North Sails Melges 20 Class Expert, Giulio Desiderato, called tactics onboard the winning Argentinian boat, Boogie 2.0 during the Melges 20 World League Event 2. The three day event in Puntaldia consisted of just four races with light winds ranging between 5-9 knots with the last race acting as a true test as the tricky conditions were made harder by wind shifts and greater variations in wind strength. For Boogie 2.0, this race was their favourite of the regatta after transforming a bad start into a third place finish by making significant gains during each leg.
Winning the event with a helmsman aged just 17 and no one on board older than 33, Giulio was tactician for the youngest crew on the water. Giulio and the trimmer, Matteo, have sailed the Melges 20 together as they have known each other for years through Olympic classes. In contrast, he started sailing with Pilu (helmsman) and Fausto (bowman) this year and they are already a winning team, showing serious potential in such an experienced, competitive fleet.
We managed to catch Giulio to get his insight from the event:
AS TACTICIAN, WHAT DECISIONS DID YOU MAKE THAT RESULTED IN A GAIN?
Difficult to say. We didn’t choose to take big risks by banging any corners and we aimed to have clean starts every time, allowing us to always have different options open. I believe it is our consistency in results that have played a key part – we are the only team that always kept in the top five.
Puntaldia has been a wonderful discovery. I sailed here two weeks ago with the Melges 32 where we finished third and to come back with the Melges 20 is a pleasure. I love Sardinia and Puntaldia is a fantastic place.
WHAT RACE DID YOU FIND THE MOST EXCITING?
Ironically, the last race where our start was not good as we gained significantly during each leg, passing two boats on the last downwind resulting in a third place finish.
Congratulations to the crew of Boogie 2.0 and good luck at the next World League Event in Marina di Scarlino on the 14-16 June.
North Sails is the official class sailmaker for 49er and 49erFX classes. After three years of collaborative sail development 3Di will make its Olympic debut at the Paris Games this summer.
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