To the wire

Italians dominate the Melges 24 racing at the SNIM in Marseille

Fourth and final day of Melges racing at SNIM 2005 was held in a 20-25 knot westerly wind and building sea state under a beautiful Mediterranean sun off Marseilles. Two races were run these going to Massimo Bernasconi's Banca BSI and the winner of the SNIM 2005, the Switzerland-Italian boat Blu Moon of Franco Rossini, which narrowly beat Banca BSI into the top spot overall. In the final results this duo were followed by Ale Ali (Ezio Amadori), Nautica (Ricardo Simoneschi) and Joe Fly (Giovanni Maspero).

The first race today saw Banca BSI beat Devotissimo (Free Rao) and Daucy (Bruno Jourdren) while in the second Blu Moon finished ahead of Nautica (Ricardo Simoneschi) and Joe Fly (Giovanni Maspero). There was disappointment for the Italian boat Alina of Maurizio Abba who was this morning's overall leader. Putting in places of 25th then tenth saw Alina relegated to sixth place overall.

Sailing Rossini's Blu Moon to victory were the familiar names of Flavio Favini and tactician Tiziano Nava, the 2001 Melges 24 World Champions, while helping drive Banca BSI were Gabriele Benussi and tactician Andrea Felci, with Camilla Bert, the 2003 Melges 24 European Champion.

With boats filling the top nine slots ( Blu Moon's crew is half Italian) once again the Italians have dominated this 40th running of the SNIM. The class is so strong in Italy that Banca BSI have managed to get their program for 2005 fully funded by sponsorship.
Among the top non-Italians were the Norwegian team on Lek, Quentin Strauss' familiar Team Gill with top French boat Jean-François Cruette on Encore with Sebastien Col, 2004 Melges 24 World Champion on board.

Such hot competition at the SNIM bodes well for this year's Europeans in Torquay and the Worlds in Key Largo followed by the 2006 Worlds in nearby Hyeres.

Results:

