MOLLICONA Crowned Italian Champion(Tirano, Lake Como, Italy)- This year’s Italian J/24 Nationals were sailed on one of Italy’s more spectacular lakes- Lago di Como, north of Milan along the Swiss border. Host for the event was the President of Circolo Velico Tivano di Valmadrera, Giuseppe De Luca.
The regatta was sailed in the Bay of Pare Valmadrera in the southern portions of Lago di Como, a challenging location due to the fact that is “mountain lake” sailing, with shifty winds and an often strong “Breva Tivano” winds that develop in the afternoons.
After an amazing weekend of sailing ten races, the American team of Tom Whittemore was crowned the “Open” Italian J/24 Nationals Champion, winning by an incredible 15 pt margin (and not sailing the last race). Whittemore’s FURIO team from Seattle, WA is no stranger to sailing in Italy’s lakes and the Mediterranean, having won the event in the past.
Crowned as the Italian J/24 Champion was Giacomo Del Nero’s MOLLICONA team, taking second overall behind Whittemore with 45 pts. In third overall was Mario Di Fraia Pasquale sailing on BOTTA DRITTA, amassing 53 pts along the way. Fourth was a top Italian lakes sailor, Mario Mazzoni Fabio on the famous KONG GRIFONE with 57 pts. And, in fifth was Giovanni Bonzio sailing KILS with 71 pts. Past Italian Champion, Ignazio Bonnano on LA SUPERBA was, surprisingly, never a factor in the regatta after posting scores of 19-4-7-28 in the first four races.
Top three German teams were Feuerherdt Tobias’s MS EUROPA 2 in 7th overall, followed by Stefan Karsunke’s SULLBERG in 14th and Stefan Mais’s RUNNING MAN in 22nd. For more Italian J/24 Nationals sailing information
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