Mumm 30 European Championship - Day 1

by Laura Jelmini on 21 Aug 2000 MUMM 30 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AT ST.RAPHAËL (SOUTH OF FRANCE) FROM 21 TO 26 AUGUST 2000

WHAT:
35 one design yachts Mumm 30 coming from 7 different countries will be racing in the 2000 European Championship.

WHO:
The Mumm 30 owner driver international class association (recognized by ISAF) is growing more and more all over the world, especially in Europe where there are big fleets in Italy, France and UK. In France the Mumm 30 just finished the Tour Voile 2000 with 34 boats taking part. Among the competitors many well known sailors especially in the fleet coming from Italy (14 yachts) are racing as tacticians on board the yachts taking part in the event such as: Vasco Vascotto, who recently won the IMS World Championship as tactician on board "Mascalzone Latino" in Newport, is racing on board "Malinda Invicta" (Antonio Sodo Migliori owner/helmsman, Massimo Mezzaroma owner); Tommaso Chieffi, internationally well known since the America's Cup with "Il Moro di Venezia" and now callong tactics on board "Seven" owned by Alberto Signorini; Flavio Favini usually helmsman of 50' "Brava Q8" and now calling tactics on "Dream in action" helmed by Maurizio Volontè; Lorenzo Bressani usually at the helm of 40' "Wind Marrakech" and now sailing on board "Gettone Madina Milano" (owner Dario Ferrari) as tactician. Not only italian teams include very good sailors: among other yacht taking part in the event it will possible to see Dutch Jochem Visser, winner of 1999 Champagne Mumm Admiral's Cup calling tactics on board "Call 2 Sea" owned by Dutch Peter Houtzagers and the boat, "Barlo Plastics", which was sailed by British Adrian Stead to win the Tour Voile 2000 will be sailing in the Europeans as it has been bought by an Italian owner, Luigi Parente, and will be helmed by his son Paolo with Marco Savelli calling tactics. The majority of the yachts from the French fleet took part in the Tour Voile 2000 finishing in the best places of final results: this includes as well the winner of non-professional results, "Cassis Belvedere" helmed by Vincent Portugal.

WHERE:
The event has been organised by the Club Nautique of Saint-Raphaël, a nice village in the Cote d'Azur (department of Var, South of France). The sail plan where the races will be sailed is the the bay of Saint-Raphaël in the Gulf of Frejus.

WHEN:
The event has been officially opened today 21st August, with registration, weigh-in (both boats and crews) and sail measuremet that will go on until tomorrow 22nd August. Eleven races on windward-leeeward courses, providing good weather conditions, will be sailed from 23 to 26 August. There isn't any discard in the final scoring and a minimum of four races shall be completed to award the European title.