The 28th Edition of the Lake Garda meeting comes to an end

by Elena Giolai on 10 Apr 2010
Welcome to Riva Del Garda and the 28th edition of Optimist Youth Regatta. This is a Guinness world record holding event, being the most numerous Youth Optimist Regatta in the world.

In the cadet division Patrick Zeni was leading up to the last day,but the young Spaniard Albert Gelpi was invincible placing first in four races and second in one race with a discard of 32 points.Ushov Mikail from Russia placed third,with the young Polish sailor Ilski Arthur sharing the podium in third position.

The Italian cadet team placed well having 4 sailors in the top 10 positions out of a total of 201 cadets.Ugo Zunardi ( CN Punta Piccola-Agrigento) placed fifth Massimo Massini (CN Cervia) in sixth position.Davide Ducchi played home and placed seventh.Laurine De Seroux from France was the winner in the Female division and placed eighth overall,whilst Elisa Navoni from the Fraglia Vela Desenzano was declared the first Italian girl and also placed second in the female division and 18th overall.

In the Juniores division today's two races decided the final result.Frederik Rask from Denmark won this division with a 6 point lead from the German sailor Vieregge.The young female sailor from Trieste Carlotta Omari sailed her optimist with great confidence and gave a spectacular performance,and she is already regarded one of the top Italian sailors.Matteo Pincherie (CN Sanbenedettese) placed eighth in this division and yet again another girl to follow in the ninth place.Francesca Russo ( Societa Barcolo Grignano) finished up third in the female division and 16th overall.

The President of Fraglia Vela Riva,Mauro Stagno said that even though the weather was not what we all wished for,the meeting went well and ended up on a positive note..The race committee managed to hold as many races as was possible,considering the weather conditions.The International Jury members also worked continuously and efficiently throughout all the races.

Our Lake did not leave us without any of its usual wind. Fortunately champions can still emerge from a large fleet of sailors and we have also demonstrated that this meeting is an important annual event and that both technically and physically we can host these large numbers. Mauro Stagno concluded by saying that this is not only a sporting event,but it is also a cultural and educational event. One has to say that even though it rained everyday except for one day,the lake was still transformed into a spectacle of colour,and in four days six races were raced and this made it possible for the competitors to discard their worse race.

The FIV representative Walter Cavallucci said that this event was evidence that the club is capable of organising such a successful event.It is also an great tribute to Italian sailing and to the Optimist class and in all the sailing schools and clubs all over the world.All I have left to tell you,is to invite you to next years meeting,hoping for some sunshine.