Final day of ORC European Champion 2021: everyone's a winner

Today marked the final day of racing on the waters of Capri for the boats competing for the title of ORC European Champion 2021. After yesterday's two windward-leewards brought the fleet to a total of five races held, the Race Committee was on the water at 10 this morning to position the course and kick off the closing races of the event. Very light and shifty air, however, meant that racing could not get underway until 1 p.m. when the first start of the day was given in 6-8 knots of breeze from 260°. As the wind filled in to 15 knots, two races were held for groups A and C and one for Group B, thus bringing the total races held to 7 and 6 respectively.
At the conclusion of the ORC European Championship, the overall rankings are as follows:

Class A
1 Xio – TP52 – Marco Serafini – Club Vela Portocivitanova - ITA
2 Fever – Swan 45 - Klaus Diederichs – RORC – C.V. Venezia - GBR
3 Freccia Rossa – TP52 – Vadim Yakimenko – Y.C. Calvi - ITA

Class B
1 Fantaghirò – ClubSwan 42 – Carlandrea Simonelli – C.N. Marina di Carrara - ITA
2 Mela – ClubSwan 42 – Andrea Rossi – C.N. Marina di Carrara - ITA
3 Bewild – ClubSwan 42 – Renzo Grottesi – C.V. Portocivitanova - ITA

Class C
1 Scugnizza – Italia 11.98 – Vincenzo De Blasio – Circolo Canottieri Napoli - ITA
2 Sugar 3 – Italia 11.98 – Ott Kikkas – Yacht Club Tallinn - EST
3 Topas – Farr 30 – H. Bruening – KYC – WYC – RORC - GER

The winners in the Corinthian category for each class also received prizes:

Class A
Tengher – Swan 45 – Alberto Magnani – Yacht Club Italiano - ITA

Class B
Chestress 3 – J122 - Giancarlo Ghislanzoni – Yacht Club Italiano - ITA

Class C
Topas – Farr 30 – H. Bruening - KYC – WYC – RORC - GER

Two special prizes were also awarded: the Trofeo Yacht Club Italiano for the sailing club
with the most members on the podium, which went to Club Nautico Marina di Carrara
and the Swan Trophy for the best ClubSwan in the largest class by number - Class B -
presented to the Clubswan 42 Fantaghirò, owned by Carlandrea Simonelli.

“It was a pleasure to see our waters and our island host an international event of this calibre and in these circumstances" commented the President of the Yacht Club Capri, Achille D’Avanzo. "Irrespective of the sporting results, which are of course important, I'd like to think that in this long week of sport everyone is a winner: the athletes on the water, the shore staff and all the islanders who have, once again, demonstrated their wonderful hospitality.”

"It was important to have faith right to the end" affirmed Roberto Mottola di Amato, President of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, "and we managed to organise such an important edition, where the weather helped us a lot, and a lot of work was done to make sure all the participants were safe. We have had 10 days of magnificent racing: from the maxi yachts of the first stage, a windswept 66th Tre Golfi regatta - with its captivating sunset start, and the grand finale with the ORC European Championship. As a sailor, I must also mention our great relief for the crew involved in the accident on Sunday, the boat was lost, but they are all well.”

Jean Dufour, sports director of the Yacht Club Italiano, one of the organisers of the Rolex Capri Sailing Week, also spoke of a renewed, deep and ancient bond between Genoa and Naples. “The organisation of a European Championship" concluded Bruno Finzi, President of the Offshore Racing Congress" begins with the assignment of the host location two years before the event, and is complex in normal circumstances, and even more so given the difficult months that we have gone through. The Gulf of Naples has a fantastic regatta course, displayed to its fullest during this European championship. If it had not been for the restrictions on travel, we would certainly have had a record number of participants. Last year we had 130 entries and had to cancel for obvious reasons, this year with 62 boats on the water, we can safely say that this regatta marks a return to racing.”

At 6.30 p.m. the prize-giving ceremony for the winners of the European Championship in the 3 classes doing battle for the title was attended by representatives of the organising clubs and the Mayor of Capri, Marino Lembo.