Melges 20 Sailing Series - Event No.4 underway in Viareggio

by International Audi Melges 20 Class Association on 16 Sep 2012 Event No.4 in the Audi Melges 20 Sailing Series is now underway in Viareggio, Italy. Tied with 14 points each after four races, Alessio Marinelli's Candida Sailing Team (Branko Brcin-Paolo Mangialardo) and Renato Vallivero's Turnover (Marco Perazzo-Enrico Fonda) are co-leaders of the provisional ranking, ten points ahead of ITA-157 Carige helmed by Francesco Farneti and with Gabrio Zandonà and Andrea Musone on board.

Winner of the second heat of the day, Manfredi Vianini Tolomei's Maolca, (Lorenzo Bodini as tactician and Matteo Velicogna tailer) is seated fourth overall leaving behind Guido Miani's Audi Ultra Out of Reach with tactician Gabriele Benussi and crew Nevio Sabadin in fifth.

The first day of sailing in Viareggio started with a long postponement of nearly two hours. The breeze finally arrived around noon and slowly increased to 7-8 knots shifting constantly to the right. The Race Committee changed the course several times to correct - the result was four very interesting races featuring four different winners - Turnover, Maolca, ITA157 Carige and Candida Sailing Team each enjoyed line honors.

The fourth Act of the Audi Sailing Series celebrates the return of three old friends of the Melges 20 Class. Andrea Ferrari and Mirko Bargolini on Spirit of Nerina now is currently ranked twelfth, Stefano Sacchi on Jingle3 finished the day in eighteenth, while Roberto Mazzucato's Margherita is nineteeth.

Race fans need to tune in tomorrow to discover who will win. Will it be Marinelli or Vallivero? Or will another team be able to interfere and battle for the trophy. Sunday will provide two more races beginning at 10.30. Lot of changes may occur with the possible discards going into effect after the sixth race is completed.

Top 10 results (After four races):

1.) Alessio Marinelli/Branko Brcin, Candida Sailing Team; 5-2-6-1 = 14
2.) Renato Vallivero/ Marco Perazzo/Enrico Fonda, Turnover; 1-6-2-5 = 14
3.) Francesco Farneti/Gabrio Zandonà, ITA-157 Carige; 10-4-1-9 = 24
4.) Manfredi Vianini Tolomei/Lorenzo Bodini, Maolca; 6-1-3-15 = 25
5.) Guido Miani/Gabriele Benussi, Audi Ultra Out of Reach; 9-3-7-8 = 27
6.) Achille Onorato/Lorenzo Bressani, Mascalzone Latino jr.; 8-5-20-6 = 39
7.) Davide Albertini/Flavio Favini, Leviathan; 2-9-11-18 = 40
8.) Saverio Bifulco/Hugo Rocha, Noidinotte; 11-16-12-4 = 43
9.) Claudio Dutto/Fabio Zeni, Asante Sana; 19-8-4-13 = 44
10.) Robert Wilber/Chris Rast, Cinghiale; 16 ZFP-7-9-7= Full results Melges 20 website