Halloween Cup Optimist at Circolo Vela Torbole
by Elena Giolai 31 Oct 2021 11:10 PDT
30 October - 1 November 2021
The Halloween Cup of the Optimist class started on Saturday 30th October at Circolo Vela Torbole, happily back with record numbers (almost 600 sailors).
This year, therefore, it was back to pre-pandemic numbers, to the delight of the children and their families, who had the opportunity to have an international confrontation with 21 nations present at the end of the season.
A single race course, four junior batteries and one cadet battery and after two days of racing, four races were completed for the uniores, three for the cadets, thanks to an FIV Race Committee, which as soon as the first gust of wind arrived was ready to position the race course and give the starts in quick succession for all the batteries.
Despite the unclear weather conditions due to the approach of a disturbance forecast for the last day of Monday 1 November, it was a spectacle to see so many boats on the water, especially at the end of the season. Among the participating nations were the USA, as well as the now loyal Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Holland and increasingly Estonia and the Czech Republic.
On the first day, the Race Committee was able to take advantage of the last gust of wind from the south and, above all, of the last afternoon when the light lasted a little longer, considering the time change on Sunday: three races for the juniors and one for the cadets was the excellent result of the first day, while on Sunday the wind lasted just long enough for one race, reduced to a stern stick for the green and cadet fleets.
The provisional ranking sees James Pine in the lead among the juniors, protagonist of two firsts, a third (discarded) and a second, followed by three points the other helmsman Wylder Smith stars and stripes, which - discarded a seventeenth, with 3-1-3 is ahead of one point to Alessandro Massironi (CN Bardolino), excellent positions of the first girls: fourth overall and first female Aurora Ambroz (CVMuggia) followed closely by local Victoria Demurtas (Fraglia Vela Riva).
The ranking in the top 10 remains very short with eight competitors within two points from fourth to eleventh place: we will have to see if Monday, despite the bad weather forecast, with the first start scheduled for 8:00 am, there will be enough wind from the north to allow more races and play for the top positions on the water.
Among the cadets (9-10 years old) there is a fight at the top between Artur Brighenti (2-1-1, CNBrenzone) and Andrea Demurtas (3-2-3, Fraglia Vela Riva); third is Cristian Castellan (5-3-4, CV Muggia). The first girl Malea Hochbaum, tenth overall out of 115 racers, was German.
The Garda Trentino proved once again to be a surprising place, with plenty of wind even at this time of year: for many north-eastern European nations who have school holidays these days, it is one of the last opportunities to race in good weather conditions and, judging by the high number of participants, the occasion of the Halloween Cup to return to Torbole is appreciated by many racing teams, who have come to Garda Trentino with their families.
The 9th Halloween Cup Trophy will be awarded to the club with the best four classified athletes.
View the results here