Pos	Sail no	Boat	Skipper	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	Tot	Net
1	SUI 521	BLUE MOON	ROSSINI FRANCO	9	5	1	7	9	18	7	13	5	11	7	1	93	62
2	ITA 579	BANCA BSI	BERNASCONI MASSIMO	5	2	5	10	12	16	12	8	9	1	1	13	94	65
3	ITA 139	ALE ALI	AMADORI EZIO	14	19	3	6	13	BFD	4	9	2	2	12	8	157	73
4	ITA 572	NAUTICA	SIMONESCHI RICCARDO	13	13	11	3	17	32	2	4	7	14	8	2	126	77
5	ITA 550	JOE FLY	MASPERO GIOVANNI	2	27	2	29	4	BFD	5	27	4	9	4	3	181	87
6	ITA 409	ALINA	ABBA MAURIZIO	1	BFD	7	2	22	7	57	5	1	8	25	10	210	88
7	ITA 438	ALTEA	RACCHELLI ANDREA	21	7	12	9	24	1	31	26	10	4	11	14	170	113
8	ITA 561	DEVOTISSIMO	RAO FRANCO	6	BFD	16	22	5	5	26	DSQ	6	6	2	21	245	115
9	ITA 574	FIREBOLT	SILVA UBERTALLI CARLA	33	4	4	20	52	2	54	19	8	13	13	4	226	120
10	NOR 506	LEK	DAHL ANDERSEN GEIR	44	BFD	23	5	2	12	25	14	13	3	14	11	231	122
11	GBR 431	TEAM GILL	STRAUSS QUENTIN	15	1	25	26	23	13	1	6	BFD	5	BFD	9	254	124
12	FRA 612	ENCORE	DE KERVENOAEL CEDRIC	11	9	10	17	37	47	20	1	19	7	6	31	215	131
13	FRA 472	DAUCY	JOURDAN BRUNO	19	6	22	25	11	9	33	25	48	10	3	7	218	137
14	FRA 389	BIG SHIP	PAUL MAXIME	4	3	24	30	27	26	22	3	11	22	10	24	206	149
15	ITA 490	DREAM TEAM	GIORDO GIANNI	8	10	6	27	21	21	38	42	21	17	16	6	233	153
16	SWE 532	TEAM SBAB	SUNDSTEDT INGEMAR	23	16	15	8	8	3	11	7	DSQ	28	BFD	36	285	155
17	MON 601	SOGETTI	COHEN BENJAMIN	34	11	36	16	1	15	36	16	17	20	19	15	236	164
18	FRA 329	FLOR DIRECT	ROIG ALAIN	32	21	17	24	7	11	16	2	35	30	23	27	245	178
19	SUI 599	POIZON ROUGE	MONNARD JEAN MARC	30	12	13	35	36	4	6	17	24	19	35	22	253	182
20	NOR 249	FRUEN MAREN	HAUFF NILS	24	14	8	39	6	38	17	37	12	25	24	16	260	183
21	ITA 583	SHEREKHAN	MAURIZIO VITO CARBASCIO	42	BFD	19	18	20	28	19	48	16	16	18	12	321	208
22	FRA 358	DOCTORE JGOLO	DOUCHY-MARCADET	38	23	28	12	3	17	32	22	29	24	26	26	280	210
23	FRA 422	DYNEEMA LIROS	ARNAUD REMY	25	17	44	13	29	14	56	34	30	21	9	19	311	211
24	GBR 406	TEAM BARBARIANS	SIMPSON STUART	41	BFD	20	1	26	22	43	10	14	15	BFD	25	347	217
25	FRA 461	EUROVOILES	INFANTE DENIS	22	8	34	64	59	34	18	35	20	12	15	28	349	226
26	FRA 193	COTES D'ARMOR	BIARNES VINCENT	10	20	9	49	46	BFD	27	38	23	37	17	18	359	245
27	ITA 584	RUNA		28	18	39	4	43	46	9	11	44	23	28	DNF	358	247
28	GBR 589	THE BADGER	LOURJOY PAUL	20	22	63	14	31	6	21	28	34	35	50	38	362	249
29	FRA 375	O'TOMATE	LEBOURDAIS FRANCOIS	16	44	14	62	30	45	3	DNF	3	18	21	DNF	386	256
30	FRA 423	ZIGZAG 15	SAMUEL HENRI	35	25	18	21	55	10	30	39	39	31	34	23	360	266
31	ITA 598	WOLAND	BINACCHI ANTONIO	3	BFD	32	15	53	BFD	BFD	50	18	29	5	5	405	275
32	GER 582	NO WOMEN NO CRY	EICH EDDY	43	36	31	33	19	31	8	15	26	BFD	36	41	384	276
33	FRA 387	DOUARN MAISON DE L AVENIR		31	BFD	30	19	14	40	29	23	45	27	44	29	396	286
34	GER 465	CHALLENGE 2 1/2	NIELSEN CHRISTOPHE	17	43	38	38	18	24	48	20	22	DNF	20	DNF	418	288
35	GBR 334	EASY TIGER	COLLINS TIM	29	15	58	55	41	8	13	43	15	36	BFD	44	422	299
36	ITA 297	BORGO	FORNARO ANDREA	27	DNF	29	48	16	35	24	33	27	26	DNF	35	430	300
37	FRA 471	MU	NEBOUT Emmanuel	40	38	27	11	48	BFD	10	32	33	32	BFD	34	435	305
38	FRA 370	A.V.C.R	BURTE GREGORY	12	34	26	47	39	43	28	21	37	44	22	45	398	306
39	FRA 261	CDVH PERROS GUIREC	SVILARICH ETIENNE	36	28	21	28	25	50	51	44	41	BFD	27	33	449	333
40	ITA 413	MELG'HIC TAZ		46	33	53	52	10	BFD	14	18	46	53	33	32	455	337
41	ITA 405	MARCHINGENIO	MARCHI GIORGIO	57	35	47	44	38	BFD	45	12	25	42	32	20	462	340
42	FRA 392	BOCH'ANIG	LE CALVEZ JEAN MARIE	26	24	41	45	54	39	34	31	31	38	41	39	443	344
43	FRA 323	VILLE DE ST TROPEZ	GARNOTEL THIBAUT	50	32	46	37	32	29	15	41	32	DNF	37	46	462	347
44	SUI 382	AILE	GOOD MICHAEL	48	BFD	43	42	15	25	53	30	55	51	30	17	474	354
45	FRA 470	COTES D ARMOR SAIL DE MER		37	30	35	36	35	23	41	40	40	41	43	42	443	358
46	FRA 383	MERCK GENERIQUES	SPARFEL JEAN MARC	63	37	54	53	42	37	BFD	29	28	40	31	30	509	381
47	SUI 530	ACQUA	TRIBA MARCO	49	31	42	43	33	27	37	45	38	50	49	52	496	394
48	ITA 563	PAOLA FRANI	MAGNANI MASSIMO	7	40	50	23	44	41	60	DNF	58	DSQ	40	37	530	400
49	ITA 321	YDRA	BALDINI ALESSANDRO	55	29	40	58	34	20	39	53	52	33	45	DNF	523	400
50	FRA 451	FRA451	FOLLIN ADRIEN	47	26	52	32	58	BFD	47	24	50	DNF	39	40	545	415