Italians pull ahead

At Jacob's Creek Melges 24 Europeans in Helsinki reports Fi Brown

Races four and five were completed today at the Jacob's Creek Melges 24 European Championship in Helsinki with Italy's Luca Santella, helming Joe Fly for Giovanni Maspero, taking the honours in both races.

With thunderstorms rumbling around the course the crews had to contend with constant changes in both wind direction and velocity plus a very difficult chop. The day opened with the wind in the NW clocking round to NNW by the second race and varying in strength from over 20 knots in the squalls to around 10 knots in the lulls. Although only running two races today the Race Committee elected to set up long legs and to give the competitors three laps so we have a lot of very tired Melges 24 sailors tonight.

Jamie Lea, helming Black Seal for Richard Thomspon, came out of the first beat of race four best rounding the windward mark just ahead of Santella with Christophe Barrue, helming Denis Infante's Eurovoiles, third and Jean Francois Cruette, helming Scutum for Cedric de Kervenoael, fourth ahead of Nigel Grogan, Luca Valerio, helming Alina for Maurizio Abba, Keith Musto, Simon Hughes and Tomi Hakola.

Down the first run Santella managed to slip past Lea with Barreu keeping third and Grogan pulling up to fourth from Cruette, Valerio, Musto and Hughes. On the second beat there was no change in the top seven but the distances between the boats opened up considerably. The boats then continued to hold their positions on the second run.

On the final lap Santella and Barreu sailed conservatively to hold first and second while Lea overtook Grogan. Cruette held fifth and Reeser managed to slip past Valerio for sixth. Andrea Rachelli had a good final leg pulling up from eleventh to eighth with Antti Niiniranta ninth and Egidio Babbi tenth.

In the fifth race it was Santoni who took the initial lead rounding ahead at the first two marks with Kristophe Spone, helming Fruen Maren for Nils Hauff, and Santella hot on his heels, followed by Giovanni Giordo, Cruette, Grogan, Flavio Favini, helming Blu Moon for Franco Rossini, Lea and Kari Heikkila driving Ari Blom's Marinel Mastervolt. Up the second beat Santoni took off left while Spone and Santella went right. By the second weather mark Santella had the lead from Spone followed by Santoni, Grogan, Rachelli and Cruette while Micke Lindqvist, helming Lek for Trond Solli-Saether, pulled up into eigth ahead of Giordo.

From here on in Santella just stretched out his lead sailing conservatively to cover the fleet and taking advantage of the clear air. Behind him the rest of the teams provided some outstanding spectator sport with places changing constantly on the final lap. Eventually Santoni took second whilst Lindqvist sailed a humdinger to take third from Lea with Kenneth Thelen in Suunto fifth, Reeser sixth and Spone seventh. Having sailed so well for the first half of the race Grogan had a shocker of a final lap ending up thirteenth.

In the overall standings the Joe Fly team, led by former Mumm 36 World Champion Luca Santella and including tactician Morgan Larson who sailed in the afterguard of the OneWorld America's Cup Team, now have a 13 point lead from Santella with Valerio third, Reeser fourth and Lea fifth.

The forecast is for strong offshore winds so after a hard day's sailing today and with another in prospect for tomorrow it looks like the crews are going to need plenty of stamina to make it through the week. To add to their problems tonight is the regatta gala dinner so there's not much hope of an early night tonight!

Overall results after five races

Pos	Boat Name	Sail No	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Tot
1	Joe Fly	ITA550	10	4	2	1	1	18
2	Devotissimo	ITA561	1	9	5	14	2	31
3	Alina	ITA409	2	12	3	7	12	36
4	P&P Sailing Team	FRA475	5	8	12	6	6	37
5	Black Seal	GBR437	8	17	8	3	4	40
6	Fruen Maren	NOR249	13	2	9	11	7	42
7	Citta' Di Cesena	ITA421	9	3	RDG(6)	10	16	44
8	Altea	ITA438	12	1	18	8	9	48
9	Suunto	FIN236	11	6	17	12	5	51
10	Eurovoiles	FRA461	3	11	1	2	OCS	69
11	Blu Moon	ITA489	4	7	6	38	15	70
12	Marinel Mastervolt	FIN529	17	16	4	16	17	70
13	Helmut Rises	GBR546	27	21	7	4	13	72
14	Lek	NOR506	16	20	16	18	3	73
15	Marinel PaTu	FIN289	6	5	35	9	20	75
16	Seawind	FIN262	20	26	11	13	21	91
17	Sogeti	MON429	44	19	10	15	8	96
18	Vito	GER507	18	22	23	22	11	96
19	Scutum	FRA321	15	13	RAF	5	14	99
20	Sail is Fun	ITA490	14	40	14	21	10	99
21	Liros Nantes St Nazaire	FRA422	19	28	22	25	23	117
22	Proctor Winning Masts	GBR564	35	25	13	27	26	126
23	Barbarians	GBR484	7	DSQ	28	26	18	131
24	Marinel MaxPower	FIN214	21	27	19	30	35	132
25	Chiquita	FIN476	23	10	DNF	24	25	134
26	3 to 6 Happy Hour	GBR326	37	35	21	20	22	135
27	The Muts Nuts	GBR405	28	24	38	29	19	138
28	Maski M	GER537	OCS	14	20	23	34	143
29	Pohjola - Fonecta Finder	FIN434	36	41	26	17	30	150
30	Sampo	FIN253	29	37	31	28	31	156
31	Comfortably Numb	GBR527	34	34	25	36	28	157
32	Ale Ali	ITA139	25	15	15	OCS	OCS	159
33	Mustgo	GBR359	OCS	23	41	19	27	162
34	WKD	GBR496	31	33	36	33	36	169
35	Team SBAB	SWE532	22	DSQ	33	35	29	171
36	Transtec	SUI382	26	18	37	39	OCS	172
37	Siste Stein	NOR366	30	32	39	34	39	174
38	Sitting Duck	SWE508	OCS	29	27	37	32	177
39	Jacuzzi	SWE172	39	39	32	32	38	180
40	Marella V	NOR279	45	38	34	40	24	181
41	Razzle Dazzle	NED112	32	48	29	46	40	195
42	Big Game	SWE454	42	42	24	45	43	196
43	Hydroll	FIN316	24	31	40	DNF	DNS	199
44	piceng.se	SWE283	41	RDG(36)	30	41	OCS	200
45	Blue Peter	FIN227	33	46	DNF	42	33	206
46	Ryck	SWE282	OCS	30	46	31	OCS	211
47	Nava Eclipse	FRA459	38	44	42	OCS	37	213
48	FIN425	FIN425	43	43	43	43	42	214
49	Valecrin	FRA503	47	47	44	44	41	223
50	Fennia	FIN319	40	45	45	DNS	DNS	234
51	www.formulacars.co.uk	GBR233	46	49	DNF	DNF	DNF	251