D-One Gold Cup - Prepare for the heartbreaking finale

by Michele Tognozzi on 21 Oct 2012 A heartbreaking finale will be on stage tomorrow for the final race of the 2012 Volvo D-One Gold Cup in Alassio. After two more races sailed today in a light north-easterly breeze, Argentinian Agustin Zabalua and Czech Victor Teply are leading the 38 boat fleet with fifteen points.

Italian Pietro Sibello, former Olympian and European champion in the 49er class, stands in third with 17 points. Czech Martin Trcka is fourth with 18 points. With the double point no-discardable final race, every result is possible. The final race is scheduled for 10:30AM of tomorrow in Alassio waters.

The champion of the day is young Czech Victor Teply, a 21 years old Olympian in the Laser class at Weymouth 2012, with a huge first and a third. Agustin Zabalua auto-penalized himself at the first mark in race 5 losing eight boats but recovered well during the race finalizing third. The second race saw another duel between Zabalua and Teply but the couple sailed deep left in the last run leaving a chance to Pietro Sibello that sailed deep right finding more pressure. Sibello went to win his second race in this Gold Cup keeping alive his chance to win the championship.

Best Brit in the fleet is Nick Craig, now sixth behind underdog Michele Mennuti, very consistent in fifth place. This evening the fleet will enjoy a gala dinner in Grand Hotel Alassio. The Master title will be very even also, with only a one point gap between Czech Marek Bachtik and Italian Andrea Devoti One website