THE GERMAN HEAT AND THE ITALIAN FREMITO D'ARJA LEADERS OF THE PUNTALDIA GRAND PRIX MELGES WORLD LEAGUE 2023

Puntaldia (Olbia / Tempio), 21 April 2023 - The 2023 regatta season of the Melges World League circuit got underway on the Puntaldia race course where the Melges 32 and Melges 20 fleets went into action chasing the first points of the circuit dedicated to them.

The Melges 32 made their debut today in light wind conditions (7 knots from 110 degrees direction) competing in 3 races. The best to immediately enter the Puntaldia Grand Prix 1 challenge was the German Heat of Max Augustin (Corinthian) who impressed not only for the two bullets obtained in the first two races but above all for the pace and the gaps inflicted on his opponents. In the third round Heat witnessed the return of the fleet with the victory of the Blue Next team from Rimini owned by Bonfiglio Mariotti (with the Olympian Michele Regolo) also a Corinthian team.
The provisional general classification after 3 races sees Heat in the lead (1,1,4: pt. 6) followed by the reigning world champion Pippa of Lasse Petterson, with Gabriele Benussi as tactician (3,3,2 pt. 8) who it was precisely on this same regatta field that he had conquered the world title last September. Blue Next occupies the third provisional place (4,5,1: pt. 10). The top five is completed by the German Wilma of Fritz Homann with Nico Celon as tactician (5,2,5: pt. 12) and Enfant Terrible of Alberto Rossi  with Daniele Cassinari calling tactics (3,4,3: pt. 13)

The Melges 20 concluded today the second and penultimate day of racing: the head-to-head battle continues at the top of the standings between the defending champion of the Melges World League Fremito d'Arja of Dario Levi (with Stefano Cherin calling tactics) which after the sixth round (pt. 8) precedes by only two points the duo made up of the two Monegasques, Vladimir Prosikhin's Nika (with Manuel Weiler on tactics) and Matteo Marenghi Vaselli's Raya (with the Croatian Tomislav Basic).

Tomorrow the Puntaldia Grand Prix 1 program will see the final day for the Melges 20 class while the Melges 32 will continue their regattas until Sunday.

The rehearsals of the Melges 32 regattas can be seen live and in replica on the Sailmon tracking (v. link)

Provisional Results Melges World League / Melges 32

Provisional Results Melges World League / Melges 20

Melges World League thanks Marina di Puntaldia and the official technical partners Garmin and Sailmon, besides of the event partners: Comune di San Teodoro, Sardinia Dream Villas, Banca Aletti – Gruppo Banco BPM, Consorzio di Puntaldia, Banor, Mag.nus, Due Lune Puntaldia Resort & Golf, Baglioni Resort Sardinia, Catellani & Smith, Il Marino di Puntaldia, Popkore, Nuraghe Crabioni, Lurisia Premium Beverages, Smeraldina, Tenuta Teo d’Oro, Petrognola.