Cardone wins Italian J/80 Challenge Match Race
by Donald Hart 5 Nov 2022 08:58 PDT
29-30 October 2022
Italian J/80 Challenge Match Race © Italian J/80 class
Last spring the Italian J80 class started promoting a series of match racing races. The first match was organized last spring by LNI Sestri Ponente Genova and CN Ilva.
Given the success of the event, the Italian J/80 class decided to replicate the event this fall on the Gulf of Tigullio, in front of Portofino.
The format was six J/80 one-design sailboats involved in a two-day competition. From October 29th to 30th, a total of thirty races were held, with very light winds on the first day and a good breeze of 5 knots on the second.
In the end, winning the event was Piero Cardone on JBES from the Sori Sailing Club. Second went to a familiar name in the Italian J/80 class- Massimo Rama's JENIALE! from LNI of Sestri Levante. Rounding out the podium was in third place was Paco Rebaudi on TABÙ-J from the Sailing Club of Sante Margherita Ligure.
The climate was both festive and fun, with great camaraderie with an unprecedented award ceremony with numerous magnum bottles of Cantina Mattia Vezzola sparkling wine being both sprayed everywhere in celebration and also consumed by the sailors.
The very successful event suggested trying to organize 4 match race events throughout the year and for this, we are organizing ourselves. Despite the years, the J/80 continues to be a very current excellent boat for competition! Even the dolphins loved our match race and swam together with us most of the time!