Team Sach pulls off a sensational win in Centomiglia Regatta

by Andreas Kling on 15 Sep 2016 The sailing team centred on brothers Helge and Christian Sach, from the eastern Holstein area in Germany, has pulled off a surprising win in the Centomiglia regatta on Lake Garda. The four-man crew, which included Herbert Vogel and Gerd Schmitzer, also beat three larger Extreme 40 cats in their ten-metre M32 catamaran “itelligence” during the legendary 100 nautical mile regatta. After seven hours, 38 minutes and 17 seconds, the northern Germans were cheered at the start and finish harbour of Bogliaco.

“That was a tough piece of work for us, with winds blowing at up to force six”, reported skipper Helge Sach, “eventually our better tactics gave us the winning edge”. The Sach team duped the competition at nine thirty on Saturday morning (10 September) with a relaxed starboard start and took a handsome lead as they sailed northwards, out of the Bay of Bogliaco. Under a continuously increasing Vento, the northern morning wind, the competing yachts were beating upwind Lake Garda towards Riva.

As time went by, boat length paid dividends. The three twelve-metre Extreme 40 cats overtook the crew from Zarnekau in their M32 and had gained a lead of almost a quarter of an hour by the first turning mark at “Arco”. Local hero and multiple overall winner, Gregor Stimpfl, had also cruised past in his structurally identical M32 “Hägar III”, while participating in this race for the 23rd time. He had clearly correctly interpreted the wind forecast and occupied fifth crew place with a higher ballast weight.

However, the Centomiglia is long! The course took the yachts right across the lake, via Torbole, to Brenzone and from there back to a transit gate abeam the start and finish harbour of Bogliaco. The Cento however, also took its toll. The victorious crew of the Libera class boat “Raffica”, which had competed successfully in the Gorla Trophy the previous week, capsized and had to abandon. Between Riva and the surfer’s mecca of Torbole the event organisers had also included a speed challenge. The fastest boat sailing under gennaker was the “itelligence”, which reached an average speed of 21.25 knots, which is equivalent to almost 40 kph!

“We actually started to foil for the first time”, reported Christian Sach enthusiastically, “with both daggerboards down the catamaran took off and flew over the water”. The M32 has curved daggerboards but is not yet fitted with foils. The Sachs’s themselves were therefore surprised with the boat’s sailing characteristics when, after a gybe, both daggerboards were down for a moment.

But catching up with the apparently all-powerful opponent proved to be a slow process. At the Bogliaco gate the Italian “North West Garda Sailing” team under Enrico Zennaro was still eleven minutes ahead. Even at the final turning point at Desenzano the Extreme 40 and Stimpfl still held a lead of up to four minutes. But by this time the Vento – as is typical for these waters – has almost completely subsided. The Ora, a light south wind, had now taken over.

“Initially, the Ora always blows strongest close to shore”, remembered Helge Sach from bad experiences in the past. Christian Sach pushed his brother to sail an extreme course along the shoreline of the lake. “That was our only chance to still intercept Stimpfl downwind”, explained the tactician. The Extreme 40s had already miscalculated and were fighting for third place on the podium. The four-man crew of the “itelligence” finally crossed the finishing line two minutes and three seconds ahead of the “Hägar III”. The “Extreme Sailing Team” of Kristof Kaiser from Hungary took third place, six minutes later.

The Sach team completed 99 tacks and gybes on Lake Garda; 35 more than their nearest rival. The previous week of training had clearly paid off. Their fast manoeuvres also helped Herbert Vogel, Gerd Schmitzer and the Sach brothers to win the race. Overall, they covered a distance of 140.42 kilometres, a comparatively direct course significantly shorter than the 100 nautical miles which gave the Centomiglia its name. “This was a made to measure race with a sensational outcome”, is how the delighted Helge and Christian Sach summed up their much acclaimed overall victory at the 66th Centomiglia.