Fuente info VSail
VOLVO CUP D-ONE: THE GOLD CUP IN RIVA STARTS WITH A BANG
The world Laser and Finn champions put on a true show today in Fraglia Vela Riva. Great Britain's Nick Thompson and Tom Slingsby from Australia scored one bullet each in the day's two races and demonstrated their exceptional technical level while Giles Scott stands third. It was a great day as well for Italian Andrea Casale (4-3). Among the rest of the Italian fleet, Fabio Toccoli and Riccardo Pontremoli showed a promising performance. “Ora” (the local southern breeze) blew through the afternoon, starting at 16 knots and slightly dropping to 12 in the second race
Riva del Garda, July 28th: It was a pure show of technical and sports prowess, watching the world's best Laser sailors, Australian Tom Slingsby (current world champion) and Great Britain's Nick Thompson (currently ranked 3rd), race on the D-Ones during the opening day of the Gold Cup, fourth stage of the 2011 Volvo Cup. The Laser duo was incredibly fast upwind, dynamic downwind, athletic and fit, perfectly at ease on this yacht designed by Luca Devoti.
A total of 36 skippers from 10 countries were on the starting line at Fraglia Vela Riva. Among them were Great Britain's Giles Scott, current European Finn champion, and Italian Andrea Casale, former Italian Laser and world J24 champion that chose to make his comeback “for sheer pleasure” but already feeling comfortable with an excellent 4-3 score in today's two races.
Racing took place with the “Ora”, the typical afternoon southerly of the Garda lake, blowing 16 knots in the first race and then dropping to 12 in the second one. Nick Thompson took the first race, followed by Giles Scott and Tom Slingsby that capsized in the second run. Andrea Casale was fourth, Riccardo Pontremoli eighth and Fabio Toccoli tenth.
The second race of the day went to Tom Slingsby who finished ahead of Nick Thompson and Andrea Casale after a thrilling tacking duel in the second beat. Fabio Toccoli finished eighth while further down the score table was the reigning champion Agustín Zabalua (14-15). The best performance among the smaller 9.5 rig boats was of Andrea Magni, twenty-first (21-21), while Nathalie Testa claimed the top spot among the women skippers. Two more races are scheduled on Friday and Saturday, and Sunday will see he closing race of the event.
“It's really fun”, stated a jubilant Tom Slingsby. “I dueled with Nick during one entire beat, having fun like crazy and laughing at each cross. The D-One is the best way to have fun sailing but also race at a high level.”
“I haven't raced in a keel boat since fifteen years now,” said Andrea Casale, “and I have to admit I had tremendous fun. Initially I thought of this regatta as a game but now that I'm racing against these extremely well prepared guys I'm giving my best because there is always a lot to learn when one goes back to sailing basics and the sheer pleasure of sailing on a yacht.”
The Volvo Cup D-One, after the events in Alassio, Bracciano, Cattolica and Riva del Garda, will proceed to Marina di Scarlino in conjunction with the National Championship (16-18 September) and the Barcolina of Trieste (1-2 October).
