Russian girls clean-up

The Imperia Winter Regatta has come to a close in Italy

The last races for the 470 and 420 classes at the Imperia Winter Regatta took place today at the annual event in Italy.

The last day began with an overcast sky and some drizzling but at midday the sun started to shine bringing a Northeasterly breeze of eight to ten knots allowing the first start to get underway. As with previous days the 420s and 470s were racing on different course areas. The 420 female fleet was the first to start with a black flag after a general recall. Once again the Spanish team of Suria Palop and Basterra Moyua led the fleet from the start, increasing their advantage throughout the course of the race.

In the second race the wind shifted to the east, but stayed the same strength. The first team to cross the finishing line were Junior European Champions, Lutz and Beucke from Germany.

Overall victory goes to the Spanish team of Suria Palop and Basterra Moyua followed by two Italian teams, Barbera and Bocca from Lake Garda who scored very consistantly and Di Laghi and Gandolfo from the Liguria region.

On the male sail area only one race could be sailed, leaving only three races being counted for the final results, with no discard. The overall winners were the Greek crew, Stavrou and Orfanos. Another Greek team, Tsokaras and Mogadam, were well ahead in the previous day but they damaged their results by scoring an OCS. Second overall were the Brits, Saxton and De Bolz, while yet another Greek team was third in the form of Petrogonas and Kounas.

On the 470 course the wind was blowing steadily from the east throughout the day. Two races had been sailed for a total number of six races (with one discard). At the end of the series the team at the top of the podium were Finish crew, Lindgren and Helander. The overall results show Italian team Cherin and Noè from Trieste in the second place and another Italian team, Capodanno and Giordano from Naples in third.

The Russian girls literally swept the board by adding two more first places to the three they had already racked up. They would have ended the event with five firsts from six races were it not for an OCS in the first race of the first day. Second place went to the Italians, Stacciali and Brighenti from Rome and third place Wolf and Hanitzsch from Germany.

The date has already been set for the event next year, which will take place between 30 November and 8 December 2008.

Results, here .