Rimini is once again the scene of a major international sailing event, thanks to the “2024 Tornado World Championship”.
In the wake of last year’s O’Pen Skiff World Championship, which saw more than 300 young sailors from all over the world in the city, and the experience of the 2019 European Tornado Championship, the Club Nautico Rimini (CNR) presented this morning, in the own headquarters, the next organizational commitment, which will take place from 12 to 19 July in Piazzale Boschovich, in collaboration with the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV), the International Tornado Class, Yacht Club Cortina D’Ampezzo, Punto Vela Bellariva and with the patronages of the Emilia Romagna Region – Sport Valley, Municipality of Rimini, Coni Emilia Romagna.
Around 30 crews are expected, representing 12 countries, the best specialists of the Tornado, a fast 5 meter catamaran with a crew of two, Olympic class from 1976 to 2008. The level in the water promises to be high and the regattas will certainly be at teaches professionalism and extreme precision. At the moment 25 crews have confirmed their participation but other pairs will be added close to the start.
Of note is the presence of the reigning world champions, the French Yoann Trecul and Thomas Ferrard and the Australian crew formed by Allan and Stephen Gamble, who come from further afield. Keeping Italy’s colors high are the Azzurri Daniele Balducci-Roberto Cassanelli, Luciano Censoni-Andrea Pari, Mirko Mazzini-Andrea Ciabatta, Stefano Sirri-Thomas Venturi.
The event will award the titles of absolute world champion, mixed crew and youth. The program includes the measurement, practice race and opening ceremony on July 13, the competitions at sea will take place from 14 to 19 (2 heats per day on windward-leeward courses) with July 17 as a rest date or available for any recoveries.
There are two possible race fields, one to the North of the dock and one to the South, both clearly visible from their respective beaches and the seafront. The Jury will choose which one to use day by day, based on the weather and sea conditions.
“Organising two world sailing championships in two years, even if in very different classes, is a great honour for us – the satisfaction of Gianfranco Santolini, President of the Cnr – When organizing sporting events, we always try to combine the promotion of the values of sport, especially towards younger people, with the valorisation of the territory. An event is able to convey very well the meaning of sport but also the socio-cultural peculiarities, the productive fabric and the excellence of a specific area and this time too we will try to do just that. Even if we will be dealing with a senior event, our priority remains the younger targets, for whom the example of older champions or former Olympians is an incentive to always do better and to remain attached to sailing even when they grow up”.
Thus the sports councilor of the Municipality of Rimini Michele Lari:
“After the 2019 European Championships, Rimini is proud to host the world championship of a class with a great Olympic tradition behind it and which will bring the most important crews and boats of the category to our waters. A result achieved thanks to the consolidated organizational and hospitality capacity of the Nautical Club, capable of attracting international events and competitions to Rimini every year, such as the 2023 Open Skiff World Championships, and which with the 2024 Tornado World Championship adds a gem to an exceptional summer of sport for our city.”
Although they could not be physically present, two icons of Italian sailing such as Max Sirena and Gabriele Bruni wanted to show their closeness to the competitors and organizers of the championship. The skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, a native of Rimini, approached sailing as a child in the CNR nursery while Bruni, born in Palermo, one Olympics behind him, is today the Italian Technician of the Nacra17, the mixed Olympic multihull that is bringing so much satisfaction to the Italian medal table.
“Such an intense year for Italian sailing is enriched by a world event dedicated to a class with great tradition like the Tornados – greetings from Francis HectorPresident of the Italian Sailing Federation – I am sure that the Rimini Nautical Club will be able to make this event unforgettable and I thank President Gianfranco Santolini and the entire Council for their commitment. I wish all the athletes fair winds”.
The thought of agrees Andrea Dondi, President of CONI Emilia Romagna: “The organizational capacity of the Rimini Nautical Club is a certainty that has been with us for some time now and on behalf of CONI and the entire regional sports movement I can only congratulate the president Gianfranco Santolini and all his staff for having wanted another event of very high level. I am sure that the 2024 edition of the Tornado world championship will be a success and that once again Rimini will be a sounding board for a region capable of responding to the many requests that will see it protagonist of successful events this summer. I will be present on July 13th at the start of the championship to bring the closeness of all regional sport to my friend Santolini”.
