Persico 69F Cup put on a show in Malcesine on Lake Garda

by 69F Sailing 12 May 02:35 PDT 30 April - 2 May & 7-9 May 2021

Persico 69F Cup © 69F Sailing

Fourteen crews battled it out over two long weekends of regattas, World Champions and Olympic sailors like Paul Goodson, Umberto Molineris and Lorenzo Bressani reinforced the flying teams on the waters of Lake Garda.

There was great anticipation in Malcesine for the second edition of the Persico 69F Cup, where 14 teams competed in the first Grand Prix of the season to put on a great show, even on days with little wind.

Team Young Azzurra, skippered by Ettore Botticini, took a hard-fought but deserving victory in GP 1.1.

"It was a difficult week, we trained with constant wind and then found completely different conditions during the racing days. Despite this, we were able to keep the Swiss team Okalys behind us."

It was a different story the next week, as Team Fantastica 2 completely dominated Grand Prix 1.2. Nicola Celon and his boys managed a clean sweep, taking 7 out of 7 in the finals:

"I am very happy, because after racing the three stages last year, we won our first this time in Malcesine, with a young crew. I was able to benefit from last year's experience, even if there remains a lot to learn and we need to understand how to manage the boat with the strong wind."

Persico 69F Cup - photo © 69F Sailing

The Malcesine stage hosted champions such as Persico 69F rookie, but America's Cup sailor, Umberto Molineris, freshly returned from his America's Cup campaign with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

"I am very enthusiastic about this first experience, and we will try to give our best until the end of the season. I am convinced that this circuit will attract more and more sailors from all over the world who are passionate about foiling."

Another great sailor is also making his debut was Paul Goodison, an Olympic gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics:

"The boat is extraordinary, it is not easy, but with a little training, I am sure that you can get excellent results."

The 69F circuit is interesting, not only for sailing professionals but also for many amateurs. Thanks to the excellent opportunity to enrol in the Academy signed by Santi Lange, they have the chance to enter a high-level circuit, develop technically, have fun and even measure up against world-class sailors.

"I am very satisfied, for me it is a dream come true."

Dede De Luca, Chief Sailing Officer of team 69F, said upon the conclusion of the first stage in Malcesine. "We never thought we'd get this far. Only a year has passed since the first regatta, we witnessed solid growth in the whole fleet, which makes the regattas more and more exciting."

For De Luca the Persico 69F is a boat that requires a complete sailor, and he adds:

"It is necessary to know how to sail in displacement mode, to understand how to fly, to understand how to manoeuvre with the gennaker.

I believe that this boat challenges all the parts of sailing! You can be as good as you want, but until you know it well, you can't tame it. From my point of view, this is the most exciting feature of the boat: you have to find the feeling. We are only at the beginning, and in a couple of seasons, the level will undoubtedly be much higher."

"We want to be more sustainable, so we are evolving electronic arbitration systems to minimize inflatables in the water as much as possible. Given the great interest, we hope to make other "six-packs" of the Persico 69Fs available worldwide, so sailors are the ones who move from one location to another instead of the boats. They will be strategic locations where professionals, amateurs, Academy, female crews and even Paralympic athletes will be able to fully experience the thrill of foiling".

The teams are now ready to get back to work for the next stage in Porto Cervo scheduled from 5 to 17 July 2021.