 (EC), J/80, 420.

Part 3 - Offshore (18. until 25. June):

Welcome Race 1. race (Sat, 18. June) Kiel-Eckernfoerde, 2. race (Sun, 19. June) Eckernfoerde – Kiel: ORC Club I-IV, Mulithulls 3 classes (>39 ft, 30 up to 39 ft, < 30 ft), Albin Ballad.
Senatspreis (Thu, 23. June): ORC Club I - IV.
Silbernes Band (24. until 25. June): ORC Club I - IV.

Offshore (Seesegel-) IGC (International German Championship):

Long Distance (Sat,18. June, until Sun,19. June): ORCi I - IV.
Kiel-Cup Alpha (Mon, 20. June, until Wed, 22. June): Short races: ORCi I - IV.