Key West Race Week, italian style

[singlepic=1454,250,170,,left]Key West Race Week – Key West – Continua a navigare in ottime acque la vela italiana in Florida dov’è in corso di svolgimento la 22ma edizione della Acura Key West Race Week. Primo posto per il Team Italia 2 (Mascalzone Latino, Uka Uka, Bitipi) e quarto posto per il Team Italia 1 formato da Calvi e Joe Fly che con 49 punti ha solo una lunghezza da recuperare sul team USA West Coast.

Un Day 2 in cui si è respirata un aria particolare: il 20 gennaio, la giornata dell’insediamento alla Casa Bianca del nuovo presidente, è stata vissuta come una data da libro di storia.

Il programma Acura prevedeva due regate con delle condizioni meteo che hanno impegnato tutti i team: “Il vento forte, 18 nodi circa, ha portato a fare delle grandi planate a 16 18 nodi – ha commentato Carlo Alberini – per non parlare degli incroci adrenalinici di poppa.” Il campo era anche di difficile lettura per i salti di vento e quindi è stato fondamentale il lavoro dei tattici.

La giornata per il team Calvi si chiude al sesto posto in classifica generale Melges32 (prima dello scarto) frutto di un tredicesimo posto nella regata 3 e di un sesto posto nella regata 4.

“Siamo partiti nella prima regata in modo non regolare ed abbiamo dovuto rientrare come prescrive il regolamento. Con noi anche Star e New Wave, quindi come loro anche noi abbiamo dovuto fare una gara di rincorsa. Nella seconda invece siamo partiti esattamente dove volevamo, accanto alla barca giuria, una zona molto ambita che siamo riusciti a difendere. Siamo passati decimi alla prima boa, ma grazie a delle ottime andature di poppa ed alla eccellente lettura del campo di regata di Lorenzo Bodini, abbiamo chiuso al sesto posto. “

Per consultare i risultati della classe Farr 40 clicca qui.

Per consultare i risultati della classe Melges 24 e Melges 32 clicca qui.

ECKLUND HOLDING ONTO FIRST PLACE AFTER TWO DAYS OF RACING IN KEY WEST
[Acura Key West Press Release] Jeff Ecklund (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) on USA-32 Star is still holding on to first place in the Melges 32 fleet competing at ACURA Key West 2009, presented by Nautica. Joe Woods (Torbay, UK) on GBR-700 Red trails Ecklund by five points, and in third is Derek Campbell (Seattle, Wash.) on USA-138 Banshee.

The first race of the day took place under overcast skies, lumpy seas and the breeze ever increasing throughout the day from the Northwest. For the start, the fleet experienced 12-15 mph of wind right at the gun. The start resulted in a several individual recalls including Marty Kullman and Mike Carroll (Clearwater, Fla.) on USA-131 New Wave. It was already a tough regatta for this champion team and the set back of being OCS just made it tougher.

Fleet newcomer Jean Francois Cruette from France on FRA-158 Taboo; Jason Carroll (New York, N.Y.) on USA-128 Argo were among those that had outstanding starts off the pin end. The first upwind leg produced Woods rounding first, followed by Cruette and Stuart Simpson (London, UK) on GBR-84845 Team Barbarians. As the race progressed Woods found himself defending the top spot from Cruette on more than one occasion, only to find right at the finish line Campbell storming in from right field totally launched, blasting across the finish line just in front of the Woods and Cruette dual. The comeback of the day came from Kullman/Carroll as they came in from the left for a second place finish. Woods won out over the 2006 Melges 24 Corinthian World Champion Frenchman by just a short length with Cruette in fourth.

Race four in the series and final race of the day, found another great start for the Melges 32 fleet, again Carroll delivering the right punch line at the pin as he led the fleet initially out to the left. At the top mark, Steve Rhyne (Seabrook, Tx.) on USA-157 Mojo led the pack around first followed by the only lady helm in the fleet, Kate Mullin aboard the Canadian entry CAN-134 Arkle in second and Savino Formentini in third on MON-1999 Bitipi. Not far behind was Ecklund and Kullman/Carroll both clawing their way to the front.

Tuesday’s races produced some of the tightest racing ever, the fleet incredibly compact as it went around the marks. With the breeze up to 20 mph, Rhyne was chased by Carroll, Kullman/Carroll and Alex Jackson (Newport, R.I.) on USA-666 Leenabarca with Dave Ullman calling tactics then Carlo Alberini (Pesaro, Italy) on ITA-186 Calvi Network and Woods. Ecklund stole the show and the race in the last few hundred yards of the final beat putting him ahead of Formentini and Mullin finishing respectively.

Looking to the mid-point of the regatta, the Melges 32 Class heads into Wednesday with Ecklund ahead by five points.

To read Farr 40 results click here.

To read Melges 24 and Melges 32 results click here.

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