Presented at Seatec the competition which is to open the season for the crews taking part in the 2010 championship. Twenty regatta boats with leading crews competing for three days in the waters of Marina di Carrara.

Already in its debut year in Marina di Carrara the regatta of the Melges 32 Class and the Audi Melges 20 Class records a success that points to an important future for an event that opens the season of international competitions.

The initial briefing for the event took place in CarraraFiere, in the conference area at Seatec, with the participation of crews, boat owners and judges.

Luca Lalli, from Carrara, owner and helmsman of B-Lin, 2010 World Champion in San Francisco, Melges 32 class with Lorenzo Bressani on tactics, received the Seatec 2010 award for the prestigious trophy he won.

Showing the interest in the first year of the regatta, among the crews in the competition were leading figures such as Paul Goodison, gold medal in Peking and Marc De Antonio, helmsman of Bribon, the boat on which King Juan Carlos of Spain, a great sailing fan, often sails.

The waters to the west of the port in Marina di Carrara are considered to be excellent for regattas which is why twenty boats competed, divided equally between the Melges 32 Class and the Audi Melges 20 Class.

This is a particularly interesting class as it involves monotype boats with identical hulls and sails and winning is down to the crew’s skill in manoeuvring and the decisions made by the tactician as well as the helmsman.

Luca Lalli was especially satisfied with the success of the event after emphasising at the press conference the “great potential of the waters in Marina di Carrara for regattas and high level competitions supported by excellent logistics on land and the possibility to accompany the competitions with high profile side events, with nothing to fear from the leading venues on the international circuit”.

At the end of the presentation everyone at sea for three days of competition on an international level as who wins at Marina di Carrara will surely be a star in the world championship.

February 18, 2011

CarraraFiere Press Office Lorenzo Marchini l.marchini@carrarafiere.it