Falcon foiling catamaran wins Line Honours in the RAN 630 on Mediterranean debut
by Giuliano Luzzatto 3 May 09:26 NZST
2 May 2025
The DNA F4 cat Falcon takes line honours in the RAN 630 © F.Taccola/ SVI2025/ RAN630
Gliding lightly on a smooth sea, on a clear, moonless night, at 3.22 am (CEST) today, 2 May, Matteo Uliassi's foiling catamaran Falcon crossed the finish line of the eighth edition of the Regatta of the Naval Academy - RAN 630 in front of Livorno, taking 4 days and 17 hours. It was an edition characterised by light breezes, although both on the approach to Porto Cervo and Capri the yellow catamaran managed to sail at almost 20 knots on the foils.
'We had a great time all the way to Capri,' declared Matteo Uliassi, 'then the upwind approach with light breezes was a pain, but we fought until the end and this result repays us, we are a great team and the boat is extraordinary, it still has a lot of potential to express. The course of the RAN 630 is interesting and we will definitely be back,' he says.
Together with owner and skipper Matteo Uliassi sailed Francesco Cerina - with whom he has already completed a season of offshore Double Handed on a Sunfast 3300 - Pete Cumming, Vittorio Papa, Iago Lopez Marra, Nadir Balena and Shannon Falcone, well-known America's Cup sailor and currently in Luna Rossa, who was the boat's designer and owner before handing it over to Matteo Uliassi.
In the meantime, the virtual regatta has also come to an end, for which the Yacht Club Livorno has chosen as its boat, the Class 40 Vaquita owned by its member Alessio Bernabò, winner in real time last year and absent for reasons of force majeure in this edition. The podium saw three competitors cross the finish line with minimal gaps on the afternoon of 1 May. three competitors crossed the finish line with barely any time gaps at all. FreyaUSA (USA) was first to finish at 17:36:43 UTC, with Bonknhoot (NED) and Smo (FIN) close behind at 9 seconds and 19 seconds behind, respectively.
Over 100 boats from 30 different countries took part. In the top 10: Netherlands, Finland, USA, Italy, Australia, France, South Africa, Denmark. Find out more at sailonline.org/races/all
For the night of today, 2 May, the arrival of the first monohull is expected, the X-41 Adrigole II, author of an excellent race, with about 25 miles ahead of the first group of pursuers, led by the overall and DH winners of the last two editions, YCL members Baroni-Miglietti on the Sunfast 3600 Lunatika, authors of a great recovery in the leg from Capri to Livorno. They are followed in order by Zeroincondotta, Amapola II, Tintorel, and Pegasus. More detached with about 100 miles to go is the second group led by Blues, Pegaso MM, Audace, Fomalhaut and Tattoo. At the back followed Mannicchia, Shark, Antares and Mizar Crocodile.
For the evening a Southwest wind is expected to come in, which could benefit in corrected time the yachts still at sea.
The RAN 630 is valid for the Italian Offshore Championship with a coefficient of 3. It is organised by the Livorno Yacht Club in collaboration with the Naval Academy and is part of the Accademia Navale - Città di Livorno International Sailing Week. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the Yacht Club Capri are kindly offering their technical support for the passages at their respective gates.
In addition to tracking on Yellow Brick, updates of the regatta are available on the RAN 630 Instagram and Facebook accounts.
The Naval Academy Regatta - RAN 630 is supported by main sponsor Officine Gullo, Italian excellence in the production of high-end kitchens. Official timekeeper is Locman, an Italian watchmaker based on the island of Elba, while Ubi Maior is technical sponsor.