World champion slips ahead

Pieter Taselaar's team takes the lead at the Audi Melges 32 Sailing Series event in Scarlino

Pieter Taselaar, reigning World Champion has pulled in front of the 17-strong Melges 32 fleet after six races completed in Scarlino, placing him on top of the leaderboard at the 2010 Audi Sailing Series.

Taselaar, with the help of tactician Jeremy Wilmot and his Bliksem team, appear to not only be the team to beat, but even in the most complex racing situations, seem consistently able to advance through the fleet to finish well. B.LinSailing.com’s Luca Lalli and tactician Lorenzo Bressani are second overall, but refuse to give an inch to Taselaar.

Saturday’s racing was characterised by a maximum of 18 knots of breeze at 180 degrees. The first beat was a great game of chess, with tacticians scrambling for options as the breeze shifted from the left side of the course and increased pressure as it veered right. Finishing close behind Taselaar was Lalli. Overnight leader, Filippo Pacinotti on Brontolo with Freddie Loof on tactics, took third, just ahead of Francesco Martino’s Pilot Italia with Vasco Vascotto on tactics.

Race two saw Lanfranco Cirillo on Fantastica take the win. Eager to get back to the level of performance his team showed in Lerici, Cirillo's team showed great boat speed. Lalli challenged Cirillo but had to settle for second with Taselaar taking third.

The wind increased for the final race of the day the seas getting larger. The fleet was feeling the pressure with two starts resulting in general recalls. A third came about with black flag penalties in play, and unfortunately Pacinotti fell to this. This toppled him from first to third after six races and a discard. The win on this occasion came for 2009 Series Champion Carlo Alberini on Calvi Network with tactician Gabriele Benussi. Lalli came home second with Taselaar once again in third.

The final races will take place in Scarlino tomorrow and we will have to wait to see whether Taselaar will be able to hold on to the lead and continue his record of most consecutive wins in the Audi Sailing Series.

After a long, hard day of racing in Scarlino, brand new Melges 32 owner Francesco Serena on H2SO4 made sure the teams relaxed the right way post racing with an incredible dock party. Teams sipped beer and beverages and discussed the day’s excitement on the water. 

Top 10 results (after six races and a discard)
1.) Pieter Taselaar/Jeremy Wilmot, Bliksem; 1-2-[8]-1-3-3 = 10
2.) Luca Lalli / Lorenzo Bressani, B.LinSailing.com; 3-[6]-2-2-2-2 = 11
3.) Filippo Pacinotti/Freddy Loof, Brontolo; 5-1-4-3-4-[BFD] - 17
4.) Carlo Alberini/Gabriele Benussi, Calvi Network; [9]-4-3-6-6-1 = 20
5.) Lanfranco Cirillo/Michele Paoletti, Fantastica; [13]-3-7-8-1-4 = 23
6.) Mauro Mocchegiani/Matteo Ivaldi, Rush Diletta; 2-8-[9]-5-5-5 = 25
7.) Edoardo Pavesio/Michele Giovannini, Maserati Fra Martina; 7-5-[13]-7-7-9 = 35
8.) Francesco Martino/Vasco Vascotto, Pilot Italia; 4-[13]-11-4-9-8 = 36
9.) Edoardo Lupi/Branko Brcin, Torpyone; [11]-7-1-9-10-10 = 38
10.) Wolfgang Stolz/Steve Mohr, Opus One; [16]-10-6-10-12-6 = 44

 From Carlo Borlenghi/BPlan - www.carloborlenghi.com