Two new Rascals

Serious match race weight added to drive the Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team B boat

Danish sailors Jes Gram-Hansen and Rasmus Kostner have become members of Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team.

Gram-Hansen and Kostner are highly ranked matchracers and for the last year have been sailing as part of Russell Coutts' match race team. They will work with Flavio Favini, Vasco Vascotto and Hamish Pepper as sparring partners on the Italian team's B-Boat during training.

“Match racing is a game that requires a lot of specific preparation”, enthuses Vincenzo Onorato, captain of the team. “On the base the team is practising moves and counter moves daily to improve the level of our game. It is important that we have two full-time specialists like Jes and Rasmus.”

Jes Gram-Hansen, 34 has been participating on the in the Swedish Match Tour since 2000 where he is currently ranked 4th. He has won two Danish Opens, the Trombini Trophy and has finished the Swedish Match Tour in third place overall on two occasions (2001/2 and 2002/3). In 2002 he came second in the World Match Racing championships in Stockholm. As tactician for Russell Coutts he has won on the Swedish Match Tour, the Bermuda Gold Cup and the Elba Cup.

Rasmus Kostner, 27, in 1996 was the National Youth Match Racing Champion in Denmark. He has been sailing with Jes Gram-Hansen since 1998 in the role of tactician and has participated in more than 80 match racing events and obtained numerous successes.

From 25 August Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team will be participating in Acts 6&7 in Malmo, Sweden. Prior to the Acts Flavio Favini and Vasco Vascotto take part in the Danish Open on 10-14 August, where their crew will include: Lars Borgstrom, Antar Vigna and Alberto Barovier.