Soto 40 European Championship - Sardinia Cup Trophy preview

by Alfredo Mella on 13 Jun 2012 Soto 40 European Championship kicks off on Tuesday 12th June, with the practice race and then will continue in full earnest from Wednesday until Sunday 17th June. There was frenzied activity in Costa Smeralda Yacht Club today, where Soto 40 European Championship teams have just started training off the waters of Porto Cervo (Italy) in view of the Audi Sardinia Cup, a Sailing Championship for National Teams that take place every two years since 1978.

The Five participating Countries will combine the Soto 40 and the TP 52 yachts: Sweden, competing in tandem with Stefan Jenztsch’s crew on Black Pearl in Soto 40 and Niklas Zennstrom on RAN, Agustin Zulueta’s USA crew on Iberdrola Soto 40 and Ed Baird on Quantum Racing, The British Tony Buckingham on Soto 40 Ngoni and Tony Langley on Gladiator, the new Soto 40 Bigamist and the TP 52 Power Play representing Cayman Islands, and finally Italy that will do its best with the Soto 40 Alegre leaded by Andy Soriano and Azzurra by Alberto Roemmers.

Both classes will also compete for their own ranking: The Soto 40’s will be battling out for the European Championship while for the TP52’s this will be the event of 52 Super Series Circuit. The combination score in Soto 40 and TP52 obtained from each Country, will give the rating for Sardinia Cup Challenge Trophy.

The five racing days will start Wednesday June13th. About two or three windward-leeward courses are planned between Wednesday and Thursday, a coastal race for Friday, again two windward-leeward courses on Saturday and another one on Sunday.

Sardinia Cup Challenge Trophy Teams:
USA: Quantum and Iberdrola
Italy: Azzurra and Alegre
Sweden: Ran and Black Pearl
Great Britain: Gladiator and Ngoni
Cayman Islands: Powerplay and Bigamist

Soto 40 European Championship Calendar:
Trofeo Conde de Godo - 24 to 27 May (Barcelona)
Sardinia Cup - 12 to 16 June (Porto Cervo)
Copa del Rey Audi Mapfre - 18 to 21 July (Palma de Mallorca)
Copa Sotogrande - 10 to 13 August (Sotogrande)
Soto Final 40 European Championship - 19 to 22 September (Valencia)

Participating teams in the circuit:
ESP02 Geseme / Gramona - Román Turro (Spain) (Not in Porto Cervo)
ESP19 Iberdrola Team - Agustín Zulueta (Spain)
GBR20 Ngoni - Tony Buckingham (United Kingdom)
ESP21 Noticia IV - Luis Martín (Spain) (Not in Porto Cervo)
ESP22 XXII - In Yachts (Spain) (Not in Porto Cervo)
GER27 Black Pearl - Jenztsch Stefan (Germany)
POR30 Bigamist - Pedro Mendonça (Portugal)
BVI33 Alegre - Andy Soriano (BVI)