Trieste Challenge - The Bora determines the outcome of the match

Mascalzone Latino Trifork Racing Team, skipper Jes Gram Hansen. Image copyright Ray Giubilo.

by Mascalzone Latino (in translation)

There was nothing to do Saturday morning for the crews on the final day of the Trieste Challenge 2008. Strong winds, with gusts of up to 30 knots, compelled the Race Committee to cancel racing.


The one race of the final that was sailed between the two Mascalzone Latino teams. Image copyright Ray Giubilo.

From the races in which "only Mascalzone Latino beats Mascalzone Latino", the team driven by Matteo Savelli was the winner yesterday in the first and sole race in the finals against Jes Gram Hansen, and gained the highest step of the podium. The lesser honour went, therefore, to the Mascalzone Latino Trifork Team that, although they won the second Round Robin, lost the one race of the finals that was held from which the definitive results were taken.


Matteo Savelli. Image copyright Ray Giubilo.

"There were four top-level days of race", commentated skipper Matteo Savelli. "The merit goes, above all, to my crew who succeeded, despite the difficult wind conditions, to enable us to manoeuvre very well and get the best boatspeed possible. Without them it would have been impossible to win: it was a victory for all of the Team!"


At the start. Image copyright Ray Giubilo.

During the week we have had to wait for the wind, and in some races it was rather unstable. The Race Committee was limited to two lots of Round Robins and concluded yesterday with the sole race of the final (1st/2nd) place. Savelli, after the mistake in the first race that cost him a point to Mirsky, gained 4 victories and was rewarded with 2nd place at the end of two Round Robin, won by Jes Gram Hansen.

The Frenchman, Damien Iehl, 5th in the ISAF match race rankings, and the Australian Torvar Mirsky, 4th on the World Match Racing Tour, placed respectively third and fourth at the conclusion of the two Round Robins. For them, the positions remained unchanged as there was no chance - because of too much wind - for any races for the 3rd - 4th place sail-off.

"I am always very happy to race in Trieste", declared the skipper of Mascalzone Latino Trifork Racing Team, Jes Gram Hansen, "it is an interesting place to race. Unfortunately, although victorious in the Round Robin, we lost the sole regatta of the finals, and this gave us second place overall, but we are, however, satisfied. Mascalzone Latino was not be able to win any more than the team already has done!"

At the end of the event, the patron Vincenzo Onorato, detained in Milan by important business, commented on the results obtained by the Mascalzone Latino teams: "I could not imagine such a wonderful ending! Well done, Jes! Very well done, Matteo!"

Mascalzone Latino will, after some rest days, transfer to Newport, Rhode Island, where they will sail in the Mumm 30 Worlds at the beginning of October. Vincenzo Onorato will be at the helm of the boat, supported by Adrian Stead in the role of tactician.

Mascalzone Latino
La Sfida - Trieste Challenge