With the result of last night’s protest between the top two boats being decided in favour of Pieter Taselaar’s US entry ‘Bliksem’ and confirming them as 2009 Audi Melges 32 World Champions, today’s single race was all about the scrap for the final podium positions. Unsurprisingly, having now secured the overall title already, the clearly delighted ‘Bliksem’ crew opted not to race today. The disqualification of Claudio Recchi’s ‘Team 93’ from race nine had left him in second place overall but now vulnerable to attack from third placed Lorenzo Santini and Alessio Marinelli’s Uka Uka Racing steered by Armando Giulietti, as well as from fourth placed ‘Joe Fly’ owned and steered by Giovanni Maspero.

Unfortunately for Recchi the light and flukey eight knot breeze for today’s race brought no return to the sparkling form he had displayed earlier in the week and he could only struggle home in ninth place. Maspero however showed some real class to clock up a vital race win, which with Giulietti fading on the final leg to finish seventh, tied ‘Joe Fly’ and ‘Uka Uka Racing’ on seven points apiece. ‘Joe Fly’s’ two race wins meant that the count back calculation went in their favour and elevated them to second overall with ‘Uka Uka Racing’ third and a disappointed crew on ‘Team 93’ fourth.

This has undoubtedly been one of the tightest and most hard fought World Championships I have ever witnessed and is a testimony to the quality of the helms and crews racing here this week as well as to the design of the Melges 32 itself. To see the action for yourselves, go to our Regatta Live! Section where we have been posting live video and text commentary updates from the water all week.

Final Top Ten Results:

1. Pieter Taselaar – ‘Bliksem’ (USA) 43 points

2. Giovanni Maspero – ‘Joe Fly’ (ITA) 54 points

3. Lorenzo Santini & Alessio Marinelli (Helm Armando Giulietti) Uka Uka Racing (ITA) 54 points

4. Claudio Recchi – ‘Team 93’ (ITA) 55 points

5. Jason Caroll – ‘Argo” (USA) 75 points

6. Vincenzo Onorato – ‘Mascalzone Latino’ (ITA) 80 points

7. Francesco Martino – ‘Pilot Italia’ (ITA) 81 points

8. Andrea Cecchetti – ‘Bagua’ (ITA) 83 points

9. Joe Woods – ‘Red’ (GBR) 84 points

10. Filippo Pacinotti – ‘Brontolo’ (ITA) 85 points

 

Race 7:

 

 

Race 8:

 

Race 9:

Our on the water 3G connection failed so we were unable to post to Regatta Live!

 

We are uploading the video from today and it will be with you as soon as possible.

 

Our apologies again.

Wind is a 030 and this will be a four leg course with a 1.8 mile first beat.

 

 Fleet get away cleanly on the first attempt.

 

Very competitive startline biased slighlty to the RC boat end.

 

Only three boats at the pin.

 

Joe Fly were the most advanced boat at the RC end and got away well then tacked quickly on to port.

Many of the right hand boats have also tacked on to port and are banging out to the right of the course.

 

Red and the French boat also looked to get away well.

 

Team 93 seemed to be a little boxed in.

 

Video uploading now...

 

Beautiful day here off Porto Cervo.

 

Clear skies and 16 -18 knots of breeze.

 

Once again a heavy and confused chop is the order of the day.

 

RC are setting the line and are planning for a three race day.

 

Pin is almost set and we should be away on time with a warning at 12.00 local time.

Calvi

Brontolo

Uka Uka Racing

Matrix

Mascalzone Latino

 

Video uploading now...

 

Top mark roundings:

 

- Calvi Network
2- Brontolo
3- Mascalzone
4- Uka Uka
5- Matrix
6- Bitipi
7- Bliksem
8- Team 93
9- Mataran
10- Joe Fly

 

Calvi led around the windward mark and early gybed immediately.

 

They extended their lead down the run and led by five lengths at the gate.

 

Brontolo second and Mascalzone Latino third.

 

Leaders chose right mark. As the pack came around there was lots of action with some shouting a few kites being trawled.

 

Breeze is around 10 knots but moved right. RC have moved next windward mark and shortened leg to 1.5 nM

 

Videos coming...

 

 

Discard comes in after this race...

 

At the start Bliksem Red and ITA 487 called OCS. All three returned in that order.

 

Dodgy video coming...

 

 

 

Team 93

Joe Fly 

Bagua

Red

Matrrix

Argo

Mascalzone Latino

Rush Diletta

UKA UKA Racing

Calvi

Bliksem 14th....

 

Also Janus protesting Bliksem.