2016 Garda Optimist Meeting – Cesana virtually unstoppable + Video

by Fraglia Vela Riva on 26 Mar 2016 It was another day of beautiful sunshine and wind for the penultimate day of the 34th Garda Optimist Meeting. It will certainly be an edition that will be remembered for the wonderful weather conditions and the jovial spirit of the 900 young boys and girls who took on each race with determination, ease and cheerfulness. The qualification phase for the final (the Gold fleet), concluded today. It consists of the best of the categories after eight races in five different heats for the Juniors and six races in two heats for the Cadets.

Cadets

Matt Cesana seems to have acquired a taste for winning since he hasn't stopped racking up the victories. In today's first race he had been lying in second but was able to recover and win, giving him a total of five consecutive wins. In the second race he came fifth (discarded) and now is at the top of the standings with an eight point lead over Norlèn of Sweden. Schweckendiek of Germany is third. The other member of Fraglia Vela Riva, Agata Scalmazzi is the first Italian girl and second of the girls in the category (four points behind Palko of Croatia), she is lying fifth overall.

Juniors

After eight races Valentin Muller of Germany takes the lead. Apart from a discarded 28th, he has kept up great form with two firsts, three seconds and two thirds. Four points behind is Mathias Berthet of Norway and just one point behind him is the other German Roko Mohr in third place. It was a good day for Italian Demetrio Sposato (CV Crotone, sixth in the 2015 World Championships), who with a third and a first climbed into fifth place nine points from the podium.

The first of the girls Gaia Bergonzini (Fraglia Vela Malcesine, second in the category at the 2015 Optimist World Championships), today took a seventh and a first in races 7-8. With two races remaining she is in seventh place overall. Tying on points is Matteo Bedoni of Fraglia Vela Riva (3-12 today) and just one point behind Ilan Muccino (CV Ravennate 18-8). Then comes the second girl Giulia Sepe (CV Roma), sister of Riccardo who won the Garda Optimist Meeting last year.

With just one day remaining, the many volunteers, parents and friends of Fraglia Vela Riva already have the feeling of “job well done “ after many compliments received from numerous participants. This edition started off so well from every point of view: the climactic conditions, the organisation as well as the collaboration of the technicians. The office staff, the standings ( to calculate 900 starts was an incredible task), the Regatta Committee of the Italian Sailing Federation and the International jury who worked side by side with one common objective , to offer an event that remains unique in an area which never ceases to impress with its beauty.

The spirit of the event has been fully accomplished and therefore we can say that everything has gone splendidly. Tomorrow after the final two races, the award ceremony will take place in the Palameeting in Riva del Garda.