Platu 25 World Championship - Euz II Monella Vagabonda wins again

by Sabrina Bonaiti on 30 Sep 2014 Once again they are World Champions. After Gmunden, Austria, in 2011 and Cala de' Medici, Italy, in 2012 and after a pained second place, same points with the Portogues 'Credite Egs' in Portosin, Spain, last year, the Italian crew coming from Puglia (South Italy) 'Euz II Monella Vagabonda' owned by Francesco Lanera, with Sandro Montefusco at the helm and his brother Paolo as a tactician, confirms for the third time the Platu 25 World Championship title, even one day before the official Worlds conclusion. Lanera and his guys did not have to compete in the last race on Saturday, indeed, because with a 10 point distance from the second in the ranking, the game was already over after 11 races and two discards.

With the most aspired title already appointed, there was an electrifying challenge during the last race among the Italian 'Five for Fighting 3' owned by Tommaso De Bellis and helmed by Giulio Desiderato, the Swiss guys of Superbusi' helmed by Mathias Bermejo and the French ' Black Flag' helmed by Christophe Chaffardon. At the end De Bellis succeed in getting the better of it and it was enough a fourth place for obtaining the second step of the podium. The Swiss crew collected four first places (as many as Euz II did) and despite inconsistent trend they finished on the third step of the podium. Good performance also for the French 'Black Flag' that concluded at fourth place, confirming to be one of the most competitive boats in the Platu 25 International class.

It's a perfect moment for Francesco Lanera, Euz II's owner: 'I'm really happy, it was impossible to do better. We won one day before and that's not so usual. Thank you to all crew and then you to 'my brothers' Montefusco'. Also Sandro Montefusco, Euz II's helmsman, is satisfied, even if he underlines some difficulties during these five race days: 'In the first day with 30 knots and three metre waves and in the following days, races were very involved and demanding especially for tacticians who had to face inconsistent and shifty wind. We competed in all kinds of conditions, with strong, medium and light wind, keeping a good performance almost always. Except during the third race when we played a bad start. We liked Antibes a lot, we had the occasion to enjoy a perfect week, not just for sail'.

Tommaso De Bellis, coming from Puglia and growing up like Montefusco, in the same breeding ground inside the Lega Navale of Monopoli, is satisfied, even if the continuous run after Euz II is getting more and more exhausting : 'It was a great Championship, but very involving because of difficult meteo conditions and of difficult regatta field. We had a confirmation about the high technical level of the Platu 25 class. We had a nonstop contest with Euz II. Until last Friday, second to last Worlds, there were just seven points between us and Euz II. So the result wasn't predicted at all. Until the end, Euz II marked us tightly. We bring at home this second place, happy for the result. Our congratulations to organizers and to warm hospitality by Société de Régates de Antibes'.

Mathias Bermejo, Swiss 'Superbusi''s helmsman is in seventh heaven: 'In the first day we competed pretty well with strong wind. We'd like to compete in more races because it was our ideal condition. In the second day we got a good first place that allowed us to gain positions in the general ranking. In the third day, after another first place, we started to believe in our possibilities. With good starts, good tactic choices and high speed we conquered third place. We were a bit inconsistent, that's right, but we'll leave from this point in order to improve. We are still the same crew, with old sails in addition. This result encourages us and confirms us that we are growing and that we can still grow'.

The French crew 'Black Flag' helmed by Christophe Chaffardon fought for the third step of the podium. As Mr Chaffardo remarked: 'Blackflag is probably one of the oldest boats and teams in this Platu25 series: boat n°4, and first team Platu25 regattas in 1999 with the Primo Cup at Monaco and GPE Cogolin, 15 years ago! With very competitive crews, Martin Tenconi – 2013 Star French champion, Sebastien Durand – third in 2013 470 French Championship, and usual Platu crews William Rodriguez, Florent Chatelain and Christophe Chaffardon, Black flag came to Antibes with a Top 10 target. After a very difficult first race in strong wind, we sailed at our best level in light wind conditions, with two races of first, and many other races in the top five or Top 10. So it was a good surprise for us to match with Superbusi for third place at the beginning of the last day. Unfortunately, our worst start on this last race killed all our dreams very soon'.

Very good performance also for the Swiss 'Ursa Minor' helmed by Tom Studer and with Markus Sigrist as a tactician. They began with a brilliant third place, but they were penalized by an Ocs the day after. In spite of concluding at fifth position, they proved to be very competitive and ready for facing the next challenges with success.

So, the Platu 25 Worlds Championship organized by Société de Régates de Antibes – Juan les Pins that took place from the 22nd to 27th September with 35 crews participants coming from six different Countries - 13 from Italy, nine from Germany, six from Switzerland, five from France, one from Austria and one, led by Shintaro Chono, from Japan. 'We didn't compete on our boat, but of course we rented one. It took a lot of time to get used to with a different mast and different regulations,' Shintaro Chono remarkes. 'Now we'll be focuss on the next Platu 25 Championship in Japan and on the next Worlds'.

Résultat du Samedi 27 Septembre 2014 à 15.31 h.

Full overall ranking after 12 races and two discards here.