Light winds

A report from the second day of racing at the glamorous Ermenegildo Zegna Trophy in Porto Fino

Two more heats on the second day of the Ermenegildo Zegna Trophy-Spring 2006 Regattas, organised by the Italian Yacht Club.

The first race of the day, and the third of the Trophy, took place in a 6-knot wind while the course had to be reduced for the fourth race because of a drop in the wind.

In the IMS ORC Club class, Ernesto Gismondi’s Edimetra remains in the lead after placing second and first on the two days and now has a serious grip on the Trophy. At this time My Song with Lorenzo Bressani at the helm is in second place while Carlo Puri Negri’s Atalanta II is third. In the general standings, the two Supermaxis, Wild Oats IX and Alfa Romeo, have been making a heroic effort, quickly moving up from behind and are currently in fourth and seventh place.

In the Swan 45 class, with Stefano Polti at the helm and Roberto Spata tactician, the crew on Mintaka gave a spectacular performance. Having struggled to come up from behind in the third race, the boat dominated the fourth and is now in first place in the overall standings. However, Leopoldo Gavito’s AY! AY! AY!, which won the first race of the day, and Francesco Martino’s T…Too are just two points away.

Tango, with Luca Bassani at the helm, continues to lead the Wally Yachts category with J One in second place and Open Season third. The Wally category is still up for grabs since the teams aspiring to the podium are just a few points apart. Marco Tronchetti Provera’s Kauris III was forced to withdraw during the first race because of a hydraulic system failure which prevented him from running the heat.

Tomorrow, the last day of the Ermenegildo Zegna Trophy - Spring 2006 Regattas, will decide who wins the Trophy that will be given to the yacht in the IMS (ORC Club) or Wally class that achieves the best standing over the three days of racing. If there is a tie, the award will go to the helmsman of the yacht in the category that has the greatest number of participants. For the other classes, a special award will be given to the helmsman who achieves the best results in the category during the course of the regatta.


The expectations are quite high for the evening which will be held in Brown Castle. At this time Tom Whidden, Chairman of North Sails, will be honoured with the 'A life for sailing' award. Indeed, Tom has written many pages in the history of world sailing. He participated in the America’s Cup a full eight times, and won it three times, always with Dennis Conner at his side. Tom Whidden is one of those enviable people who know how to meld a passion for sailing with business.

As always, the dinner will offer the owners an opportunity to share their opinions and comment on the races, but that’s not all. Many celebrities are expected to participate in this event set in the lovely framework of the Brown Castle. In the square the evening will continue with a Gipsy Kings concert.