(Monte Carlo, Monaco)- With sea and air temperatures of 18°C (65.0 F) it
was like spring for the thirty-two J/70 contestants in Act II of the
Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series.Four races were completed under blue skies on a flat sea with 12 knots of wind for the J/70s on the first day. A forecast of Force 8/9 in the Mediterranean for Sunday meant there was no racing on the last day, with everyone happy to see the prize-giving brought forward.
Finns, Danes, Russians, Brazilians, English, Germans and, of course, Italians descended on the Principality to take advantage of the mild Mediterranean winter conditions to train and compete on the race area that will host the J/70 Worlds in 2021, organized by the Yacht Club de Monaco.
It
was an international field, but an all-Monegasque podium. It was an
intense battle between Nico Poons’ CHARISMA, Roberto Stefani’s PICCININA
and Ludovico Fassitelli’s JUNDA (winner of Act 1 in November). Despite
winning two races with ease, Ludovico Fassitelli was 3rd just behind
Roberto Stefani, making his return to the class with a new team and
tactics by France’s no.1 Laser sailor Jean-Baptiste Bernaz.But, the most consistent was Nico Poons, fresh from his triumph on the 2018 RC44 World Series circuit, whose bold tactics on the start lines placed CHARISMA in the best position in the race area to take the first step on the podium.
In the all-amateur Corinthian J/70 class, it was Swiss sailor Bruno Zeltner’s QUARTER2ELEVEN, a regular at the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series, who pipped Monegasque Cesare Gabasio’s TINN J70 to the post by one point to win it.
Third
place in the Corinthian J/70 category went to Claudio Canaccini,
leading a team of youngsters from the Yacht Club Italiano, who was
racing on one of the YC Monaco Sports Section’s J/70s loaned to them by
the YCM. It is all part of the Monaco club’s policy to boost exchanges
between clubs twinned with the YCM through its Youth Offshore Academy.The next events in the five Act series are:
- Jan 17-20- Act III
- Feb 7-10- Act IV- PRIMO Cup- Trophee Credit Suisse XXXV
- Mar 14-17- Act V Finale
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