2023 Argentario Sailing Week at Yacht Club Santo Stefano - Day 3
by Tessa Wiechmann 18 Jun 2023 00:29 BST
14-18 June 2023
The third day of racing at Argentario Sailing Week - the classic and vintage yacht regatta organized by the Yacht Club Santo Stefano with the support of the Region of Tuscany and Municipality of Monte Argentario - kicked off at 12.15 with 8 knots from the northwest that built up to 15 with white caps at the finish.
Sunny skies were a given for the crews on board the Grandes Dames of the Sea. Truly, a United Nations of Sailing with participants from 25 nations competing on the crystal blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea: Antigua, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iran, Latvia, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, USA, United Kingdom, and Italy.
The President of the Race Committee Riccardo Incerti Vecchi and his team selected an almost 20-mile racecourse. Close haul towards the harbor of Porto Santo Stefano, bow down spinnaker flying towards the wild and pristine beaches of Giannella - which this year were awarded the blue flag - onwards to the ancient Roman harbor of Talamone with the stunning hills of Maremma in the background and back towards the Yacht Club Santo Stefano and the finishing line.
Racing continues until tomorrow, Sunday, 18 June 2023 with one race per day.
Mariella (1938-Mylne/Fife), Carlo Falcone
Back on the docks, the owner of the almost 25 meter yacht Mariella - Carlo Falcone - shared his thoughts on the Argentario Sailing Week regatta: "Argentario Sailing Week has a bright future and is destined to grow: just look at the stunning setting! I was born in Livorno, in Tuscany, and love spending my summers here, where I have many friends. The region of Maremma - here in Tuscany - is truly magical and has something special to offer to everyone. The racing, the hospitality, the food, the views are all fantastic. Keep up the great work Argentario Sailing Week team! Congratulations on a job well done", Falcone concluded.
Carlo Falcone is an Antigua and Barbuda sailor, who competed in the Star class at the 1992 Summer Olympics. In 1984, aboard his Caccia alla Volpe, a 13.50-metre sailboat designed by the Andrea Vallicelli, built by the Bani shipyard in Porto Santo Stefano, he participated in the Transat des Alizee Atlantic crossing, from Morocco to Guadeloupe. His then 3-year old son Shannon was also on board. Caccia alla Volpe ranked fifth in real time and became the family's houseboat for a while. Carlo Falcone joined the Yacht Club of Antigua and began his career as an entrepreneur developing the well-known marina from scratch. In 1990, the Italian ambassador of Santo Domingo, Venturella, asked Carlo Falcone to become the Italian consul of Antigua and Barbuda. Carlo's youngest son Rocco Falcone is on the Youth Team of Antigua Rhum Runners, whereas Shannon Falcone's America's Cup experience started in 2000 when he joined Mascalzone Latino. In 2007, he sailed with Luna Rossa and won the last 2010 and 2013 America's Cup campaigns with team Oracle. He is now at his 6th America's Cup campaign racing with Luna Rossa.
Mariella was designed by Alfred Mylne and built by the William Fife & Son shipyard in Scotland in 1938. She originally belonged to the coffee merchant James Patterson, who then sold her to Baron Ronald Teacher, the owner of the whiskey, who kept her for 32 years.
In 1992, Mariella was purchased at auction by Carlo Falcone, the Italian consul of Antigua and Barbuda, winning overall Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in 1994 and 1995.
In 2017, the Francesco Del Carlo shipyard in Viareggio carried out extensive repairs following the damage caused by hurricane Gonzalo in 2014.
Provisional Leaderboard after 3 races:
- Big Boats: 1. Viveka (3); 2. Mariella (7); 3. Hallowe'en (7).
- Vintage Marconi: 1. Comet (6); 2. Stormy Weather of Cowes(5); 3: Varuna of 1939 - (8)
- Vintage Gaff Cutters: 1. Spartan (3); 2 Viola (7); 3: Chinook (8).
- Classics: 1. Crivizza (4); 2. St. Cristopher (6); 3. Voscià (11).
- Classics IOR: 1. Vanessa (5); 2. Il Moro di Venezia (8), 3: Ojalà II (10).
- Spirit of Tradition: 1. Dream (3); 2. Toi e Moi (6); 3. Hanni II (9).
Day 3 Results:
- Big Boats: 1 Viveka (1929-Paine), Keith Mills; 2. Hallowe'en (1926-Fife), Inigo Strez; Mariella (1938-Mylne), Carlo Falcone.
- Vintage Marconi: 1. Comet (1946-Sparkman & Stephens) Woodward - Fisher; 2. Varuna of 1939 (1939 - Sparkman & Stephens), Jens Kellinghusen; 3. Stormy Weather Of Cowes (1934-Sparkman & Stephens), Christopher Spray.
- Vintage Gaff Cutters: 1. Spartan (1913-Herreshoff) NGH Restoration; 2. Viola (1908-Fife) Kostin Belkin; 3. Chinook (1916-Herreshoff) Paolo Zannoni.
- Classics: 1. Crivizza (1966-Buchanan) Ariella Cattai & Luigi Rolandi; 2. St Christopher (1968-Sparkman & Stephens) Valentin Martin; 3. Penelope (1965 - Olin Stephens) Italian Navy Marina Militare Italiana.
- Classics IOR: 1. Vanessa (1974-Carcano) Patrizio Bertelli; 2. Il Moro di Venezia (1975 - German Frers), Massimiliano Ferruzzi; 3. Encounter (1976 - German Frers) Navimarine International.
- Spirit of Tradition: 1. Dream (1976-Sparkman & Stephens) Francesco Pennisi Persio; 2. Toi e Moi (2018-Dykstra Naval Architects) Alessandro Rinaldi (YCSS); 3. Hanni II (2013 - Andrè Hoek) Bjorn Hedlun.
