Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series and Monaco Optimist Team Race: a fantastic show

Monaco Optimist Team Race (12-15 January 2017) - 4th Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series (13-15 January 2017): Melges 20 (Act IV), J/70 (Act III), M32 (Act II)

A fantastic show

A stiff 10-and-counting knot easterly saw the 60 one-designs join the fray in the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series for the first regatta of the year, as the Melges 20s, J/70s and M32s enjoyed back-to-back races in ideal conditions.

 At the same time, 64 youngsters racing in Optimists were neck and neck in Port Hercule for the third day of the Monaco Optimist Team Race, organised by the YCM with support from FxPro, Eventica, Fon and clothing supplier Slam.

Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nof9pRKv-sM&feature=youtu.be

Melges 20: lone rider Pirogovo Sailing

Youry Morozov (Pirogovo Sailing) dominated the day from start to finish with two 2nd places and a 1st.  It gives him a 5-point lead over Yacht Club de Monaco member, Vladimir Prozikhin (Nika), currently lying 2nd in the provisional overall ranking. The Russian Yuliya Kyrpa (Anna) completes the podium at this stage mid-way through the regatta.

J/70 & M32: Monegasques in the vanguard

Having won four of the seven races run today, stage local Guido Miani (Team Neverland) heads the provisional overall ranking in the M32 class ahead of the Italians on Italia Sailing Team led by Riccardo Simoneschi followed by the Nordic team on Cape Crown Viking.

In the J/70, the Monegasque fleet of 13 boats out of the 40 registered showed nerves of steel, with three YCM members laying their claim with some excellent starts and tight rounding of marks throughout the three races.

However, consistency paid off for experienced international teams such as the Swiss on Enjoy (Alain Stettler), the Italians on Jessie Tanta (Petr Nosov) and Germans on Sanna R. (Gerd Knospe), allowing them to squeeze in between the Monegasques Ludovico Fassitelli (Junda) at the top of the leader board and Stefano Roberti (Piccinini) in 5th.

Only six points separate this group, with everything to play for tomorrow, Sunday, the last day of the regatta with races due to start again at 10.00am for the Melges 20s and J/70s and 11.00am for the M32s.

Monaco Optimist Team Race

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DAY : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnuQ15rwTeY&feature=youtu.be

The Race Committee completed a full programme of races for the 16 teams putting on a great show in the harbour. In total 64 races were held, a record for one day (56 last year).

This evening’s results have whittled out the four semi-finalists. The first will be a Nordic duel between the Swedish from the KSSS, newcomers to the Principality, and the Finnish from Helsingfors Segelklubb. The second will pit the Swiss Société Nautique de Genève against the German team from the Bodensee Yacht Club.

Racing starts again tomorrow at 10.00am.

Provisional overall ranking for the Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series:

J/70 (after 3 races)
1st: Ludovica Fassitelli (Junda-Banca del Sempione), MON, 14 points
2nd: Alain Stettler (Enjoy), SUI, 15 points
3rd: Petr Nosov (Jesse Tanta), ITA, 19 points

Melges 20 (after 3 races)
1st: Youry Morozov (Pirogovo Sailing), RUS, 5 points
2nd: Vladimir Prozikhin (Nika), RUS, 10 points
3rd: Yuliya Kyrpa (Anna), RUS, 15 points

M32 (after 7 races)
1st: Guido Miano (Team Neverland), MON, 13 points
2nd: Riccardo Simoneschi (Italia Sailing Team), ITA, 14 points
3rd: Lovisa Karlson (Cape Crown Viking), SWE, 18 points

 Programme Monaco Optimist Team Race:

 Sunday 15th January:
10.00am:         First warning signal
4.00pm:           Prize-giving

Programme Monaco Sportsboat Winter Series:

Sunday 15th January:
10.00am:         First warning signal for the J/70s
11.00am:         First warning signal for the M32s
After racing:    Prize-giving