Open Skiff World Championship 2023 at Club Nautico Rimini - Preview
by Elena Giolai 16 Jun 2023 16:16 BST
16-21 July 2023
2023 Italian National Open Skiff Regatta in Taranto © Elena Giolai / Open Skiff Italia
The Open Skiff World Championship, which will be held from 16 to 21 July 2023, was presented at the Club Nautico Rimini, with participation in large numbers, a record for the class: almost 300 entries from 13 nations make it clear that the fun, smart, fast Open Skiff youth drift is increasingly appreciated by clubs, instructors, and youngsters.
The trend of the world championship confirms that of the young Italian class born in 2009, which today counts 40 clubs and 300 active athletes; a class that bases its values on fun, with refereeing on the water and consequently the almost total elimination of protests once back ashore: according to everyone, that time is better used for playing, and socialising! And a month before the world championship, the rainbow event organised by the Club Nautico Rimini, in collaboration with Open Skiff Italia and the Italian Sailing Federation, was presented: after the welcome address by the President of the Club Nautico Rimini Gianfranco Santolini, the Italian Sailing Federation President Francesco Ettorre, Luna Rossa skipper and team director Max Sirena, other personalities from the local sports and political world, and of course the President of the Italian Open Skiff class Guido Sirolli.
The Rimini World Championship already has a provisional entry list with 282 athletes, divided into 161 under 15, 58 under 12, the precious new category with a small sail of 3.5 square metres, and 61 under 17.
The Championship will start on 16 July with a coastal race, a kind of long distance, which is sure to entertain the participants. The regattas on a classic course will continue on 17 July: 16 races with two discards are scheduled, closing on 21 July.
Guido Sirolli also gave some anticipations on the 2024 activity, with the World Championship scheduled from 26 to 31 December in Hawaii and the European Championship that we will instead have at home, on Garda Trentino (Circolo Vela Arco), from 28 July to 2 August. Another novelty is the restart of the European circuit "EuroChallenge" with 4 stages organised between Italy (Garda 7-9 April), Germany (May), Hungary (June), and France in October.
A rich programme and new initiatives will stimulate the activity of clubs and athletes even more.
Event website: worlds2023.openskiffclass.org