Hobie Italian Championships 2019

by · Published · Updated

All images & report sent by Domenico De Toro / Associazione Italiana Hobie Cat
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The 2019 Italian National Hobie Championship hosted in Pescara (Italy) from the 2nd to the 4th of May had all the right ingredients: wind, sun, races and athletes, thank to the perfect organization and hospitality of Circolo Velico Svagamente.
Eight wonderful races have been disputed between 10 and 15 knots, mainly from east and south-east, having sometimes a bit of unpredictability in direction and intensity which guaranteed challenging tactics. Only the best teams have been able to deeply understand the right way to reach the marks. Two sunny days of racing, four races per day, which tested the endurance of the teams. The bad weather of the third day didn’t allow the Race Committee to make the ninth race start and let the second discard in, but the podium wouldn’t have changed. Thanks anyway to the Race Committee who predicted the bad conditions. They also congratulated with all the teams who fairly raced among the two days.
The agonistic level was very high, we also had the opportunity to host some European top teams. Fourtynine Hobie Cat 16 raced for the Italian Championship and ten Hobie Dragoon raced for the Italia Cup.
We had a challenged podium on the Hobie 16. Surprisingly, this year the first place has been occupied by Jean Goritz and Wichard Kerstin (GER), but the Italian title has been taken, by a few points, from Antonello Ciabatti and Luisa Mereu (ITA) from Cagliari, Sardinia, Italian champions for the ninth time. At the third place we find Pierandrea Gessa and Roberto Dessy, followed by Rudy Ruggiero – Pietro Tiburzi and Leonardo Morelli – Victoria Giannetti. First women team is Caterina Degli Uberti – Giulia Ancillotti. First home team is Luca Di Nisio – Bianca Appignani, first newcomer team is Marco Espositi – Sara Tringali.
The Hobie Dragoon raced for the Italia Cup, won by Andrea Brociner and Andrea Mauceri, followed by Giulia Grilli – Pietro Bellot and Beatrice Sebastiani – Camilla di Tillio, who also won the newcomer prize. First women team in Enrica Morelli and Alice Cirelli.
Everything worked perfectly onshore and offshore, thanks to the careful and provident Circolo Velico Svagamente who hosted, helped and supported the Race.
The “Hobie Way of Life” expressed itself in a perfect mix of athletes of any age and experience, a fair distribution between men and women with the only aim of passing some days with a big smile on the face of everyone. 
The Italian Hobie Class Association and Bolsena Yachting Sport (official Hobie dealer) thanked the coaches for their precious work with the young teams, giving them a branded vest.
On May the 3rd we had the honor to host Francesco Ettorre, president of the FederVela (Italian Sailing Federation), who spent many words of appreciation of the event and the atmosphere you can breathe in our Class.
On May the 4th we also had the prizegiving of the 2018 Hobie Cat 16 Italian Ranking List, in which we counted ninetytwo teams.
Special thanks go to Mauro Di Feliciantonio (Circolo Velico Svagamente), Alessandra Mereu and 
Federico Botarelli (Bolsena Yachting Sport), Sandro Marino (808 Fleet), the whole Race Committee and the support team onshore and offshore.
Next Italian meeting will be the National Multiclass Race hosted in Dervio (Como Lake) on June 1-2, last occasion for Hobie 16 to be pre-qualified at the European Championship of La Rochelle, July 2019.
Credits:
Gianmarco Sardi
Alberto Spina (translation)
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