RS500 World Championship at Centro Vela Alto Lario, Lake Como, Italy

by Michiel Geerling & Federico Maccari 21 Aug 2017 09:33 BST 24-28 July 2017

RS500 World Championship at Lake Como © Alexander Panzeri

The RS500 Worlds at Lake Como started off with difficult conditions and a really international leaderboard, but finished off with the true 'Breva' wind filling in across the lake.

Day 1

This can be summarized with long waiting and no sailing. With heavy gusts from every direction, shifts of 50' to 110'. But off course the RS500 class made something great of this.

The Vikings from Sweden did a demonstration show, and it indeed showed it was a good decision to stay ashore.

Day 2

The day started with a bit of wind, then the wind disappeared to come back from the same direction, the North. With wind from the North the locals know, it is going to be touch. Wind-shifts and gusts appearing from everywhere.

It was very crowded on the start line during the first race. This resulted in a general recall and a blag flag. The 2nd attempt everyone was more conservative and the 'puzzle' started. The first and 2nd round were going well and the shifts were nice to react to. After that, during the 3rd round, the top 10 was approaching the finish and the wind shifted almost 180', resulting in abandoning the race.

The 2nd attempt, the class could finish the race. Reading the water well and keep the boat fast was the thing to do. And that is what the locals Francesco Bozana and Andrea (ITA) did best, followed by Michiel Geerling and Esther (NED) and Martin and Axel Johanson (SWE).

RS500 World Championship at Lake Como - photo © Alexander Panzeri

The 3rd race of the day was a copy of the 1st race. After 2 rounds the race was abandoned. And then a good breeze came in. And the fleet could have another good race.

End results: With 2 times a 3rd place Swedish father and son Martin and Axel Johansson are leading followed by local expert brothers Federico and Fillipo Maccari (ITA). A couple of black flags and bad results of top-sailors a lot can (and will happen).

Day 3

A day of no wind / very light wind from all directions, we sat and talked in the sun, listening to the ever-growing laughter in the cookery school and wine tasting out on by the club for the non-sailors. Kathyrn brought her infamous Games Night forward and, whilst awaiting the wind, 6 national teams engaged in hilarious combat. The youth and beauty of the Italian team was just pipped by the age and cunning of the UK team. Finally the no racing today signal sounded and the fleet headed to the bar.

The (young and beautiful) Italian team finish 2nd in Games Night during the RS500 World Championship at Lake Como - photo © Heather Chipperfield

The older, but more cunning UK team win Games Night during the RS500 World Championship at Lake Como - photo © Heather Chipperfield

Day 4

The weather forecast finally should allow some good races with the typical Breva (south wind), but some remaindering of the previous days perturbations around the mountain makes the fleet wait on the shore, and then in the water for a good couple of hours. In the end, when hopes are fading, here it comes - a 6-8 knots south breeze, just about right to get the race started. A short course and short starting line makes it tricky to come out from the start with full speed and in fact 10-15 boats are too "brave" and end up with a BFD in the first race. Second race exactly the same as the first one, crews are more conscious on the line bringing a clear start. Interesting race course very close to the east coast of the lake giving the impression you need to get down there, while the reality is different and closing to the windward mark left shifts gives advantages to that side of the course. Federico and Filippo Maccari use all their local experience to come up with two bullets gaining the leadership on the race, behind all the others struggle to get constant results apart from Kikkert-Stapel (NED) who are very comfortable in these light winds bringing home 4 and a 3, followed by Bozano-Dellepiane with 6-7. Disappointment for the Swedish Martin and Axel Johansson (BFD-5), Bokmark-Persson (BFD-6) and the locals Oppizzi-Frazzca (BFD-2), that starting line had its victims!

