Calasetta, Italy and the Lega Navale del Sulcis ready to host the RS Aero World Championships
by Elena Giolai 13 Jul 09:54 PDT
26-30 July, 2023
RS Aero World Championships © Michele Manconi
Calasetta and the Lega Navale del Sulcis are ready to host the RS Aero World Championships. The event will take place from July 26-30 and will feature racers from 17 nations, including Korea, the United States, Australia, Japan, and Canada. Italy and Sardinia will have a strong contingent of athletes competing, with many of them capable of challenging for the podium.
The event was presented at a press conference today, July 13, at the Region of Sardinia. Tore Turco, President of the Lega Navale del Sulcis and organizer of the World Championship, said that he is excited to host the event in Calasetta. He also thanked the Region of Sardinia for their support. Bruno Perra, Regional President of the Italian National Olympic Committee, said that sailing is a "primary sport" that should be supported, especially in schools. He believes that the World Championship will be a great opportunity to promote sailing in Sardinia.
Andrea Floris, head of the secretariat of the Regional Councillor for Sport and Culture Andrea Biancareddu, said that the Autonomous Region of Sardinia believes that "The Autonomous Region of Sardinia believes that sailing is a primary sport that should be supported, first and foremost, in schools, facilitating the new generations that want to practice it. This World Championship is proof that sailing is not only a sporting event, but also an extraordinary lever to promote our island throughout the world.
Tore Turco, President of the Lega Navale del Sulcis and organizer of the World Championship: "Thanks to those who have always believed in our organizational capabilities, and in Calasetta as a unique setting for the organization of events like this one that bring prestige to the entire Sardinian sports movement, gives us the stimulus to continue promoting sailing at high levels."
The President of the Italian Sailing Federation Sardinia, Corrado Fara, commends the organizers. "Lega Navale del Sulcis is renowned for their remarkable achievements, and Tore Turco possesses a touch of magic."
Last weekend, the fourth national RS Aero regatta was held in Calasetta, the last opportunity for high-level competition before the Championship that will award the world titles in the same location in southern Sardinia. The category winners were Francesca Ramazzotti (RS Aero 5-Veliamoci ASD), Andrea De Matteis (RS 6 - YC Cala dei Sardi), and Peter Barton (RS 7 - GBR) after eight races held in light to strong wind conditions.
The World Championship, which will have its first actual day of racing on July 26, with the opening ceremony on the 25th at 20:00, includes 14 regattas in all, over the five days of racing. There will be a maximum of four races per day, each lasting approximately 40 minutes. In addition to the overall titles in the RS Aero 5, RS Aero 6, RS Aero 7, and RS Aero 9 categories (the number refers to the square meters of sailing), the RS Aero Youth Under 22, Under 19, and Under 17 men's and women's titles, the women's title, and the Masters title (over 45 for women and over 55 for men) will also be awarded.
This is the first post-Covid Championship with such a large numerical participation, but also in terms of presence of foreign countries: 140 racers are expected from 17 nations, among which the farthest away are the United States, Korea, Australia, Japan, Canada, along with the Europeans Norway, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Norway, Ukraine, Czech Republic, and Latvia. Also present were reigning world champion in the RS Aero 5 category Dieter Creitz (USA) and fellow US vice-world champion RS Aero 7 Jay Renehan.
In Calasetta, it will be a spectacle thanks to the performance of this boat from the English shipyard RS, created a few years ago (2014) to offer an alternative to the Olympic Laser (currently Ilca), and then proposing itself to those who cannot sail full-time, but are looking for fun and good sailing opportunities. The main features of the boat are a light hull with different sail sizes to be adopted according to age, a carbon mast, which is divisible for easy transport, and fast and fun sailing.
In Calasetta, for the most important event of the year for this young class, which in Italy involves more and more sailors and the Lega Navale del Sulcis itself has chosen it as the single dinghy of reference, there will certainly be a spectacle on the two race courses planned in the area in front of the beautiful Sottotorre beach and to the east of the port of Calasetta, towards the mainland.
Entry list available here.
For more information visit event website.