SLOW-MOTION BARCOLANA 44: ESIMIT EUROPA 2 WINS
SLOW-MOTION BARCOLANA 44: ESIMIT EUROPA 2 WINS
A slow-motion Barcolana, among the slowest in the last years. Esimit Europa 2, the fastest yacht in the Mediterranean, which has beaten many records this year, it took her 3 hours and 59 minutes to cross the finish line of Europe’s most crowded regatta. This morning 1737 sailboats boats took part in the regatta with over 20 thousand sailors on board.
After over 25 knots of Bora wind on the race’s eve, Barcolana44 featured a very light southeast wind at the start which dropped to dead calm leaving most of the fleet in the middle of the Gulf. The weather forecasts said a west wind would have started blowing but it didn’t and only 20 boats managed to cross the finish line after sailing around the 17-mile course.
At the start, Vasco Vascotto at the helm of Tp52 Aniene 1a Classe, slowly sailed ahead surprising Esimit Europa 2 and holding the lead for the first minutes together with Maxi Jena of Mitja Kosmina. After fifteen minutes Esimit Europa 2 managed to get out of the bundle at the start and after two tacks took the lead. She rounded the first mark with a large advantage. The yacht helmed by Alberto Bolzan, with skipper Jochen Schümann, fought alone against dead calm to finish the race and already thinking about her next event: setting a new record sailing from Trieste to La Valletta.
Behind Esimit Europa 2, Maxi Jena of Mitja Kosmina, with two 470 champions aboard Jas Farneti and Simon Sivitz Kosuta, had to watch out Vascotto along the whole clearance leg, before taking the lead thanks to its sail surface and size of the hull. It was already time to party among the fleet lagging behind because the Gulf was dead calm and crossing the finish line was just an illusion. Astern of Esimit Europa 2, the boats battled it out to make it on the podium. Vascotto, rounded second the first and second mark, saw Maxi Jena overcome him at the beginning of the third leg: sudden wind drops forced teams to change sails continuously.
Half way through the leg, Hungary’s outsider Wild Joe, 60 footer with a gennaker on the bowsprit, got ahead and crossed the finish line between Aniene 1a Classe and Maxi Jena. While Esimit Europa 2 changed thousands of headsails to catch some light breeze and finishing in almost 4 hours, Maxi Jena rounded the mark off Santa Croce and kept her second place finishing with an over half an hour gap, followed by Wild Joe and Vascotto, with an excellent fourth place and first in category.
The miracle this year comes from the small 40-foot Sayonara, first of 1st class (first in her category for 10 years in a row) of Roberto Bertocchi: empty boat, 11 crew members and a loyal 120 sqm gennaker hoisted about 20 times to catch any puff of wind. Shining (third in Super Maxi), came in sixth.
The finish line in Barcola welcomes only twenty boats. “A very different Barcolana – said president of the Società velica di Barcola e Grignano Vincenzo Spina, racing on his “Nothing Personal” – on Saturday a strong Bora wind was blowing, today it’s dead calm. The wind rules over regattas. On land we have organized a great party, one week long, and today the party went on at sea because many crews realized it was hard to finish the race”. The results feature 20 boats finished out of 1737 at the start, but according to the special rules of the Barcolana, further 58 boats who have passed the gate at Miramare within the time limit will be able to be included in the rankings if they send, as provided in the Sailing Instructions, the race declaration showing the time when they crossed the gate.
Dead calm stopped La Poste 200 metres from the line. The yacht helmed by young sailor Benedetta Skofich, with sailor and businessman Vincenzo Onorato and Triestine Lorenzo Bressani tactician. “We stopped just before the line – said Bressani – but in our hearts we really won. It was really moving when our crew was warmly welcomed ashore. The Barcolana did a true miracle, it enabled ten boys and girls with Down syndrome to be the protagonists and sail among 1700 boats. It’s a pity judges did not decide to shorten the course, we could have finished at Miramare and it would have been a great party for all”.
IGOR SIMCIC, ESIMIT EUROPA 2 – “The most deadly calm edition ever – said after the race the owner of Esimit Europa 2, Igor Simcic – it was a different Barcolana and hard-fought but not less awesome. A very tactical race, very difficult. We have always sailed at our best, even if it was only 7 knots. Our strategy proved to be right; we faced wind shifts changing sails at the right moment. Our crew is perfect with 40 or 4 knots. The Barcolana is always amazing – said Simcic – you cannot find regattas like this one anywhere else, and for this reason it’s so exciting”.
JOCHEN SHÜMANN (SKIPPER OF ESIMIT EUROPA 2) – “After last year’s Barcolana – said Schümann – I almost feel at home here in Trieste. It was a very technical race, very difficult and nothing could be taken for granted in these conditions. I have never found anywhere else the warm welcome I have found again here. It is a special race and different from all the others”.
MITJA KOSMINA, MAXI JENA – “This Barcolana had very difficult wind conditions, which put to the test the entire crew. When there is little wind it is harder to race: you need to be very concentrated. With Vasco Vascotto we battled it out and we had to watch out Shining as well. We decided to take the right side of the course and it revealed to be the right tactics. We have come in second again this year, but we continue to dream. This is the right way to face challenges ad be always ready. We’ll always take part in Barcolana with the aim of doing better”.
VASCO VASCOTTO (Tp52 ANIENE 1.a CLASSE) – “The light air put all crews to the test. Personally I am very satisfied with our race and with how we fought against Esimit at the start. It was really exciting to cross the finish line at Barcola and to sail for Aism to raise public awareness on the fight against multiple sclerosis. If was a judge, I would have shortened the course to allow more boats to finish. In any case, the Barcolana is great fun with a unique joyful atmosphere”.
ROBERTO BERTOCCHI (SAYONARA) – “We are very happy because this is Sayonara’s tenth Barcolana and it is also the tenth victory in our category, but this is not all: the fifth place overall is a dream come true. We changed sails over 20 times, we worked hard, and the result is wonderful. It is a great satisfaction”.
