A breathtaking adventure for the Forlì sailor Marco Rusticali, who also faced a whirlwind and ultimately emerged victorious from the 50th edition of Lat Cinquecento Pellegrini Trophy, organized by the Circolo Nautico Santa Margherita in collaboration with the Municipality of Caorle, the Darsena dell’Orologio and the Title Sponsor Pellegrini Gruppo, valid for the Italian Offshore FIV Championship. The fluctuating conditions and the contradiction of the main weather models were the common thread of the last miles between the Croatian island and the finish line in Caorle, where there was no shortage of extreme situations, with gusts of wind over thirty knots and several waterspouts, which fortunately only caused damage to the boats.
The calculation of the ORC compensated times crowned Mr Hyde by Marco Rusticali and Riccardo Rossi, who also won the Vivila X2 Trophy created by the artist Giuseppe Celeprin. “For us, the 2024 edition was a regatta complete with everything…hot days and cold nights, from calms to slalom among waterspouts, dolphins, turtles and endless gliding. After a good start, we were lucky in the choices we made on the descent to the Tremiti, remaining in the leading group and separating the bulk of the fleet. This allowed us to face a calmer race tactically and helped to keep us focused until the finish line, where we found a big storm waiting for us with formations of waterspouts, which we fortunately managed to pass without damage. For us, winning this beautiful regatta again, especially in a special year like the 50th, is a great satisfaction.” Rusticali posted the impressive challenge to the whirlwind during the race on his social media channels.
