Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta- Team Azzurra in Auckland

by Team Azzurra on 3 Mar 2010 The Italian sailing team Azzurra from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, skippered by Francesco Bruni with Tommaso Chieffi calling tactics, today took part in the official practice session of the Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta which is scheduled to start tomorrow, March 3rd 2010.

Bruni will race against an impressive line-up of top international match racing skippers which includes:
Adam Minoprio (NZL - BlackMatch Racing)
Torvar Mirsky (AUS - Mirsky Racing Team)
Sebastien Col (FRA - ALL4ONE)
Ben Ainslie (GBR - TEAMORIGIN)
Francesco Bruni (ITA - Azzurra Sailing Team)
Bertrand Pace (FRA)
Magnus Holmberg (SWE)
Dean Barker (NZL - Emirates Team New Zealand)
Chris Dickson (NZL - Dickson Racing Team)
Karol Jablonski (POL)

Entry to the Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta is by invitation only; as a result some of the biggest names in the America’s Cup and on the world match racing circuit are competing.

The regatta promises four days of intense, close-quarter sailing action on the inner Auckland harbour. Racing will start each day, weather permitting, at 10am. A grandstand erected near the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will give a great view of the entire course.

Crews will sail identical Farr-designed MRX yachts in a double round robin, semi-finals and finals. The semi-finals and finals will be decided by the first skipper to win three matches.

Bruni will sail with his fellow team members Tommaso Chieffi (tactics), Ben Durham (main), Tom Burnham (pit), Pierluigi De Felice (trimmer) and Matteo Auguadro (bow).

At the end of today’s training, Bruni was very satisfied and eager to start the games: “We are very happy to be sailing again in New Zealand, which we consider a unique sailing paradise. Being able to compete in two events of such standing [Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta and Louis Vuitton Trophy] is a real luxury and we hope to make the most of them.”

The Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta will enable the all-Italian Azzurra team to fine tune their match racing skills and increase their local knowledge before the start of the much awaited Louis Vuitton Trophy, scheduled to run from ninth to 21st March 2010. Azzurra will try to defend its 2:0 victory of the previous Louis Vuitton Trophy event held in Nice last November against the local favourites Emirates Team New Zealand.

Omega Auckland Match Racing Regatta event site: www.rnzys.org.nz

www.azzurra.it