World Youth Sailing Week moves towards its conclusion

by Elena Giolai on 20 Apr 2014 The World Youth Sailing Week moves towards its conclusion with the final of the 32nd Meeting del Garda Optimist programmed for tomorrow at 9.00am on Easter Sunday. There are many Italians vying for victory in this prestigious trophy, which has seen past winners go on to become famous skippers in the America’s cup and Olympic gold medallists. In the lead is the Fraglia Vela Riva sailor Davide Duchi. The windsurfing event organised by the Circolo Surf Torbole on the Techno 293 finished today as did the Laser youth Easter Meeting organised by the Fraglia Vela Malcesine.

A 15 knot north wind allowed a full series of races on this the penultimate day of the 32nd Meeting del Garda Optimist, which has been the inspiration of the World Youth sailing Week and has brought life and colour to the waters of Garda Trentino with four international events which have involved more than 1000 sailors from 9-19 years old.

First places are well-balanced in the 32nd Meeting del Garda Optimist and podium places will only be decided tomorrow in both categories of Cadet and Junior. In the junior fleet there were 625 competitors divided into five flights and from these the first 125 go forward to join the Gold Fleet: after the Gold Fleet, according to results, the Silver, Bronze and Emerald fleets are formed. With very few points separating the first five sailors, there are many Italians vying for final victory together with sailors from Germany, Russia and Finland. A short step ahead is local sailor Davide Duchi (Fraglia Vela Riva): thanks to a sixth, fifth and first today he is now in the lead with a four point advantage over German Kuss Lennart (5-2-7). Only one point behind him is another Italian Luca Valentino (C.V. Cesanautico) winner in race 6. For this reason it is difficult who will come out on top tomorrow and the last race on Easter Sunday will be decisive (start programmed for 9am).

Full classification for Juniors here

The podium for the Cadet fleet will also be decided in the last race. On equal points are the Turk Arikan Okyanus (today first and fifth), the Russian Golovkin and Italian Francesco Novelli (F.V. Malcesine). Only one point behind them was the Russian Brovin (winner of the last race today) and the Italian Gaia Pela’ (first girl and second overall in the last race which took place on Saturday).

Full classification for Cadets here

The Russian Nikita Prozorov (under 17), the Italian Riccardo Renna (Circolo Surf Torbole) (under 15) and Eduardo Tanas (FV Malcesine), were the winners in the Techno 293 Garda Lake Trophy dedicated to Youth Windsurfing. Today, over 100 windsurfers braved the early-morning, cold waters in the North of the Lake to battle out the last three races of this event. All of them bearing in mind that tomorrow sees the start of the Europeans for the Techno 293 in the same waters.

There were six races in total for the event which started on Thursday, the first three were on Thursday with wind blowing on average above 15 knots and the last three today with a North wind of between 10 and 15 knots. At home in these polar conditions the Russian sailors did well as did the sailors from the Circolo Surf Torbole who were sailing in their home waters and were consequently able to profit from their local knowledge of the gusty Peler wind in the Race area.

In the Laser 4.7 and Radial regatta at the Fraglia vela Malcesine the last day brought little change in the classification from the previous day. Marco Planchestainer (Fraglia vela Malcesine) won in the Radial with a cushion of five points despite his third and fourth places from today. Second was Pietro De Luca (CN Brenzone) with two wins today, and third one point behind was Roberto Pollara (SVNN Venezia). First girl was the German sailor Roeck. In the 4.7’s in first place was Emil Toblini followed in second place by Matteo Saglia who climbed one point above the German Leon Zarti who took the third place with his two joint first positions from today. The races today where held in a brisk wind of up to 23 knots which also formed quite large waves.

At the 32nd Meeting del Garda Optimist the leader is the Turk Rasim Yasar with only a one point lead over Davide Duchi lying in second place. Tomorrow and Sunday the racing will be streamed live on the internet.

In the Laser Youth regatta Emil Toblini is leading in the 4.7 and Marco Planchestainer in the Laser Radial.

A difficult day today in the Garda Trentino region with inconsistent winds for the whole day of the Trentino second World Youth Sailing Week. Very few races were completed as a result either in Riva, Torbole or Malcesine.

At the Fraglia Vela Riva they only managed one in the junior category at the 32nd Meeting del Garda Optimist. The cadets unfortunately did not manage to make even one start. At the Fraglia Vela Malcesine for the Laser Radial and 4.7’s they also managed to complete only one race. At the Circolo Surf Torbole due to the conditions they were unable to even start a race. The number of sailors registered for this event has now reached over 100, this is despite the fact that the regatta finishes tomorrow.

Second World Youth Sailing Week/ 32nd Meeting del Garda Optimist day two
The five flights of Juniors each managed to complete one race and as has happened in all of the previous races the Turkish sailor Rasim Yasar has remained at the front, he remains in total command with two firsts and a second . He has a one point lead over Davide Duchi who is from the Fraglia Vela Riva and who took part in the worlds last year with the Italian squad. Duchi up to now has remained very consistent with a fourth place (subsequently discarded) two firsts and a third. Equal with him is the german sailor Lennart Kuss in third place. There are a good number of Italian sailors in the leading positions with in fourth place Luca Valentino (CV Cesenatico), in sixth place Salvo Sciuto (NIC Catania), in ninth Riccarda Sepe (CDV Roma) and in tenth another representative from the Fraglia Vela Riva, Guido Gallinaro. With a victory today the Roman Arianna Passamonti (NC Castelfusano) has moved into the lead in the female category and is 15th overall.

Tomorrow the start for juniors is at 10.30am and the Cadets start at 8.30am.

2nd World Youth Sailing Week/Laser Youth Easter Meeting day three
Light wind at Malcesine meant there was only time to finish one race, In the Laser Radial fleet Marco Planchestainer from the Fraglia Vela Malcesine remains in the lead just behind him is Roberto Pollara (SVMM Venezia) and Pietro De Luca (CN Brenzone).

Emil Toblini another sailor from the Fraglia Vela Malcesine is leading the 4.7’s ahead of the Norwegian Hassum. Victory today for Matteo Saglia who is third overall, First girl is Roberta Ramazzotti (Fraglia Vela Desenzano) who is fifth overall.