Centomiglia 2009
- You can watch it after Garda ...
The Musto Performance Skiff European championships
at Fraglia della vela di Malcesine is taking part on
the dates for one good reason. As a class we all love
going fast and talking about dramatic sailing events.
So, Paul has arranged with Chiara and the team at Malcesine
to run our championships to end the day before the World
famous Centomiglia!
The race is held on Saturday after we
finish racing on Friday, and for those who don’t know
much about this prestigious lake sailing event, here
is a bit of history (oh, and by the way, one of the
rounding marks is right in front of the club)…
The first Centomiglia was organised by
the Circolo Vela Gargnano and took place in 1951. It
is the tour of Lake Garda meaning “100 miles” and its
name recalls the “Mille Miglia” motor race, and just
like in this competition, everyone is free to take part!
The first competition, which saw 17 boats at the start,
was won by the 6 metre “Airone”of Umberto Peretti Colò,
skipper of the “Compagnia della Vela” of Venice.
The second Centomiglia was won by the German “30mq”
called Manjana belonging to the Bavarian skipper Martin
Adolf, and so the “Centomiglia” starts to become recognised
as a world wide event.
In the following years, some of the most peculiar, different
and very fast boats have taken part in the competition
on Lake Garda.
The event has been won by Olympic boats such as the
“5.5Metre”, the “Star” and the “Tornado” as well as
ocean racing yachts shipped in specially…
Since the mid-seventies it has been the
“Classe Libera” which has triumphed.
The Italian boat “Cassiopea” belonging to Franco Nocivelli
won four times, with an Italian crew while a German
boat “Quartas “ skippered by Sepp Hoess, Flying Dutchman
world champion has also won.
In the eighties, the “super-leggero“ model created by
Bruce Farr was very popular on Lake Garda.
Skippers whose names have been linked with the Centomiglia
include Falck (winner on two occasions), the Swiss Fehlmann
brothers, several times participants in the Round the
World Race, Flavio Scala the 12 metre World Champion
of the America’s Cup; Olympic Champion Fabio Albarelli,
and the Italian sailors Mario Celon, Luca Santella and
Giorgio Zuccoli multi World Melges 24 champion; Werner
Fritz the German Champion and World Vice-Champion of
the Star class; the Chairman of the Circolo Vela Gargnano,
Andrea Damiani, four times winner, and three times winner
Slovenian Dusan Puh.
In 1996 Centomiglia was won by the “Asso99 one design
“boat of Lievi and Larcher. In 1997 it was won by the
Libera class boat “Raffica” skippered by the Star World
Champion Roberto Benamati who owns the BestWind chandlery
up the road from the club!
In 1998 and in 1999 Luca Valerio (Mumm
30 World Champion in 2001 - 2002) won, in 2000, 2001
and 2002 Roberto Benamati won again with Joshi Entner
on board “Principessa” the new boat designed by Bruce
Farr.
In 2001 and 2002 the Streamline boat designed by Judel
and Vrolik and built by Mader won the Centomiglia in
Group 3, the group of small boats.
In 2003 the winner of the 53rd Centomiglia was “Clandesteam”,
designed by the Umberto Felci and sailed by Oscar Tonoli
and by the strategist Michele Ivaldi.
In 2004 and 2005 the yacht “Principessa”,
skippered by Joshi Entner was the winner.
In 2006, 2007 and 2008 the winner was
“Clandesteam”, skippered by Carlo Fracassoli and by
strategist Stefano Orlandi.
In 2006 the line honours winner of the
race was the Extreme 40 “Holmatro”, helmsman Andreas
Haraga together with Giovanni Soldini.
In 2007 and 2008 the winner of the race was another
Extreme 40 Catamaran from USA, helmed by Randy Smyth
and sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger.
The Centomiglia is organised by Circolo
Vela Gargnano, the sailing club which has taken part
in the 32nd America’s Cup with the yacht +39.
For some fantastic photos of the Extreme
40 and Libera A boats in action take a look at this
link! http://www.canonphoto.eu/subject-Sailing-42-15050000-2.html
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