KATANA SAILING WINS IN SLOVENIA AND CLIMBS UP THE SEASON RANKING
Thirteen intense races in three days in Portoroz, Slovenia, for the fourth of five Grand Prix of the 2023 Algebris 69F Cup, hosted by Martina Portoroz.
The coastal tourist town, in full summer swing, welcomed six teams from five nations with beautiful sunny weather and light breeze, which seemed to have shaken up the rankings. The fleet, always keen for foiling conditions, nonetheless enjoyed displacement mode sailing, showing off their tactical and strategic skills in some old-school racing. The wind ranged between 6 and 8 knots, enough for the 69F to take off in almost half of the 13 races finished in Portoroz.
The level of the fleet has significantly improved, and five of the six teams each won a race, but the best of the week was undoubtedly Katana Sailing from Switzerland, the winner of most of the daily prize-giving awards for Best Track, Top Speed, and Boat of the Day. Enzo Balanger, Jann Schupbach, and Simone Salvà were very consistent over all three days of the competition and incurred very few penalties from the on-water umpires, Diego Yubero, and David Maria Gosalbez.
“We’ve just finished the race, it was a very light wind championship, we managed to win, and we are really happy about it, especially by finishing with six solid races today. We were hoping for a bit more wind, but this is what Aeolus wanted for us,” commented a visibly satisfied Simone Salvà, who has recently helped the Spanish SailGP team claim their first win in the circuit as their coach.
More than 10 points behind the ever-improving Team Antigua Barbuda, the Rum Runners, with Rocco Falcone, Alice Cialfi, and Filippo Amonti, won four races this weekend, proving their abilities are not confined to foiling mode.
“We came into the last day in second but very close to the top boats in the fleet, so the goal was to keep it smooth, keep it close to the others. We started with a very poor result, but luckily we came back slowly after that. Before the last race, we were super close in points to Katana and Groupe Atlantic. We managed to finish second, and we are happy about it. The team worked hard, particularly in the last race, and we are glad of our result,” said skipper Rocco Falcone.
On the bottom step of the podium, CER – Banc du Leman, Ville de Geneve, tied on points with Groupe Atlantic – winner of the first two events of the Algebris 69F Cup – the Swiss Morgan and Jeanlou Lauber and Luca Bertschy won the tiebreaker for having fewer penalties than the French, who collected more penalties than anyone else.
“It was tough racing all day, everything was open until the very last race, that is also why we are even happier about making it on the podium, and we’ll give it all at the next Grand Prix,” commented Morgan Lauber.
The final ranking:
1 Katana Sailing (Switzerland) – Skipper: Alexander De Weck, team: Enzo Balanger, Simone Salvà, Jann Shupbach
2 Rum Runners (Antigua) – Skipper: Rocco Falcone, team: Filippo Amonti, Alice Cialfi
3 CER – Banc du Leman / Ville de Genève (Switzerland) – Skipper: Morgan Lauber, team: Jeanlou Lauber, Luca Bertschy
4 Groupe Atlantic Sailing Team (France) – Skipper: Clément Cron, team: Louis Chambet, Valentin Sipan, Jessica Berthoud
5 Marga (Italy) – Skipper: Alessandra Angelini, team: Matteo Pilati, Francesco Rubagotti
6 Oceana Vivo (Great Britain) – Skipper: Zac Blomeley, team: Rosgo Banham, Sophie Otter
With the curtains closing on GP4, it won’t be long until they will open for the Youth Foiling Gold Cup Act 4 in Torbole, Lake Garda, from August 21st to the 27th, with more than 15 teams already entered. Right after that, it will be the girls’ turn with the first-ever Women Foiling Gold Cup in Gargnano, Lake Garda. The Algebris 69F Cup, the only open circuit on a one-design foiling monohull for crews, will be back in Puntaldia, Sardinia, with the first 69F European Championship, from September 22nd to the 24th.
