Melges 24 Europeans on Lake Garda, Italy Preview
by Fiona Brown 28 Aug 2001 17:02 BST
RECORD 94 ENTRIES FOR MELGES 24 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 2001
With a record breaking 94 entries from 12 nations the 2001 Melges 24 European Championship, to be run on Lake Guarda, Italy by the Circolo Vela Torbole from 30 August to 7 September, promises to be one of the most exciting regattas taking place in Europe this year.
The entry list includes Vince Brun, Laurent Pages, Jamie Lee, Keith Musto,
Markus Wieser, Herman Jorn Johannessen, Kristian Nergaard and Kenneth
Thelen. Lee and Pages are currently tied at the top of the Melges 24 World
Ranking lists whilst Brun returns to the class after an Olympic Star
campaign and winning the 2000 Etchells World Championship. Twice a past
winner of the Melges 24 Worlds Brun has his sights set on a third World
title and is using the Europeans as part of his training for the 2001 event
which take place in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, from November 8-17.
A number of top Italian sailors are also competing including Flavio Favini,
recent winner of the 50" World Championship with "BravaQ8", whose tactician
for Torbole is Tizzano Nava, tactician for the Italian America's Cup Team
Azzurra and Pietrino Dali, a past Star European Champion and Italian Star
class representative in Sydney as well as mainsail trimmer on "Luna Rossa".
In order to accommodate the exceptional number of boats the Circolo Vela
Torbole has been working closely with IMCA Vice Chairman and current
European Champion, Christian Roman, to ensure that both race management and
shore side support meet the class's exacting requirements. Among the many
new facilities being installed specially for this regatta is a new marina
allowing all the boats to be moored together at the yacht club.
One face that will sadly be missing from this year's event is current World
Champion and past European Champion Giorgio Zuccoli, who finally lost his
long battle with cancer earlier this year. To honour this great sailor
Giorgio's family have commissioned a fabulous new European Championship
Perpetual Trophy which will be awarded to the overall European Champion for
the first time in Torbole. In addition to the new European Trophy another
exciting new prize will be presented for the first time - for the youngest
crew taking part in the event
Sailing will commence on Sunday 2 September with a practise race while the
twelve race championship series commences on Monday 3 September and
concludes on Friday 7 September.
More Information: