Persico 69F Cup Grand Prix 2.1 begins tomorrow

Persico 69Fs racing © Marta Rovatti Studihrad/69F Media

Starting tomorrow and running until July 10th the Grand Prix 2.1 for Persico 69F foiling yachts will be held in Costa Smeralda. The event is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with Team 69F and will see nine teams participating. Among these is the YCCS team, Young Azzurra.

The Grand Prix 2.1 will be the first week of two weeks of foiling races held at the YCCS. In fact, the Grand Prix 2.2 will be held immediately following the 2.1, from July 15th to 17th. These events are the first ever for foiling yachts in Costa Smeralda.

Each event will last three days and will see brief windward/leeward races of approximately ten minutes each held in the waters off Porto Cervo.

There are high profile sailors on the various teams participating in the Grand Prix 2.1 like the former Luna Rossa team member Umberto Molineris, sailing Fly Marga together with Duccio Colombi and Alessandra Angelini who has moved from sailing classic yachts, to Nacra cats and is now participating in the Persico 69F Cup. Lorenzo 'Rufo' Bressani, who has been a world champion nine times and who has been voted Italian Sailor of the Year twice, will be aboard FlyingNikka 47 with owner/driver Roberto Lacorte and Enrico Zennaro. Andrea Fornaro is another wide-ranging sailor who will be racing on Lacorte's other Persico 69F, FlyingNikka 74. Team Magenta, also competing in this event, is an international, all female team that is making its debut in Porto Cervo. Members of this team include Mikaela Wulff from Finland, bronze medalist in match racing at the 2012 London Olympics; Maelle Frascari from Italy, Nacra 17 world champion; Emily Nagel, the young and experienced oceanic sailor, and Eugenia Bosco from Argentina. The home team Young Azzurra, winners of the first Grand Prix of the season, will be sailing against the aforementioned teams and Tixwave/Timeon, Sailing Performance, FabriSail and Okalys Youth Project.

Michael Illbruck Commodore of the YCCS, had these words: "We are proud to organise a foiling event in our waters for the first time. High performance sailing has always been geared towards foiling, and it's no coincidence that events like these attract so many young and talented sailors. We wish to thank Team 69F for their collaboration and we hope that all of the teams racing can enjoy two weeks of fun and fair competition. Fair winds to all, and especially to our home team Young Azzurra!"

Races are scheduled to start tomorrow and the forecast calls for westerly wind at 10 to 17 knots.

For the results , entry list, the official documents, event programme, photos and further information please visit the dedicated section on the YCCS website or contact the YCCS Press Office .