Pasquavela Regatta

The phenomenal hosts and race management of the YC Santo Stefano again hosted this year’s XXVIII Pasquavela Regatta (Porto Santo Stefano, Italy). The regatta combines two classes of offshore boats with a J/24 one-design start. It has been a popular regatta for years due to the combination of great regatta management and a simply gorgeous place to sail. Forty boats attended the Pasquavela over the weekend, with 19 J/24s participating and six foreign crews from Holland, Germany and Hungary. Three races were sailed in mirror-like seas off Porto Santo Stefano on the opening day and two more were completed on the following day. The winds ranged from 4-8 knots Saturday and from 10 to 25 knots plus on Sunday. In fact, the last (sixth) race got started in up to 35 knots of breeze, but was ultimately canceled due to safety reasons. With three wins in five races, the German team of ROTOMAN skippered by Jan Marc Ulrich managed to compile a 1-1-6-1-2 scoreline for 5 points net (with toss) to comfortably win the regatta. Fellow Germans on SULLBERG, led by Stefan Karsunke, sailed nearly as well, taking an 8-2-2-2-3 record for 9 points net to just grab second overall. Taking third on the podium and top Italian finisher was Ignazio Bonanno’s LA SUPERBA, winner of the first regatta on the Italian circuit. Their scores of 2-3-5-4-1 were good for 10 points, well clear of the next two boats in the top five. Fourth position (and with a victory in the third race) was JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH co-owned by Frederick Miccio and Alessio Cervellin and helmed this year by World Soling Champion Farkas Litkey from Hungary. They managed a 6-10-1-6-6 for 10 points net. Finally, in fifth place was Nino Soriano’s JEBEDEE with 20 points. During the closing ceremony, which was held at YC Santo Stefano, all crews who placed in the top three on Sunday were delivered the traditional Easter egg baskets full of goodies. XXVIII Pasquavela was organized with the support of Porto Domitian Spa, with technical supplies of Pasta Garofalo and Argentarola Ltd and sponsored by the City of Monte Argentario. The Italian J/24 Nationals circuit consists of seven stages. The next stop will be another traditional event: the Trofeo Accademia Navale hosted by YC Livorno and sailed off the city of Livorno from May 1-3. For more information on the next Italian J/24 Nationals event, visit http://www.trofeoaccademianavale.eu/.