#NSVICTORYLIST: ORC EUROPEANS

High-Level Competition Marks the First Major Event on the Med

The Gulf of Naples in Italy challenged 62 teams for the 2021 edition of ORC Europeans, the first big event on the Mediterranean. Sailors from around the world competed in a mix of offshore and inshore buoy races . Teamwork and speed were the key to transitioning through tricky wind conditions, and North clients turned North Sails 3Di into a winning recipe.

Five races were fit into the first two days, and day three decided the top spots. Marco Serafini’s TP52 XIO won Class A, with Fever and Freccia Rossa rounding out the podium.

North Sails expert Daniele Cassinari who sailed on XIO commented:

“This year Class A had more participants, so the starting line was full of highly competitive sailors. It feels great to walk away with a win–especially considering how tough our competition was. The venue is beautiful and having the turnout amongst the classes was nice to see after the pandemic. I want to congratulate the race committee officials for running a fantastic event, and with some lingering restrictions they were professional and did a really nice job. North Sails clients sailed a great regatta, taking the overall win across the board as well as the top five spots in two of three divisions– clear dominance!

Team XIO did a great job, with the crew being our key to success. We have great sailors onboard, 3Di sails, and a new asymmetric spinnaker that helped us make it happen. My brother, also a North sail expert, Giovanni Cassinari, Ciccio Celon, North Sails Alessandro Battistelli, Alberto Fantini, Michele Gnutti, Ciccio Scalicci and Luna Rossa’s Francesco Mongelli made a very good team. A big thanks goes to XIO owner, Marco Serafini and the team manager Gabriele Giardini for bringing us together to sail this event. It was a lot of fun.”

Vincenzo De Blasio’s Italia 11.98 Scugnizza triumphed in Class C. In Class B, Swan 42 racing was very close, and the one point lead held by Andrea Rossi on Mela after five races wasn’t enough to hold off Simonelli’s Fantaghirò’s bullet on the last day. Another Swan 42, Renzo Grottesi’s Be Wild* lost a tiebreaker with Mela for third. Close behind in fourth was Catalin Trandafir’s Essentia44, a Grand Soleil 44.

A prize was awarded to the best performing ClubSwan 42 in the largest class, which went to Fantaghirò, owned by North client Carlandrea Simonelli in Class B. In the Corinthian divisions, clients Alberto Magnani’s Tengher and Dr. H. Bruening’s Topas took first in Class A and C.

Bruno Finzi, President of the Offshore Racing Congress, commented: “The Gulf of Naples has a fantastic regatta course, displayed to its fullest during this European championship. If it had not been for the restrictions on travel, we would certainly have had a record number of participants. This year with 62 boats on the water, we can safely say that this regatta marks a return to racing.”