European Windsurfer Championships 2024 at Circolo Surf Torbole - Day 1
by Elena Giolai 14 Jun 09:44 BST
11-16 June 2024
After the opening ceremony and parade of all participants on Wednesday evening in the centre of Torbole, the Windsurfer European Championships began with the first races: the Marathon race, lasting one and a half hours with a single start for all over 200 racers, opened the Windsurfer European Championships organised by the Circolo Surf Torbole in cooperation with the WIndsurfer class and the Italian Sailing Federation, on Garda Trentino.
The light wind forced the most trained to pump for the entire regatta, which was in every sense a real marathon. It was certainly a spectacle of colours on the waters of Lake Garda and it seemed as if we were going back in time, as when the one-design class par excellence was the master, certainly not imagining the arrival of foils as it happens today.
The first to cross the finish line was the Italian Silvio Catalano (first in category B, medium weights), second overall was the French Eric Belot and third the other Italian Marco Casagrande. First in the lightweight category was Alessandro Minei; excellent fifth overall and first of the women was the reigning world class champion Bruna Ferracane. Frenchman Cyril Dardashti was first in the medium-heavy category, while another Frenchman, Frederic Gautier, won the heavy category. Racing, in the various disciplines course race, slalom and free style, will continue until Sunday 16 June.
Full results