RS500 World Championship at Lake Como - photo © Alexander Panzeri

Day 5

It seemed like the previous day, hot, sunny, no wind. The forecast is good again though so the fleets go out in the water hoping to catch the wind as soon as it comes. Finally after 4 days, the real Breva makes it appearance starting with 10-12 knots and growing with gusts of 14-16. Great decision of the Race Committee to leave the course very short making races very close and intense from start to end. Race course strategy changed from the previous day and with good breeze coming in, the right side (and the coast) is actually the side to chase for the first 2 races while in the third and last race both sides are even giving chances also to those boats not having a good start and forced on the left side of the course. As expected, as the wind grows, the Brits start showing their muscles with Russell-Snellgrove (5-6-1), Peter and James Curtis (6-2-UFD, which was a 1st!) and Saul-Caswell (3-7-6) taking the scene. Federico and Filippo Maccari though are well prepared in this conditions and with a 1-3 in the first two races secure their triumph in the Championship with still a race to go (4thplace). The Swedish team pays the BFD of the previous day with a 21st in the last race, impossible to discard, leaving them with the bronze medal in favour of the Italians Bozano-Dellepiane, never as comfortable with strong wind as today (22-8-2), taking Silver and their first podium in a World Championship.

RS500 World Championship at Lake Como - photo © Alexander Panzeri

It has been a very interesting championship, we had all possible conditions and the level of the fleet is raising every year. Lots of new teams are coming in and fighting with more experienced ones. We all can't wait already to be in Weymouth next year to have another great well of sailing....and partying (thanks Dutch as always)!

Overall Results:

