PHOTOS: Italian Melges 24 Nationals

James Robinson Taylor somehow manages to keep his camera dry

Alina won again! "They have been sailing together for the past six years - they are a true example for all of us." That is how the Italian Class President introduced them in the prizegiving ceremony of the Melges 24 Italian Nationals. And not much rlse we can add, they scored 17 points over 7 races and one discard: 2, 14,1,1,1,6,6...impressive.

Right behind them is another real high flying team in Joe Fly, and then Carla Ubertalliand her 'boys' on Firebolt. Runner up is Team Gill, while Aleali, poised for the podium, lost her keel in the last race. And what a race! The mistral had been blowing strongly since the early morning again, but as it had evened out and calmed down, and the race committe got the booats out at around 1100. In the first race the wind ranged between 15 and 20 knots, with some gusts at the windward mark, halfway through the second race it got really strong. Few teams were brave enough to hoist their gennakers, - boats surfing under just mainsail and jib. During this race two masts decided they had enough and wanted to get off the boat...but no injuries, and fortunately no other damage, apart from AleAli's keel....after 13 years, it decided too it was time to retire...

Silvio Santoni on Devotissimo was having a good day, scoring third in the last race, then they suffered a minor injury and retired. Team Gill, probably used to British weather and serious winds, posted an excellent 1 and 3 today, climbing up a bit in the overall standings. At ease with the wind, as usual, Sandro Montefusco and Matteo Ivaldi, were also barely off the podium in today's races.

Tired but happy, most of the crews attended at the prizegiving, where the first ten overall, the winners of each race, the owner-helmsman and the Corinthians all got rewarded. In this division, the winner is Andrea Magni's Conte of Florence again, then Gabriele Wurtz, a long time Hobie 16 helmsman, on Maga IFM and the Swiss team ZeroTwo.

All together, it was a great week of sun and sailing, making the local sailors all the more convinced the 2008 World's should come to Sardinia.

Thanks to all: the staff, the judges, the committee, the sponsors and, above all, the partcipants!