Lanfranco Cirillo's Fantastica. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/B-Plan.
by Joy Dunigan
Two more races were in store on the second day of the 2010 Audi Melges 32 European Championship, confirming that undoubtedly Joe Woods on Red and Peter Rogers on Highlife are more determined to succeed than any other.
Melges 32 Europeans fleet action. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/B-Plan.
The fleet initially waited for the breeze to fill in as it has proven more difficult to read than ever before. Right away, Dutch entry Kees Kaan on ROARK, seated last turns the weather mark in race one in first, while overall leader Woods was last.
Mauro Mocchegiani's Rush Diletta. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/B-Plan.
Kaan slowly but surely lost control of the lead to U.S. team John Kilroy on Samba Pa Ti with Stu Bannatyne on tactics. Kilroy won the the race ahead of Italian rivals Lanfranco Cirillo on Fantastica and Luca Lalli on B.LinSailing.com. Rogers suffered with an eighth place finish while Woods accepted a thirteenth.
Luca Lalli's B.LinSailing.com. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/B-Plan.
There were more signs of tension and nervousness for the start of race two. After the third attempt at a start, Woods, with Paul Goodison on tactics (an Olympic Gold Medallist in the Laser class) and Edoardo Pavesio on Fra Martina with Charles Fracassoli on tactics, were among those that proved to have enough boat speed to build a substantial lead for the duration of the race. The wind diminished leaving Ferdinando Battistella’s Cuervo Y Sobrinos with Sandro Montefusco as tactician in third. For Cirillo, he won a ninth place finish, and Lalli’s lackluster results were their worst yet. Rogers was satisfied with a nice seventh place, also his worst result thus far.
Joe Woods' Red. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/B-Plan.
The overall top five positions remain unchanged but the standings have closed the gap.
Audi Melges 32 European Championship Fleet Action. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/B-Plan.
Top 10 results (after 5 races)
1.) Joe Woods/Paul Goodison, Red; 1-6-1-13-1= 22
2.) Peter Rogers/Ruaridh Scott, Highlife; 2-1-5-5-7 = 23
3.) Lanfranco Cirillo/Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; 4-2-6-2-9 = 23
4.) Luca Lalli/Lorenzo Bressani, BLinSailing.com; 3-5-3-3-10 = 24
5.) John Kilroy/Stu Bannatyne, Samba Pa Ti; 8-9-4-1-5 = 27
6.) Jean-Francois Cruette/Christian Ponthieu, Teasing Machine; 7-4-9-12-6 = 41
7.) Filippo Pacinotti/Freddy Loof, Brontolo; 13-7-2-16-12 = 49
8.) Andrea Cecchetti/Vasco Vascotto, Bagua; 10-11-7-6-16 = 50
9.) Wolfgang Stolz/Sten Mohr, Opus One; 9-12-8-7-11 = 50
10.) Mauro Mocchegiani/Matteo Ivaldi, Rush Diletta; 13-14-13-8-4 = 52
Luca Lalli's B.LinSailing.com. Image copyright Carlo Borlenghi/B-Plan.
Melges 32 Europeans
