29er Eurocup - Action in full swing at Riva del Garda

by Fraglia Vela Riva on 2 Nov 2013 The final leg of the European tour for the juvenile 29er skiff is in full swing at Fraglia Vela Riva. The number of participants grows bigger every year and with it comes an increasingly high level of skill. This year no less than nine nations took part.

After two days and seven races, the British crew of Munro-Harris take the lead over Germans Jasper-Braukmann. Spanish sisters Monte- Carrasco are third.

This was the eighth and last leg on the 29er Eurocup tour and the last regatta of the season organised by Fraglia Vela Riva in what has been an intense 2013. The juvenile double skiff, predecessor to the 49er Olympic class, is becoming increasingly popular due to the lowering of the age of participation (13 to 17 year olds). Many of the crews are mixed and this could mean that for many the 29er is the predecessor of the Nacra 17, the new, ( not as highly performing), mixed crew, Olympic class catamaran. The event at Riva del Garda, which had a record number of participants, started on the 31st October and goes on until Sunday, 3rd November and brings to a close the regatta season at the highly active Riva club. Almost 70 crews from nine nations are taking part including the exceptional participation of India with a crew made up of boys and one girl and who are well positioned in the general standings.

With seven out of a total of the 14 races in this event completed and the first discarding in effect, Brits Munro Gillies and Daniel Harris take the lead after three firsts. Germans Jasper-Braukmann climb into second place while the first of the women, sisters Carla and Marta Munte Carrasco of Spain, are third ( with three second partials and a third for best performance). For the Spanish mixed crew of Bonilla- Chapon, however, things haven't gone so well. They had been leading up until the fifth race, but ran into difficulties in the last three races giving them 19-13 10 positions as opposed to the 7-1-4-1 they had had initially. This set- back dropped them into fifth place overall. Javenic-Podlogar of Slovenia show steady form and are in fourth place just one point from the podium. This has been a successful maiden voyage on Lake Garda for Kelapanda-Thakkar of India who came in first in the first regattas and also in the seventh, the last race of today, the second day of competition.

Weather conditions were good with light winds of 8-9 knots giving us just the right conditions especially for the younger crews who may have had difficulty dealing wither stronger winds. The penultimate day of competition is Saturday, 2nd November with an earlier start of 11.00.

Event website