Cagliari– The Windsurfing Club Cagliari, from Friday 26 April to Friday 3 May with the Nacra 15 European Championships. Organized for the first time in Cagliari, with the participation of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) and the International Nacra 15 Class Association, the regatta includes a significant turnout from all over Europe but also from America, Tahiti and Australia with 67 boats on the starting line.
The Nacra 15, a semi-foiling catamaran equipped with two curved daggerboards that allow lifting from the water, preparatory to the transition to its big brother Nacra 17, an Olympic sailing class, is increasingly popular for its great versatility and performance. It is also the class with which the ISAF World Youth Championships are contested, whose scheme includes a mixed crew under 19, and the Youth Olympic Games.
The Italian fleet present in Cagliari is impressive and competitive, with 20 boats, including 8 WCC crews including Alessandro Vargiu with Grace Fedeli at the bow, Leonardo Vascellari with Eleonora Bandel, light wind experts and Gabriele Usai with Noa Lisci, lovers instead of the strongest wind. Among the Ycc athletes, the Sirena-Dessì and Ghiani-Zonca crews stand out. From the rest of the peninsula, among others, the reigning Italian champions Enrica Morelli with Stefano Troiano (Svagamente di Pescara) and the large Roman fleet of Nacra 15 are participating.
In Cagliari there will also be the Isaf Youth World Sailing 2023 world champions, held in December in Brazil, Daniel and Nora Garcia from La Casa (Spain); the Belgians Mateo Leclercq and Mathieu Pinsart, silver at the Europeans in Knokke last year, and the French Côme Rouseré and Hugues Vandermersch, third place at the 2023 Europeans.
The French fleet is very numerous and highly competitive, with 19 boats. Excellent turnout from Hungary, with 9 crews, and again from Spain, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland, UK.
The first test, after the days dedicated to registrations, measurements and practice races, is on Monday 29th at 1.00 pm. There will be 5 days of regattas, for a maximum of 18 races, until Friday 3 May, when the new European champions will be awarded the titles.
“We are very happy that the WCC is hosting this important, exciting and competitive championship” declares WCC president Roberto Festa. “The investment we make in young people is always very high, and this time too we put all our best energies into play because we are convinced that sport and in particular sailing and the sea have an unparalleled added value. I wish good winds to everyone!”
