2015 Snipe World Championship - Perfect Conditions on Day 1

by Tessa Wiechmann on 22 Sep 2015 The Snipe World Championship organized by the Sailing Club Talamone could have not started in a better way. Blue skies, crystal blue water, the Islands of Giglio, Elba and Montecristo etched against the horizon served as a backdrop to Day one of racing. The Mistral wind at 13-15 knots for race one increased to 17-19 knots for the second race.

Ideal conditions for the 83 crews from 18 nations who arrived in Maremma Tuscany to compete for one of the most coveted world championships of international sailing. Borras Camps-Bats Años (ESP) lead the provisional standings of the Snipe World Cup #snipeworlds2015 with a third and a first.

The excellent organization of the Circolo Vela Talamone ensured that all crews were ready to race on schedule. Once out on the water, the Race Committee presided by Italian Fabio Barasso had its work cut out for the day! The first race that started at 1 p.m. was abandoned due to a notable wind jump to the left. A clear sign that the Mistral was preparing to fill in, as it did later in the day. This allowed competitors to race on an Olympic triangle course sailing between the Argentario and the Maremma National Park. Picture perfect conditions that enhanced the Snipe fleet performance to the max.

The Spaniards were the true stars of the day. Race one was won by Andalusian Raul de Valenzuela and Antolin Alejandre de Oña, who won of the Junior World Champion title three days ago. Es Castells (Balearic) formed by Damian Borras Camps and Carlos Bats Años won Race two. Given the wind and sea conditions, both races were extremely physically demanding. Crews returned ashore exhausted but at the same time exhilarated by the breathtaking sailing conditions on Snipe Bay.

Among the Italians, good result for Enrico Solerio and Paolo Lambertenghi, who crossed the finish line seventh after leading at the end of the first triangle and losing positions after offloading a penalty for touching mark two mark. Solerio-Lambertenghi (fourteen - seven) are the best of the Italian crew in the overall standings. The young crew from the hosting Circolo Vela Talamone formed by Lapo Savorani and Federico Milone finished in the first half of the fleet.

'Talamone is a beautiful town,' stated Damian Borras Camps once back on the docks. 'Today was very hard- The wind though, despite the oscillations, still seemed to have its own logic. We are very satisfied because with the third placement in Race one and a first placement in Race two we are currently at the top of the leaderboard. Tomorrow is another day', Borras Camps concluded.

The World Snipe continues tomorrow with the possibility of completing up to three races. The warning signal for Race three is scheduled for Tuesday 22 September at 11 a.m. On the starting line: Argentina (seven teams), Belgium (six), Brazil (nine), Columbia (one), Croatia (one), Denmark (one) Ecuador (two), Finland (one), France (two), Great Britain (one), Japan (seven), Norway (two), Poland (three), Spain (twelve), Sweden (two), United States (nine) and Uruguay (one). Italy is represented by 16 crews in the Snipe World Championship.

The Race Committee is formed by: Fabio Barrasso (President), Andrea Bimbi, Bruno Iazzetta, Giovanni Capitani, Alessandro Testa, Filippo Soffici and Fabio Andreuccetti. The International Jury is formed by: Tullio Giraldi (President), Licio Bruno Marques, Sergey Kuzovov, Charles Perry and Marco Cimarosti. The SCIRA representatives are Riccardo Lobato and Gweneth Cook. The Chief Measurer is Antonio Espada.

The Race Committee shall attempt to complete 11 races. No more than three races shall be sailed per day. On the last day of the regatta, no warning signal will be made after 3.30 pm. Three races are required to be completed to constitute a series. When fewer than six races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores. When from six to eight races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her worst score. When nine or more races have been completed, a boat’s series score will be the total of her race scores excluding her two worst scores.

Prizes shall be awarded to the skipper and crew for the top 10 places. The Commodore Hub E.Isaacks perpetual trophy shall be awarded to the fleet of the winning skipper. The O’Leary Trophy shall be awarded to the crew winning the World Championship. The Earl Elms Perpetual Trophy shall be awarded to the winning skipper of the final race of the World Championship. Prizes will be presented to the best scorer of each day of races. A special prize drawing will take place during the Awards Ceremony. Only crews who are present at the Awards Ceremony will be entered into the prize drawing.