(Trieste, Italy)- Sailing on the Mediterranean and off the gorgeous
coastline of Italy's Adriatic Sea has its benefits. Spectacular natural
scenery. Famous coastal villages dating back to the days of Odysseus's
famous sailing epic "The Odyssey" traversing the Aegean, Ionian and
Adriatic Seas. The region is steeped in both history and the evolution
of civilization, especially as it relates to seafarers. In that great
tradition, local sailors continue to ply their waters in the hope of
winning some silverware as well as enjoying the voyage to their events.In Trieste, the tradition lives on, one of the great sailing areas in Italy. The weather conditions for sailing are great most of the time, with strong southerly sea-breezes flowing. The typical Northern wind called "Bora" (a.k.a. "mistral", "meltemi" in other parts of the world) can build up to incredible power, flowing down fast out of the Italian Alps at ferocious speeds in excess of 40-60 knots! Here is a report from Paolo Boido regards the local sailboat show and the local sailing scene:
"Trieste has produced some of the best Italian sailors in recent years, all great friends of the "J/Family" and most of them successful sailors with various J/Boats models. Two J/24 Worlds Champions, Vasco Vascotto (as well America’s Cup driver) and Rufo Bressani (internationally famous in many different Classes), hail from Trieste. Gabriele & Furio Benussi are also top drivers in J’s One-Design Classes. Roberto Vencato managing the Ullman Loft in Italy is also based in Trieste.
At the recent VELA Boat Show in Trieste, J/Boats Italy was displaying the gorgeous J/122 #78, an impressive site for many local sailors with its high-modulus black carbon fibre Hall Spars mast & boom-- the J/122 truly dominated the local sailing scene.
Piero Santi, the happy owner of this great yacht, is a kind of veteran among J/Boats Owners. He has owned a J/92, then a J/105, next a J/109, and now sailing this lovely J/122 Grand Prix Edition form JB Composites France. Mr Santi and crew won several races in the Trieste Gulf and North Adriatic Sea. Obviously now there is a great expectation waiting for impressive speed and results of this new J/122 on the local Trieste sailing scene. The crew will begin practicing and discovering how to sail faster their new “racing machine”, getting ready for the next IRC/ RORC European Championship that will take place in July 2012.
The Vela Boat Show is in it's fourth edition this year. This show is open just to sail yachts and takes place in the private and modern marina of Porto San Rocco located in a very nice eastern part of the coast of the Trieste gulf. The manager of the show, Roberto Sponza, is a great sailor in past 470 Olympic campaigns. We look forward with Roberto's help to have many more J-sailors in Trieste and the Adriatic Sea!" Best regards, Paolo Boido.
