WASZP and Wingfoil ready to take flight as the battle for the red jersey intensifies with Acone Associati and Guardia di Finanza attempting to break away.
The Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour reaches Vieste for the second stage in Puglia. This leg, spanning 260 miles from Taranto to Gargano, is also the longest of this year’s race around the peninsula.
The Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour’s Race Village is ready to welcome sailing enthusiasts and guests in Vieste. In the coming hours, the offshore fleet of Beneteau Figaro 3 will also arrive.
Tomorrow, the inshore races for the WASZP and Wingfoil classes will commence, promising a spectacular display as athletes soar over the water in one of Italy’s most beautiful locations.
The Taranto-Vieste leg began yesterday at 12:30 p.m. with a breeze that gradually increased throughout the day. This allowed the teams to push their boats’ performance along the southern coast of the “heel” of the peninsula. The Guardia di Finanza team (Filippo Baldassarri and Antar Vigna) and the “pink jersey” Acone Associati team (Marco Augelli and Francisco Gonzales Sanchez) were the first to attempt a breakaway. They closely marked each other, opting for a position closer to the coast, while the rest of the fleet tried to play their cards differently.
As night approached, the leaderboard saw some changes. Acone Associati and Guardia di Finanza, who had positioned themselves too close to the coast, struggled to find the right wind pressure and were caught up by the chasing group. At the passage in Santa Maria di Leuca, Deas Sanfer (Irene Ferrante and Sami Al Shukaili) held the first position, closely followed by Marina Militare (Simone Scontrino and Francesco Linares). Prior to this, the race saw DR Automobiles (Charlie Elise and Raulf Berry) retire from this leg due to running aground. Fortunately, no harm was done to the crew, and immediate assistance was provided by the closest team, Aeronautica Militare (Giancarlo Simeoli and Giovanni Cerocchi). The boat, without apparent serious damage, reached Gallipoli where the shore team of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour promptly took charge of the hull for initial assessments and necessary repairs carried out overnight. DR Automobiles is expected to join the race again in the next leg, Vieste-San Benedetto.
During the ascent near Brindisi, there was another upheaval in the rankings, with Acone Associati and Guardia di Finanza regaining the lead. Behind the leading duo, a duel between Marina Militare and Deas Sanferunfolded.
In the Vibo Valentia-Taranto leg as well, the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 2023 promoted the “Discover Where You Port” project by ENIT (Italian National Tourism Agency), featuring seventeen itineraries inspired by historical routes. For this leg, the organizing committee chose to overlap certain sections with the Rotta del Levante (Route of the East), a journey to be explored between Otranto and Rodi Garganico.
The Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour 2023 is organized by Difesa Servizi S.p.A. and SSI Events with the support of the Marina Militare.
