Solo British team Nikki and Ollie are pleased with their result © Artemis Offshore Academy
by Artemis Offshore Academy media
With light winds forecast for the Gran Premio d’Italia, it was always going to be more ‘3,2,1, - drift off’, than lift off. However, after 5 days and 17 hours of trying to fill their sails with every breath of wind, sole British duo, Artemis Offshore Academy Mini skipper Nikki Curwen and Graduate Ollie Bond finished the 300-mile race in Genova, Italy amongst the top 10 finishers, claiming 5th place in the Series boat division and 9th place overall out of a field of 28.
Although there were six duos racing the Pogo design, not renowned for its light wind performance, Nikki and Ollie were delighted to be the first boat of this design over the finish line: "This was a great result for us, as this type of boat is best surfing downwind and for the duration of the Gran Premio d’Italia we were switching between sailing upwind, downwind, across the wind and even backwards every 10 minutes! We zipped through our arsenal of sails, dropping and hoisting a new one at what felt like every two seconds - it was great practice,” Nikki enthused after the race.
The double-handed race beginning and ending in Genova, Italy was shortened to from 540 miles to 300 miles due to the light forecast, taking the fleet north after passing the island of Giglio and Giannutri towards Pianosa, instead of south to Sardinia. Nikki and Ollie crossed the finish line in Genova at around 04:20 BST on Thursday 18th April and, as expected, the light winds combined with the shadowing islands of the Mediterranean made for a challenging race: “The wind was very light and very shifty with just the odd gust of up to 10 knots. On average we saw between two and five knots daily and spent most of our time setting up the Mini in everyway we could to try and catch a breeze,” explained Nikki. “Even after managing to catch a breeze and get slightly ahead of the other boats, before you knew it you’d be back in a hole..”
“Although at times frustrating, the light conditions meant we could stay well rested and fed, taking the driving in two hour shifts,” recounted Ollie. “We even managed to do a bit of wildlife spotting, seeing dolphins, three or four whales, two turtles – and a tractor tyre!”
The 28 Mini's lined up in Genova prior to the race © Italian Yacht Club - Photo: Stephano Gattini
For Ollie, a 2009 Mini Transat 6.50 competitor, Academy Graduate and previous owner of the Artemis Offshore Academy Mini, the Gran Premio d’Italia was his first race back aboard the boat in four years: “I really enjoyed the race, it was a lot of fun. I don’t know how many times I said to Nikki on the way round, I’m buying a Mini.”
With light winds forecast for the Gran Premio d’Italia, it was always going to be more ‘3,2,1, - drift off’, than lift off. However, after 5 days and 17 hours of trying to fill their sails with every breath of wind, sole British duo, Artemis Offshore Academy Mini skipper Nikki Curwen and Graduate Ollie Bond finished the 300-mile race in Genova, Italy amongst the top 10 finishers, claiming 5th place in the Series boat division and 9th place overall out of a field of 28.
Although there were six duos racing the Pogo design, not renowned for its light wind performance, Nikki and Ollie were delighted to be the first boat of this design over the finish line: "This was a great result for us, as this type of boat is best surfing downwind and for the duration of the Gran Premio d’Italia we were switching between sailing upwind, downwind, across the wind and even backwards every 10 minutes! We zipped through our arsenal of sails, dropping and hoisting a new one at what felt like every two seconds - it was great practice,” Nikki enthused after the race.
The double-handed race beginning and ending in Genova, Italy was shortened to from 540 miles to 300 miles due to the light forecast, taking the fleet north after passing the island of Giglio and Giannutri towards Pianosa, instead of south to Sardinia. Nikki and Ollie crossed the finish line in Genova at around 04:20 BST on Thursday 18th April and, as expected, the light winds combined with the shadowing islands of the Mediterranean made for a challenging race: “The wind was very light and very shifty with just the odd gust of up to 10 knots. On average we saw between two and five knots daily and spent most of our time setting up the Mini in everyway we could to try and catch a breeze,” explained Nikki. “Even after managing to catch a breeze and get slightly ahead of the other boats, before you knew it you’d be back in a hole..”
The light winds meant the pair got a lot of sail changing practice in © Artemis Offshore Academy
“Although at times frustrating, the light conditions meant we could stay well rested and fed, taking the driving in two hour shifts,” recounted Ollie. “We even managed to do a bit of wildlife spotting, seeing dolphins, three or four whales, two turtles – and a tractor tyre!”
For Ollie, a 2009 Mini Transat 6.50 competitor, Academy Graduate and previous owner of the Artemis Offshore Academy Mini, the Gran Premio d’Italia was his first race back aboard the boat in four years: “I really enjoyed the race, it was a lot of fun. I don’t know how many times I said to Nikki on the way round, I’m buying a Mini.”
Academy Figaro programme Graduate Ollie © Lloyd Images
“To finish top ten in what were difficult conditions, demanding the full concentration of the sailors in such light and variable conditions, is a great achievement for both sailors and the Academy,” commented Academy Performance Director John Thorn. “The result will come as another big confidence boost for Nikki, who is working towards qualifying and racing in the 4,020 mile Mini Transat 6.50 in October, and looks to have perhaps converted an already accomplished UK Mini sailor, Ollie, back to an exciting class.”
With two races down Nikki now has one to go, the 290nm Fuel Cell Systems UK Solent 6.50 starting 5th May, before she will have accumulated the full 1000 race miles needed to qualify for the epic Mini Transat 6.50 in October, a race colorfully compared by the Italian Class Mini to ‘a fleet of walnut shells crossing the Atlantic.’ After giving up her home, job and life in the UK to make her mark on the Class Mini circuit, it is Nikki’s dream to compete in the epic race and follow in the footsteps of her father, Simon Curwen and, arguably the most famous female offshore sailor in the world, Ellen MacArthur who too started her career in the Mini Class.
You can follow Nikki as she continues on her journey to the Mini Transat 6.50 start line in Douarnenez, France via our website, Facebook and Twitter.
Top ten Gran Premio d'Italia overall results
Position/Skipper&co-skipper/Boat no./Boat name/Series or Proto
1. L.Mechin&S.Duculty/5/Paris Texas/Proto
2. J.MacFarlane&A.Fornaro/716/macfarlane.com/Proto
3. B.Garcia&D.Costa/240/Sampaquita/Proto
4. C.Lizancos&S.Manuard/431/Reyno de Navarra/Proto
5. P.Braud&C.Segard/502/13 Au Large/Series
6. P.Loulier&M.Claveau/746/Colibrì-Chevaux du/Series
7. A.Pendibene&G.Valsecchi/520/Marina Militare/Series
8. P.Pasanau&F.Carbonell/519/Peter Punk/Series
9. N.Curwen&O.Bond/438/Artemis/Series
10. G.Gelmini&S.Paltrinieri/Exing99/Proto
For the results in full click here.
