OPTIMIST EUROPEAN TEAM RACING CHAMPIONSHIP 2021 – SPAIN ON THE ROOF OF THE EUROPE
Spain on the roof of Europe at Optimist European Team Championship on Lake Ledro, second place for the Italians and third for the Russians.
Four beautiful days on Lake Ledro, lots of wind changes, the weather forecasts worried everyone but not the fifteen teams who, proud of being able to represent their country, never got discouraged.
After the first races of the League Gold, Spain was the favorite, followed by the Italians, second in the first Round Robin.
Spain won also the next stage, followed by Russia, Italy and Croatia.
The Semifinals saw Italy sail vs with Russia, while Spain with Croatia, with a score of 2-0 Italy and Spain enter the Grand Finals while Russia and Croatia had to settle for the petite final.
Spain, which presented the European Champion Xavier Garcia Olle, Juan Benasar, Carlota Rodriguez Calvet and Sussan Bestard Mir on the starting line, prevailed, with a score of 2-1, on the Italians who still led an excellent Championship under the careful guide of Mercello Meringolo.
Third step of the podium went to the Russians who beat the Croats 2-0.
The Italian team made up of Niccolò Pulito (Tognazzi Marine Village) individual European vice champion, Giuseppe Montesano (Sirena CN Triestino), the bronze medalist at the individual European championship Sofia Bommartini (FV Malcesine) and Emilia Salvatore (FV Desenzano) has always raced in excellent way, a growing championship that gives good signs for the future, remains a bit of bitterness for not having continued the tradition of the continental title (the Italian team won the title in 2018 and 2019 ed) and certainly Norberto Foletti, secretary of the National Optimist Class that has recently left us, will surely have rejoiced at the results of his boys, despite the lack of victory missed by a whisker.
A season that is coming to an end for the Associazione Vela Lago di Ledro, much satisfaction for the President Camilla Baruzzi who with her team saw two continental titles awarded on Lake Ledro during the summer and a national title in the Snipe class , it is already time to think about 2022 which will be full of events and activities.
Fervono i preparativi per il campionato italiano master della Classe Snipe, valevole anche come tappa della prestigiosa coppa Franz Joseph, in programma il prossimo 31 luglio – 1 agosto sul lago di Ledro. Più di 40 iscritti tra i quali i neocampioni italiani Paolino Lambertenghi e Antonia Contin. Hanno già confermato la loro partecipazione due equipaggi croati, uno belga ed un francese. L’Associazione Vela Lago di Ledro, presieduta dall’instancabile Camilla Baruzzi, è già all’opera per organizzare al meglio la manifestazione. La giovane presidente può contare su un team di giovani e non più giovani soci impegnati nei diversi settori: dalla cucina per la cena offerta ai regatanti, all’assistenza in acqua e a terra, alle foto. Quest’anno, inoltre, la premiazione sarà particolarmente ricca di prodotti locali grazie al contributo degli sponsor Agri2000, Cesarini Sforza, Cavit, Luigi Zanini, Melinda e Agri90.
