Tip of the iceberg?

Owners of the Uka Uka Racing Melges 32 banned from class for failing to meet ISAF Group 1 'amateur' status

Yesterday in Lerici, where the second leg of Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series is going to be raced, the European Committee for Melges 32 Class, chose to ban Alessio Marinelli and Lorenzo Santini, owners of Uka Uka Racing, winners of the circuit's first event in Malcesine.

The Committee issued the following judgement: “The IM32 CA European Owners Committee, after having consulted the owners attending Lerici event, unanimously do not attempt the ITA-1 Uka Uka Racing crew list, since the helmsman profile of Alessio Marinelli does not respect the intent of Melges 32 Class, as per article C. 9.5.: “…The intent of the Melges 32 Class is for Corinthian amateur drivers only. …The ICA shall be the final authority in determining a competitor’s status within the spirit of the class rules”

The Uka Uka Racing team, who are obviously up in arms about this, present their side of the story: Alessio Marinelli is a 39 years old non-professional sailor from Civitanova Marche, who has in the past owned a Mumm 30 and a Farr 40 and has been a successful Laser sailor.

At the end of October 2008 Marinelli submitted to the Melges 32 Class an application to be accepted as owner-helmsman in the event of his purchasing a Melges 32. In less than 24 hours, the Committee unanimously returned a positive answer.

Marinelli, in order to share the costs of owning a yacht, decided then to enter into a partnership with Lorenzo Santini, owner of Uka Uka Racing, the first Melges 32 delivered to Europe, which had won the Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series 2008 with Claudio Recchi as helmsman.

During the winter season some members of the Uka Uka team practiced sailing in Civitanova Marche, and thereafter, between February and March, the full crew moved to Ancona, where they trained together with some six or seven yachts, including the ones owned by Pacinotti, Chairman of the European Class, and by some other members of the class committee. At this point Uka Uka Racing say - nobody asked any questions, and the teams cooperated very helpfully with one another.

They continue: At the end of March a new training session, organised by Melges Europe, took place at Malcesine, but Uka Uka Racing was not present. The owners held a meeting and requested to see the documents pertaining to Marinelli-Santini’s co-ownership of the yacht, which is owned under a lease, as it is the case with many other boats.

Santini and Marinelli handed over the documents and on the evening of 16 April - one day before the start of the first leg of Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series in Malcesine - the Committee decided to allow Uka Uka Racing to take part, on the condition that further documents be handed over at the time of the second leg of the race (the leasing still had to be finalised legally).

During the three weeks following the first regatta, the Uka Uka Racing team worked hard, with the help of a lawyer, to put together all the required documents. But, unexpectedly, the Committee sent them the following communication:

“Mr Alessio Marinelli can not be considered the owner or a co-owner of Uka Uka Racing ITA-1 at the present stage,” therefore “Consequently the Committee approval given in the past to Mr Alessio Marinelli as an helmsman is not valid anymore” and more “Mr Alessio Marinelli it is not eligible to helm Uka Uka”.

They add: “There are no valid documents to prove any ownership change at the moment”.

They conclude: “ Uka Uka Racing was allowed to race in Malcesine by the European Committee and, for this reason, the ranking points are assigned and confirmed to the boat. The Uka Uka's results in Malcesine are considered valid for the Audi Sailing Series 2009. Any additional request will be considered accordingly to the Melges 32 Class Rules.

"We wish to point out that from October 2008 up to April 2009 Mr Marinelli did not win any World/European/Italian Championship in any Class. He is the same person with the same sailing CV attached to his original application to join the Class.

"Marinelli’s problems are due to his having won the first leg in Malcesine, and his being considered too proficient in a Class (or, better said a Club) having regulations whose interpretation is uncertain.

"The final outcome is that Uka Uka Racing, sporting the race leader's number 01 on the bow and red flag on the backstay has been sent home with a verdict which is very unjust. The Committee itself admitted that the final documents filed this week by Santini and Marinelli were unexceptional. But then the concept of 'Corinthian Spirit' appears on the scene, the same spirit which requires a certain number of professional sailors to be on board, the number of which, some people maintain, is often exceeded.

Alessio Marinelli comments: “Winning the first leg of Malcesine harmed us. During my career as an owner-helmsman I have never met a Class where there is so much nastiness and jealousy and so little fair play. Given the reason why we were excluded from the race, my hope is now that Larry Ellison or Ernesto Bertarelli will ask me to be at the helm of their multihulls!”

Lorenzo Santini adds: “I have a lot of comments to make, but it is too early now. I’ll study together with my team what steps to take. I am obviously dismayed. But I am also pleased to say that I received many telephone calls from people offering their support. One of the first was Giovanni Maspero, a great owner and competitor, for whom I have a lot of respect.”