5.5 Metre Enoshima Trophy 2025 in La Spezia - Day 2
by Robert Deaves 10 May 14:23 PDT
9-11 May 2025
Rabicano (Arancia Malaspina) has maintained the lead at the Enoshima Trophy for 5.5 Metres after two more races in brilliant sunshine and a light to moderate wind on Saturday at La Spezia, Italy, but by the narrowest of margins.
Manuela V (Guideo Tommasi) matched a first and a second and the two boats are now tied, with Rabicano having the better discard. Grifone (Benedetta Di Salle) remains in third after leading the first race of the day until the final mark. Kukururu (Giuseppe Matildi) led for most of the second race until the end of the second upwind and crossed in third.
Saturday's two races were held outside the long breakwater guarding the Gulf of La Spezia and offered a change of scenery and a slight chop. The wind took a while to come but soon built to 10 knots until midway through the second race when it started to decrease to 5-7 knots again.
With the breeze shifting right, the right side was the place to be in Race 3. Manuela V dominated the start, but Grifone was first to tack right and rounded the first mark with a small advantage over Rabicano and Manuela V. Grifone extended slightly downwind and maintained the lead round the second top mark with Manuela V close behind. Rabicano had gone left after tacking away from a cover and trailed around in fourth, behind Kukururu. However, the last downwind was decisive. Manuela V closed on Grifone and took the inside overlap to lead into the finish. Rabicano likewise passed Kukururu on the inside, and while Manuela V took Grifone high into the finish, Rabicano dived down low and crossed in second, just seconds behind Manuela V and seconds ahead of Grifone.
One of the two varnished boats here is Volpina III, languishing in seventh place, but still enjoying racing with all these beautiful classic boats. Designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano, Italy and built by the Cantieri navali Baglietto, Volpina III was launched in 1963 with mahogany on acacia frames. She was originally sailed at Peschiera, on Lake Garda.
Manuela V again dominated the start of race 4, and started clear of the fleet, and covering Rabicano out to the left. Kukururu escaped to the right and rounded the top mark with a sizeable margin. They led down the two reaches and up the second beat, but by then the wind was getting lighter and shiftier, and starting to favour the left. Rabicano was first to the left, unable to find a lane on the right, and when the two sides met again, they were clear ahead and rounded in front to take a comfortable win. Kukururu held onto second, but Manuela V was right behind at the top, and being a much lighter boat was faster downwind, and just got the overlap at the final mark to lead Kukururu into the finish for second.
Kukururu is the oldest boat in the fleet, the oldest in Italy and one of the oldest in Europe, first launched in 1952 in Trieste, she was designed in carvel planked mahogany by Sweden's Arvid Laurin and built by Cantieri navali Baglietto.
Kukururu is now in fourth place overall after a great day the water, and the first 'amateur' sailed boat in the fleet. Kukururu has been owned by Giuseppe Matildi since 2011 and been developed ever since. As proven today, where it can be very competitive upwind, those gains can be lost downwind in light airs because it has a much larger wetted surface area than more modern boats, such as those in the top three which are all from the 1960s, and consequentially are much faster downwind in light airs.
This was also the last race for Violetta IV as they are unable to sail on Sunday. Designed by Pietro Baglietto, and built by Cantieri navali Baglietto, Violetta IV was built from carvel planked mahogany and first launched in Venice in 1956, making her the second oldest boat at the event
Racing in La Spezia concludes on Sunday. Rabicano and Manuela V may have a strong points advantage over the fleet, but it's going right down to the wire.
Results after Day 2: (four races)
1 Rabicano ITA 55 Arancia Malaspina 2,537.0
2 Manuela V ITA 36 Guido Tommasi 2,537.0
3 Grifone ITA 42 Benedetta Di Salle 1,583.0
4 Kukururu ITA 6 Giuseppe Matildi 1,239.0
5 Violetta IV ITA 21 Francesco Stefanon 741.0
6 Twins X ITA 32 Guido Fumagalli 516.0
7 Volpina III ITA 44 Stefano Cesari 504.0