Official Audi Melges 20 Blog

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6 Nations Represented At Inaugural Audi Melges 20 Gold Cup

(MALCESINE, ITALY) – It was just twelve months ago that the first Audi Melges 20 sportboat fleet raced in Europe, yet tomorrow, an incredible 37 boats from a record six nations will square off for the first day of the inaugural Audi Melges 20 Gold Cup in Malcesine, Italy. “We’re so excited to see such a big fleet racing at the Gold Cup so early in the Class’s existence,” said Melges Performance Sailboats President Andy Burdick on his first trip to Lago di Garda. “Even more exciting for me is seeing how friendly everyone is, and the sense of camaraderie shared by everyone in the fleet, from the first-time Melges racer to fifteen-year veterans of sportboat racing.” Burdick, a multiple World and National Champion, won’t be racing in Malcesine, though the fleet certainly doesn’t lack talent; America’s Cup sailors like Matteo Ivaldi, Flavio Favini, and Andrea Felci will battle on the water along with Olympians like Chris Rast, Gabrio Zandona, and Nathan Wilmot.

One first-time Melges 20 racer is British-born Singapore resident Andy Bird, who traveled with his crew nearly 7,000 miles to join the action in Malcesine on his chartered Audi Melges 20. “We’re used to racing similar boats both in England and Singapore, but I’ve been itching to get into a Melges 20 for a while now, and it’s pretty hard to ignore the chance to race such a fun boat in one of the best sailing venues on Earth,” said Bird.

The Englishman isn’t exaggerating – Malcesine provides perhaps the most stunning backdrop in all of sailing – with 2,000-metre peaks towering over the race course, their sheer faces funneling the afternoon Ora breeze right past the historic castle city. “We are truly lucky to have a place like this for the biggest regatta in Audi Melges 20 history,” said Melges Europe President Federico Michetti, who will sail with Stefano di Properizio aboard Hulk along with Australian Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Wilmot. “I’m just the liasion between the guy yelling in Italian behind me and the guy yelling in Italian in front of me,” Wilmot joked.

Points Crucial For Penultimate Stage Of Series
While bragging rights for the victor of the first Gold Cup are important, the big picture sees Benedetto Giallongo’s Value Team with a strong lead in the Audi Melges 20 Sailing Series, with the final stage in Rimini in 8 weeks. With Series second-place holder Calvi Network missing Malcesine due to other commitments, Giallongo will rely on strong tactics from Enrico “Chicco” Fonda to hold off Luca Domenici’s Notaro Team if he is to become a two-time champion of the Audi Melges 20 Sailing Series. “We have been working hard to get our boatspeed back since we broke our original mast earlier this year,” said Giallongo. “I’m confident that our team can continue to sail consistently well, but the best we can do is cross our fingers, work hard, and hope our decisions keep us at the front of the 2010 Audi series.”

Live Video, World-Class Photos, and Social Networks
Melges Europe welcomes On-The-Water Anarchy to Malcesine for the first time this week for their live streaming video coverage of the 2010 Audi Melges 20 Gold Cup. The US-based sailing broadcasters will film from the grounds of the Fraglia Vela Malcesine while multiple professional photographers contribute high quality photos during each day of racing and the shore team posts up-to-the-minute racing information. “The Audi Melges 20 Class continues to attract more and more attention, and for good reason,” said Burdick. “It’s a blast!”

Please check out the Melges Europe Facebook Page for links to all the exciting video, pictures, results, and reports from Malcesine.

Series Results (After 3 Events)
1.) Benedetto Giallongo, Value Team; 51 pts.
2.) Carlo Alberini, Calvi Network; 53 pts.
3.) Luca Domenici, Team Notaro; 62 pts.
4.) Francesco Farnetti, Reggini Sailing Team; 63 pts.
5.) Renato Vallivero, Turnover; 71 pts.

View Photo Gallery – Meredith Block

1.) Stephanie Dawson, Fantome
2.) Andy Bird, Watertribe -
3.) Florian Keller, GER-160
4.) Dr. Laurent Risterucci, Boptibato
5.) Marco Laurino, Brontolo
6.) Luisa Bambozzi, Troublemakers
7.) Claudio Dutto, Watertribe-Belzebu
8.) Cesare Curnis, Watertribe-Levitano
9.) Marco Franchini, Watertribe-Mefisto
10.) Simone Todeschini, Watertribe-Santana
11.) Benedetto Giallongo, Value Team
12.) Vittorio Ruggiero, Talj
13.) Renatto Vallivero, Turnover
14.) Luca Modena, Fantastica
15.) Tommaso Buzzi, In Fila Per 3
16.) Federico Albano, 3Menda
17.) Luca Domenici, Notaro Team
18.) Marco Morina, Sei Tu 20
19.) Alessandro Franzi, Second Chance
20.) Lauro Bonora, Camay
21.) Enrico Pegoraro, Karma
22.) Ugo Capolino, Kempo
23.) Valter Campanile, Yacht Club Bari
24.) Matteo Rossomando, Red Crow
25.) Stefano di Properizio, HULK
26.) Francesco Farneti, Reggini Sailing Team
27.) Federico Strocchi, Cheyenne
28.) Fausto Rubbini, Thule
29.) Manfredi Vianini Tolomei, Maolca
30.) Paolo Porro, Jingle 3
31.) Marco Zaoli, ITA-182
32.) Manlio Soldani, Soldani
33.) Dario Levi, Fremito D’arja
34.) Alessandro Rombelli, Stig
35.) Claudio Recchi, Team 93
36.) Savino Formentini, Bitipi
37.) Michael Kiss, Bacio

Dear Owners,

Given the impossibility of Riva and Malcesine to accommodate the boats at the end of this week until the Gold Cup Malcesine (because of other major events that be using all their spaces), know that ARCO has space available for boat parking.

For those interested, you recieve all information at the time of the regatta from Luisa and Paola.

See you in Riva!

Notice of Race (NOR) • Pre-Registration Ends Thursday, June 10
For Further Information, Contact the European Audi Melges 20 Fleet
Audi Sailing Series

Click here for General Ranking

Copyright: B-plan

Photos by FABIO TACCOLA

RANKING:

1- Reggini Sailin Team (Farneti / Brcin)
2- Hulk (Di Properzio / Bressani)
3- Notaro Team (Domenici / Casale)
4- Sei Tu 20 (Morina / Bolzan)
5- Calvi Network (Alberini / Benussi)
6- Bela Vita (Molla / N. Bianchi)
7- Kempo (Capolino)
8- Thule (Rubbini / M.Ivaldi)
9- Value Team (Giallongo / Fonda)
10- Y.C Bari (Campanile)