Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 2026 - Inshore Races set the Gulf of Taranto ablaze
by Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 18 Jun 12:48 PDT
Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 2026 - InShore Races Taranto © Filippo Federici
Today, June 18th, provided thrilling action in the Apulian waters, where the Inshore races of the Giro d'Italia a Vela 2026 continued at full speed.
The race course, set against the splendid backdrop of the Gulf of Taranto, once again proved to be the ideal stage for the fastest and most spectacular boats on the current scene, confirming the excellent expectations set in.
Ideal weather conditions and increasing wind
The weather forecasts set in the day before proved to be extremely accurate: the wind, the main protagonist of the day, did not keep the racers waiting. Around 12:30, when the race committee's judges called together the specialists of the Waszp and WingFoil classes, a northerly breeze of about 10 knots was blowing across the course.
As the minutes passed, the wind gradually increased, stabilizing between 13 and 14 knots and giving way to stronger gusts that nearly reached 15 knots. This ideal thermal scenario ensured a highly technical and adrenaline-filled show.
Waszp show and forced stop for the wingFoils
The excellent conditions of the first part of the day allowed the Waszp fleet, the famous and acrobatic dinghies equipped with hydrodynamic appendages, to complete three heats smoothly. The WingFoil fleet, however, fared differently, managing to complete only one match.
Around 2:00 PM, the wind pressure dropped sharply, dropping below 8 knots. This drastic reduction in air pressure made "flying" on the water impossible: despite the repeated and vigorous physical efforts of the athletes, intent on incessantly pumping their sails to generate lift, the thrust was no longer sufficient to lift the boards on their foils.
Tomorrow, it's back to the open sea: the Figaro 3s set sail for Syracuse.
With the spectacular coastal races now over, the event's spotlight shifts back to offshore sailing. Tomorrow, the Offshore races, the true heart of the circumnavigation of the peninsula, will resume.
The crews aboard the high-performance one-design Bénéteau Figaro 3s are already focused on preparation and strategic planning. The start of the fourth stage of the Giro awaits them, a challenging and fascinating leg that will push the fleet southward until reaching the finish line in Syracuse.