X-Yachting - X-Yachts

Under a
Tuscan Sun
Photos: Studio Borlenghi
Overall results:
1st Sideracordis, Pier Vettor Grimani 18 points
2nd Malafemmena, Arturo Di Lorenzo 18
3rd Mascalzone Latino, Gianclaudio Bassetti 20
4th Raffica, Pasquale Orofino 25
5th Technoicol, Talumaa Rhio 35
6th Le Coq, Hardi Maurizio Pavesi 37
7th Extra 1, Giuseppe Barranco 45
8th Raggio Blu, Stefano Bettini 59
9th Irresistible 4, Kunio Yamada 61
10th Captani Coraggiosi, Santoro Felcini 74
Close downwind racing for the Japanese
Irresistible 4 and Italian Extra 1.
The X-41 one-design fleet fought
out their World Championship
title in scorching Scarlino, Italy
The 2011 X-41 World Championships were held during the
Steiner X-Yachts Mediterranean Cup in September, with an
entry list that included visiting boats from as far afield as
Estonia and Japan.
After four days of training in the typical Tuscany sea breeze of up
to 20 knots, the first day of racing was sailed with a south-southwesterly
wind of 6-8 knots under a bright Italian sun.
The leader of the day was Raffica, owned and helmed by Pasquale
Orofino, who took two firsts and a fifth with Flavio Favini calling
tactics and Banks Sails sailmaker Paolo Semeraro trimming the main.
The Mascalzone Latino boat, owned by Gianclaudio Bassetti with
Vincenzo Onorato’s team onboard – including Onorato helming
and reigning Melges 24 and Melges 32 world champion Lorenzo
Bressani in charge of tactics – took second with two runner-up slots
and a fourth. Sideracordis was third, scoring 5-2-4.
Day 2 saw a nice southerly breeze build from 10 to 14 knots.
Mascalzone Latino took the lead after scoring a solid 2-2-5. The
Neapolitan Malafemmena, owned by Arturo Di Lorenzo with 470
Olympian Matteo Ivaldi in the tactician role, were kings of the day
with an impressive 1-4-1 scoreline that moved them into second
overall, only one point behind Mascalzone. Third was Sideracordis,
showing good speed and solid decisions by Daniele Cassinari.
Jury’s verdict
Day 3 brought another southerly wind from 10 to 15 knots.
Sideracordis scored an incredible three wins to build a nearunassailable
lead. Sideracordis, owned Pier Vittor Grimani with
Andrea Tedesco helming and Daniele Cassinari calling tactics, built
a three-point advantage over Malafemmena and a four point margin
over Mascalzone Latino, who scored 3-2-5 on day three.
As they finished the penultimate day, with four firsts Sideracordis
could only lose the title if they finished less than fifth with
Malafemmena first in the following day’s finale. But later that
evening the International Jury awarded redress to the Estonian boat
Technonicol, reinstating their previous DSQ score, which ensured
Sideracordis were unbeatable as X-41 World Champions. Daniele
Cassinari and crew celebrated with an enjoyable evening at the
official dinner at Cala Felice Restaurant and Beach Club.
On the last day racing continued in a pleasant sea breeze of 8-10
knots. Malafemmena won the last race with Sideracordis finishing sixth
after restarting from an OCS - which meant that the reinstatement of
the Estonian boat had indeed proved decisive in the final results. This
left Malafemmena second overall and Mascalzone Latino third.
Celebrations on board the winning Sideracordis.
78 X-YACHTING 2012 X-YACHTING 2012 79
X rACING