Italian sailors have a strong sense for dramatic. After the third race day of the Rolex Farr 40 European Championship 2008 – like the two days before – the two Mediterranean competitors are still tied on points leading the twelve boats fleet in Travemuende, Germany. “Mascalzone Latino” owned and helmed by Vincenzo Onorato from Milano remained number one ahead of Giovanni Maspero’s “Joe Fly” from Lake Como (both on 18 points), only because Onorato scored more first places. Despite his third bullet in the first race on Saturday (30 April) Olli-Pekka Lumijaervi from Finland has only theoretical chances to beat the Italians on the final day of racing. He is already nine points weak in the leader board.

Bright sunshine but no wind let the sailors chill-out first in the Rolex race village at the Baltic Sea resort of Travemuende. After five hours waiting principal race officer Peter “Luigi” Reggio dropped the postponement flag (AP down) and started two late afternoon races in light but stable conditions. Observers saw an Italian match race event going on with the better end for “Mascalzone Latino” behind “Siragusawa”, but ahead of “Joe Fly” in race seven.

But Giovanni Maspero fought back with some aggressive pre-start manoeuvres, a risky but strong starboard start heading out for the right side of the course and dominating Onorato’s crew all the time. “Mascalzone Latino” had to make her way through the fleet after giving way to three other boats at the first top mark and rounding only in sixth position. The three times Rolex Farr 40 World Champion (2006, 07 and 08) showed all his brilliance on the helm to match out the Norwegian “Team Bergen” by Sverre Valeur and squeezed in between the winner “Joe Fly” and the Scandinavians to finish second in race eight. All spots are on the two Italians when the Rolex Baltic Week concludes with two more races to come. The first gun is planned for 11 a.m. on Sunday with the last possible starting time at 2.30 p.m.

Results of the Rolex Farr 40 European Championship 2008

Race 7:1st Siragusawa (Olli-Pekka Lumijaervi/Finland), 2nd Mascalzone Latino (Vincenzo Onorato/Italy), 3rd Joe Fly (Giovanni Maspero/Italy), 4th Team Bergen (Sverre Valeur/Norway), 5th Asterisk (Ole van der Heide/Denmark), 6th Magic Mazda (Ebbe Elmer Nielsen/Denmark).

Race 8:1st Joe Fly, 2nd Mascalzone Latino, 3rd Team Bergen, 4th Asterisk, 5th Struntje Light (Wolfgang Schaefer/Germany), 6th Siragusawa.

Overall standing after the third race day: 1st Mascalzone Latino (Vincenzo Onorato/Italy) 18 points; 2nd Joe Fly (Giovanni Maspero/Italy) 18; 3rd Siragusawa (Olli-Pekka Lumijaervi/Finland) 27; 4th Asterisk (Ole van der Heide/Denmark) 40; 5th Struntje Light (Wolfgang Schaefer/Germany) 45; 6th Backbone (Thomas Kiær/Denmark) 48.

The Rolex Baltic Week is the only regatta in Germany which enjoys the support of Rolex. The worldwide calendar of the Rolex regattas comprises famous yachting events such as the Rolex Middle Sea Race, that will start on Saturday (20th October) in Malta, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race at the end of December in Australia, as well as the Sardinia Rolex Cup and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo in Sardinia, Italy among many other events in the following year.

To download high-resolution images, copyright free for editorial purposes, register online at www.regattanews.com.

Media information:
Andreas Kling
Key Partners (KPMS) Germany
for Rolex Yachting Events
T: +49 (4822) 360-900
F: +49 (4822) 360-901
M: +49 (172) 257-8817
E: andreas@regattanews.com

International media contact
Key Partners (KPMS) Head office
T: +41 32 724 28 29
F: +41 32 724 28 33
E: info@regattanews.com
I:www.regattanews.com;
www.kpms.com