Mascalzone Latino Melges 32. Image copyright Mascalzone Latino.
by Lorenza Priamo
After the Key west race week, which has launched the racing season, Mascalzone Latino - the 34th America's Cup Challenger of Record, under the colors of Club Nautico di Roma - proceeds in his training program by taking part this week to the One-design Class Melges 32 regatta in Miami (U.S.A.).
Onorato’s team is therefore back to the Florida’s celebrated peninsula, to race in the 2011 Miami Melges 32 Chamionship.
With the presence of about 20 boats, Mascalzone Latino will have to contend with a very strong American contingent, headed by John Porter ’s Full Throttle, the current World’s Vice-Champion. The Italian contingent is completed by Lanfranco Cirillo’s Fantastica.
Mascalzone’s team will be on board its Melges 32 after an eight months’ focused on other programs like the Louis Vuitton Trophy and to the RC44 Class, where they showed recently a great form by achieving two brilliant victories in the last two events: in Miami last November and in Key West just few weeks ago.
The racing schedule starts on Friday the 4th March, and will last for 3 days with a maximum number of eight races. Vincenzo Onorato will be at the helm of Mascalzone Latino ITA 2121 and there will be sailing with him, at the tactic Francesco Bruni (2009 World Vice-Champion), Alberto Bolzan as mainsail trimmer, Andrea Ballico and Stefano Ciampalini as trimmer, Matteo Savelli as pitman, Iztok Knafelc as mastman and Daniele Fiaschi as bowman.
This regatta is will be the first event for Mascalzone Latino in the Melges 32 Class circuit, and it will be a good training for the Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series and for the top event of the season, the World Championship in Palma di Maiorca.
A week after returning from the USA, Mascalzone Latino will be present in Naples (Italy) – from the 18th to the 20th of March – for the first event of the Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series.
“We like very much the fleet racing and endeavor to take part in these events aiming always for the top – Onorato says - .In Miami we will face about 20 contenders: they are mainly Americans, very well acquainted with these boats and well training. But nonetheless we count on learning in the course of the season and on becoming always more competitive. We are aware that there is much work to do, of that we will compete against well prepared teams and we feel enthusiastic for the opportunity of sailing in such competitive event.”
Mascalzone Latino
