Less than one week remains to the 15 March deadline for regular entry fees assessed to attend the 2023 ORC Mediterranean Championship being held over 18-21 May in Piano di Sorrento, Italy. At the discretion of the organizers from the Circolo Remo e Vela Italia (CRV Italia) more entries may be accepted after this date with a surcharge added to the regular entry fees.
This prominent international sailing event is the last of three parts to Tre Golfi Sailing Week, sponsored by Rolex as Official Timepiece and is also being run as the Campionato Nazionale del Medio e Basso Tirreno, a qualifier for the Italian national offshore championship.
Currently there is a highly diverse range of international entries, with teams from 8 nations represented, including Czech Republic, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the US. The 10 teams currently in Class A are from 8 nations, while the 8 teams in Class B are all from Italy and the remaining 8 teams in Class C are from 3 nations. Organizers are expecting many more to fill in the ranks in the next several days.
More than just sailing in one of the most scenic and pleasurable venues in the entire Mediterranean region, these teams now have even further incentive to come to Sorrento and compete for the top overall prize: a new Citroën Ami (shown to the right). This innovative ultra-compact electric vehicle is perfect for personalized urban transport where space is tight and distances are short.
Unique among ORC Championship events, where rankings are determined within classes, the Mediterraneans offer an innovative overall trophy determined from among ranking of Classes A, B and C based on the following formula as agreed with ORC:
(P -Nr)/[(Ne x Nr)-Nr]
where “P” are the total points scored by the single boat based on the low-points system
“Nr” is the number of races completed by the class
“Ne” is the number of entrants scored in the class
While sponsor trophies will be assigned to the winners in each class and CRV Italia trophies to the other teams on the podium, this innovative formula will determine the overall winner of the races who will receive the Citroën Ami electric car as a special prize.
Organizers have also added some attractive new features to the social schedule of the event to enhance the hospitality experience for all participants who come to Sorrento. After registration, inspections and measurements are completed on Thursday, 18 May, in the evening participants will be invited to taste examples of local cuisine created by several Michelin star chefs and served at the seaside restaurant Le Axidie.
Even in the Marina area near the boat moorings there will be breakfast and gourmet coffee options offered by Caffè Borbone available to the teams, in addition to post-race pasta and Ferrarelle water offered each evening to sate the appetites of hungry and thirsty sailors who have been all day in battle at sea.
And on Sunday 21 May the evening prizegiving will be held at the spectacular Villa Fondi overlooking Piano di Sorrento and the surrounding sea, a suitable setting for a beautiful four days spent both racing and enjoying the shoreside ambience of one the Mediterranean region’s most spectacular sailing venues.