Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour and ORC promote double-handed offshore racing

Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour © MMNRT / MMelandri

The organizers of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour (MMNRT) announce a new promotional agreement with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) and its 2023 Double-Handed World and European Championship events aimed to promoting the double-handed racing at events of the MMNRT.

"During the winter I had several talks with Bruno Finzi, president of the ORC," said Riccardo Simoneschi, leader of SSI Events, the organizer of the MMNRT. "We talked about the need to promote double-handed offshore sailing, a format that is now widely recognized, is constantly growing and absolutely worthy of attention. I shared with him my vision of the macro objective: the attempt to have this as a recognized Olympic discipline, and take back the mismanaged idea of World Sailing.

"In fact, it is unthinkable to have different boats in an Olympic event, and it would be wrong in economic efficiency not to seize the opportunity to develop the discipline already offered by the current panorama of international offshore sailing that offers many high-caliber events. Skills such as seamanship, navigation and endurance should prevail over specific knowledge of the vessel, and this format will make it possible to have regattas ready to be sailed on all continents without being tied to an unthinkable number of specific fleets.

"On the other hand, this can be used in limited numbers for the hosting of continental and World Championships in one-design formats as the Nastro Rosa has already been doing for four years."

Simoneschi and Finzi have conferred with the organizers of the two 2023 ORC DH Championships to agree to offer Wild Card invitations to the MMNRT to top finishers of each event. These include this year's ORC Double-Handed World Championship, held over 9-15 September at Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (ESP) - www.bcnorcdhworld2023.com - and the 2023 ORC Double Handed European Championship held over 10-18 June at Helsingør Sailing Club (DEN) as part of the 2023 Sjaelland Rundt Sailing Week - sjaellandrundt.dk/orc-dh.

A complete list of the events of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour are listed on the Tour's website at www.nastrorosatour.it.

"Our agreement with ORC stems precisely from the awareness that it is necessary to find common values and innovation as well as to bring the largest and most representative part of our sport back to the Olympics in at least one of the medals awarded," said Simoneschi.

"We are pleased to work with the MMNRT to promote offshore DH sailing," said Finzi. "As Riccardo says, we have a common interest in promoting this important sector of our sport for its enjoyment by the sailors we service in addition to its promotion towards eventual inclusion at the Olympics."