FIRST DAY AT THE PERSICO 69F GRAND PRIX 2.1
The Swiss team Okalys Youth Project is in the lead
First day of racing at the Grand Prix 2.1 event of the Persico 69F Cup circuit. The event is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda together with Team 69F and will conclude on July 10th. Currently in the lead is the Swiss team Okalys Youth Project followed by the Italian teams FlyingNikka 47 and FlyingNikka 74.
This morning at 9 a.m. CEST sharp the teams participating in the event gathered in Piazza Azzurra for their morning briefing then headed out to sea immediately afterwards. The day saw unstable conditions and the first race got underway at about 12.30 in light north-easterly breeze at 7-9 knots. The second race only got underway in the afternoon in breeze that had rotated to the northwest: Costa Smeralda’s typical Mistral at 14-16 knots. When the wind built up to 20 knots racing had to be called off for the day.
Roberto Lacorte’s team FlyingNikka 47 got an excellent start and won the first race ahead of two Swiss teams: Okalys Youth Project and Sailing Performance. In the second of today’s races Young Azzurra got the best start and was leading up to the second reach when, while trying to lengthen their lead, they pushed their boat to the broaching point. The home team then tried to recover but ended the race in sixth place. First place in the second race was captured by the team FlyingNikka 74 with Alessio Razeto, Andrea Fornaro and Lorenzo De Felice aboard. The two Swiss teams repeated their placements from the first race: in second place Okalys Youth Project followed by Sailing Performance in third place. Thanks to their consistent performance, Okalys Youth Project is currently in the lead of this event, followed by FlyingNikka 47 and FlyingNikka 74, who are currently tied for points having won a bullet and a fifth place today.
Roberto Lacorte, owner of FlyingNikka 47 had these words: “Today we had two races in conditions that were totally different. In the first race we foiled well even though the breeze was from light to medium. Later, when the Mistral suddenly kicked in, the chop and the stronger air gave us some difficulties. We paid the price for not having trained much on the open sea, we’ve mostly trained on lakes.”
Ettore Botticini, Young Azzurra’s skipper said: “In the morning there was less breeze than we expected so we used a formation that sees Erica Ratti and Francesca Bergamo together aboard. In the second race we were doing well and leading up until the final reach when unfortunately we hit a patch with 30 knots and we broached. We’re hoping to recover, we know we can.”
There will be more racing July 9th. The forecast calls for Mistral at 18 to 20 knots.
