(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- The first Act of the 2017/2018 Monaco Sportsboat
Winter Series got off to a cracking start, with winds up to 20-knots for
the first two days, allowing the Race Committee to whet the appetites
of the 80+ sailors on the water with six races.Consistency paid off for the Russians on ARTTUBE who handled the conditions to perfection, winning five of the six races in the J/70 class. Winners last season, the team led by Russia’s top woman keelboat skipper- Valeria Kovalenko- set the pace from the start, taking the opportunity to widen their lead with each race. The team for this event consisted of Denis Rozhkov, Alex Bozhkov, Egor Ignatenko, & Alex Emsov. They finished a clear 12 points ahead of newcomers to this Series, OMAN SAIL 1.
Despite
their best efforts, and having at the helm Stevie Morrison, 5th in the
49er class at the London Olympics, the Omanis were not able to overtake
ARTTUBE on the race track- finishing in 2nd with 17 pts. Rounding out
the podium was Italian skipper Germano Scarpa, leading his crew on SPORT
CUBE to a total of 19 pts. Among the Monegasques, Cesare Gabasio’s TINN J/70 came 4th. Congratulations also to a fine 10th place and first prize in the amateur category for Remi Piazza (Levante), a youngster from the YCM’s Sports Section.
“It is important to encourage amateurs to sail and thereby attract more enthusiasts,” believes Michel Boussard, President of the Monaco J/70 Class Association. Boussard also express his delight to see that 20-plus J/70 teams are already signed up for the next meeting in November of the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series 2017-2018.
Come racing all winter!Organized once a month from October to March by the Yacht Club de Monaco, in collaboration with technical clothing supplier, SLAM, the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series has proved a huge success since it launched in 2013. As evidenced by the presence of two Omani teams, these regattas for the J/70 and one-design classes continue to attract newcomers keen to prepare for the season ahead. The regatta schedule of five Acts include:
- Act 2: 10-12 November 2017
- Act 3: 8-10 December 2017
- Act 4: 19-21 January 2018
- Act 5: 9-11 March 2018
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