Pos	Nat	Sail No	Helm	Crew	Club	Pts
1st	GBR	1015	Federico Maria Maccari	Filippo Maccari	Circolo Vela Bellano	12
2nd	ITA	944	Francesco Bozano Gandolfo	Andrea Dellepiane	Circolo Nautico Ugo Costaguta	34
3rd	SWE	51	Martin Johansson	Axel Johansson	SS Kaparen	43
4th	GBR	1097	Richard Russell	Hannah Snellgrove	Lymington Town SC	44
5th	NED	1066	Michiel Geerling‑van Susante	Esther Hopmans	W V Braassemermeer	51
6th	SWE	111	Peter Bokmark	Martin Persson	GKSS	55
7th	GBR	659	Peter Curtis	James Curtis	Grafham Water Sc	68
8th	ITA	1611	Alessandro Ballio	Ferrara Francesco	Persport SSD	72
9th	ITA	1032	Michele Oppizzi	Pietro Frazzica	Per Sport Colico	73
10th	NED	1003	Thomas Rot	Marloes Rot	WVA Vinkeveen	73
11th	SWE	821	Stephan Fassberg	Johanna Fassberg	SS Kaparen	83
12th	ITA	1609	Arturo Beltrando	Stefano Beltrando	AVNO	85
13th	ITA	1031	Cara Matteo	Pizzagalli Leonardo	Per Sport	89
14th	ITA	740	Mauro Finazzi	Walter Bragagnini	YCBG	93
15th	NED	1038	Anneke Kikkert	Floris Stapel	W V Braassemermeer	99
16th	CZE	1010	Anna Milerova	Klara Houskova	Sokol Dobrichovice	107
17th	NED	894	Bruno Goris	Edith Kanters	tbc	115
18th	GBR	1040	Mike Saul	Faye Caswell	Yorkshire Dales SC	116
19th	ITA	1604	Iacopo Roncuzzi	Federico Roncuzzi	Circolo Nautico Del Savio	120
20th	ITA	1617	Tommaso Marchesi	Isaia Del Rosso	Persport SSD	122
21st	NED	67	Johan van Veen	Viktor Haaksman	A.L.S.Z.V. De Blauwe Schuit	122
22nd	ITA	699	Riccardo Urbani	Lodovico Bruno	Orza Minore	124
23rd	NED	1074	Maarten Berendschot	Robin Rijnhout	GWV Elfhoeven	130
24th	ITA	946	Luca Abergo	Stefano Costini	Circolo Nautico Ugo Costaguta	131
25th	NED	718	Max Groen	Bjorn Oude Avenhuis	WVA Vinkeveen	131
26th	ITA	950	Luca Carlini	Rodolfo Rubino	Ugo Costaguta	148
27th	FRA	940	Olivier Thomas	Paco Thomas	CVLM	153
28th	ITA	1110	Asia Poni	Federica Grazioso	Circolo Nautico Del Savio	157
29th	NED	1058	Martin Wolters	Niels Dieleman	WVA Vinkeveen	163
30th	NED	607	Martijn Jessurun	Thijmen Santen	WVA Vinkeveen‑Abcoude	163
31st	FRA	1093	Alexandre Emanuel	Caroline Andrevon	Y.C.G.C.	165
32nd	NED	994	Jochem Slikboer	Henk Duit	ZDandO	165
33rd	NED	1076	Senne van Dijk	Lukas van den Broek	GWV Elfhoeven	172
34th	FRA	1039	David Jones	Sylvie Jones	CLVM	172
35th	NED	1020	Marjolein Hufen	Liesbeth Boersma	WV Braassemermeer	173
36th	ITA	1613	Caterina Ridolfi	Irene Baraldi	Circolo Nautico Del Savio	181
37th	GBR	1005	George Wilson	Laura Wilson	Netley SC	187
38th	ITA	892	Giulia Rossi	Adriana Campanella	Persport Colico	194
39th	SVK	772	Patrick von Morgen	Samuel Lukacovic	ALT RS	203
40th	NED	1023	Mark den Heijer	Francesco Maltoni	ALSZV De Blauwe Schuit	207
41st	NED	1019	Marije Willemsen	Lonneke van Es	K.M.V de Kaag	218
42nd	ESP	763	Toni Roldan	Laia Roldan	CN Llanca	225
43rd	ITA	103	Jacopo Meneghetti	Alessandro Patalani	AVNO	232
44th	ITA	943	Edoardo Amodio	Elena Perego	Persport SSD	232
45th	ITA	1619	Cecilia Rossi	Lorenzo Andreani	Persport Colico	235
46th	FRA	1035	Francois Bergasse	Ulrich Johanne	Trefford	245
47th	FRA	1563	Eric Gdalia	Benoit frottier	CNW	252
48th	NED	1109	Joke Krijgsman	Danielle Kortleve	wsv noord zuid	254
49th	BEL	935	Olivier Beyls	Steve Jolley	SYCOD Oostduinkerke	255
50th	NED	1078	Mathijs Hoogvliet	Twan van der Sande	tbc	261
51st	GBR	965	Anne Way	Abigail Campbell	Exe SC	262
52nd	NED	670	Victor Oudsen	Iris Prummel	De Blauwe Schuit	263
53rd	NED	864	Florine de Haan	Evita Meerding	G.W.V Elfhoeven	268
54th	NED	18	Fleur Leijs	Marieke Reitsma	Blauwe Schuit	268
55th	NED	837	Marinus van Sijdenborgh	Eric van den Bandt	ALSZV De Blauwe Schuit	269
56th	NED	1075	Quirine de Haan	Enno de Haan	GWV Elfhoeven	274
57th	SWE	749	Philip Beck	Ylva Beck	SS Kaparen	274
58th	NED	1120	Martijn Verwoerd	Dave Verwoerd	EWVA	295
59th	CZE	580	Robert Mazgaj	Petr Jencek	ALT RS	328
60th	CZE	671	Milos Buril	Lukas Majchrak	ALT RS	342
61st	CZE	626	Zdenek Eduard Kratochvil	Klara Lejcarova	ALT RS	353
62nd	ITA	1051	Fabrizio Zarantonello	Giulia Pelloja	YC Acquafresca	378

About the RS500

The RS500 class has developed itself in the last years as a real international and good scene with racing all over Europe. Always trying to go to the best venues and nice fleets. With 63 teams from 10 countries the RS500 sailing scene is really international. The biggest teams are from the Netherlands, Italy, France and Sweden.

The RS500 is very often seen as the pathway boat after the RS Feva. In some countries it is positioned where the 420 was in the good old days. The RS500 class is a affordable and exiting boat for many youngsters and people young at heart.