SWAN SARDINIA CHALLENGE, ODDS ARE OPEN GOING IN TO THE FINAL DAY
There were three races run today at the Swan Sardinia Challenge, and top positions have changed in some Classes. In the lead going into the final day of racing we have: Hatari (ClubSwan 50), G-Spot (ClubSwan 36), Nadir (ClubSwan 42) and Ulika (Swan 45).
There was an ideal Mistral breeze today at 14 to 18 knots and the Race Committee got three races in for the fleet of 34 yachts total divided into four Classes. There are 12 different nations represented here in Porto Cervo for the first edition of the Swan Sardinia Challenge, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda together with Nautor’s Swan and ClubSwan Racing.
The regatta course set up just off Porto Cervo was particularly technical and gave tacticians and strategists lots of opportunities for capturing better positions. All of the Classes were compact, rounding marks and gates in tight groups and finishing within seconds of each other.
It was Hatari’s day in the ClubSwan 50 Class, helmed by her German owner Marcus Brennecke with Marcus Wieser tactician and Michele Ivaldi strategist. With two first places and a second in today’s races she has now captured the lead of her Class from Sparti. This team dropped back overall after placing sixth in the first race despite getting a good start, but they came back to place third then first and are just four points behind Hatari. Owner/driver Brennecke had these words as he disembarked after the race: “I’ve known Porto Cervo since the 1984 Sardinia Cup, and again today it has offered us a fantastic day. We sailed really well and are happy; we’re four points ahead but tomorrow could change everything. Sparti has a strong team and they recovered well in the third race.”
G-Spot stays in the lead of the ClubSwan 36 Class, still ahead of Vitamina thanks to a first place finish in the day’s final race. In third place, and just one point behind Vitamina, we have Lorenzo Mondo’s Farstar (Alvaro Marinho tactician) that won the first race followed by a third and a second today. “We’re really happy with the way today went,” said Simon Sivitz, their mainsail trimmer. “We worked well and stayed concentrated throughout the day. We think that we’ve found a good tuning for these conditions even though there’s still a lot to learn about these new boats.”
There were some changes at the head of the ClubSwan 42 Class where Pedro Vaquer Comas’ Nadir bumped Koiré – Spirit of Nerina, who wasn’t sailing at her best, out of first place. In the Swan 45 Class, Stefano Masi’s Ulika is still in the lead with two first places and one third. She will head out to race tomorrow with a two-point lead over Lennard van Oeveren’s Motions. Klaus Diederichs’ Fever is currently in third place.
Hatari, Farstar, Nadir and Ulika, the winners of the day, were awarded trophies in Piazza Azzurra by Cantine Ferrari Trento, sponsor of the third day of racing at the Swan Sardinia Challenge.
Tomorrow is the final day of the first edition of this event, dedicated to Nautor’s Swan One Design Classes. The event is also the second in the Nations Trophy. The forecast for tomorrow is for light and variable breeze and racing is scheduled to begin at 11:00.
