Recchi pulls ahead

Race favourite takes the lead after day one of the Audi Melges 32 World Championship

The first day of racing at the Audi Melges 32 World Championship, hosted by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was nothing short of spectacular, not to mention delivered no surprises. At the end of the day, topping the 30-boat fleet is Claudio Recchi on ITA-93 Team 93. In second overall is Joe Woods on GBR-500 Red and Pieter Taselaar on USA-169 Bliksem is seated third.

Racing commenced on time under partly cloudy skies and moderate breezes with the left side of the line strongly favored. Upwind, the right initially appeared to be productive, however the left proved to be the side that catapulted Woods with David Lenz calling the shots to the front of the pack, leading the charge by a nice margin. Rounding second was Giovanni Maspero on ITA-999 Joe Fly and Andrea Cecchetti on ITA-753 Bagua with Vasco Vascotto as tactician. Downwind, Woods poured on the speed placing him at the gate well ahead of the rest of the fleet and back out to the left for pressure.

Recchi chased Woods back upwind, passing Maspero and Armando Guilietti helming ITA-1 Uka Uka Racing for Lorenzo Santini and Cecchetti. Woods won the first race by what seemed to be a mile, Recchi took second and Maspero third.

For the second race of the day, the breeze dropped off slightly as another course four was posted on the board at 060, with an approaching weather system off to the east for the start. Once more Woods look to have a nice start, as did Recchi and Vincenzo Onorato on ITA-2121 Mascalzone Latino with with tactician Adrian Stead at his side. Onorato got the upper hand upwind charging the mark in first, Recchi right on his heels in second, Cecchetti in third. Recchi took the lead almost instantly from Onorato. An amazing downwind drag race with Onorato placed Recchi at the gate first, then proceeded to extended his lead back upwind with Taselaar finding his way into the number two position. Onorato slipped back into third for the final downwind run to the finish. Recchi was first across the line, Taselaar settled for second and across the line in third was Onorato.

Looking to day two at the Audi Melges 32 World Championship in Porto Cervo, Italy, four points separate Recchi from Woods in the overall points standings with Taselaar only one point further back. In fourth is Stefano di Properizio on ITA-651 Mataran and in fifth is Cecchetti.

Results:

Boat (Bow No.)	Owner/Helmsman	Sail No.	R1	R2	Tot
TEAM 93 (93)	Claudio Recchi/Claudio Recchi	ITA 93	2	1	3
RED (66)	Joe Woods/Joe Woods	GBR 500	1	6	7
BLIKSEM (69)	Pieter Taselaar/Pieter Taselaar	USA 169	6	2	8
MATARAN (99)	Stefano Di Properzio/Stefano Di Properzio	ITA 651	7	4	11
BAGUA (08)	Andrea Cecchetti/Andrea Cecchetti	ITA 753	5	7	12
FANTASTICAAA (02)	Lanfranco Cirillo/Lanfranco Cirillo	ITA 164	9	5	14
JOE FLY (46)	Giovanni Maspero/Giovanni Maspero	ITA 999	3	12	15
MASCALZONE LATINO (21)	Vincenzo Onorato/Vincenzo Onorato	ITA 2121	12	3	15
UKA UKA RACING (78)	L. Santini & A. Marinelli/Armando Giulietti	ITA 1	4	11	15
PILOT ITALIA (13)	Francesco Martino/Francesco Martino	ITA 161	8	8	16
ARGO (32)	Jason Carroll/Jason Carroll	USA 128	10	10	20
BITIPI (09)	Savino Formentini/Savino Formentini	MON 1999	11	17	28
OPUS ONE (16)	Wolfgang Stolz/Wolfgang Stolz	GER 205	20	9	29
SEI TU 32 (10)	Antonello Morina/Antonello Morina	ITA 179	15	14	29
BRONTOLO (28)	Filippo Pacinotti/Filippo Pacinotti	ITA 667	14	15	29
CALVI NETWORK (11)	Carlo Alberini/Carlo Alberini	ITA 186	13	20	33
RUSH DILETTA (25)	Mauro Moccheggiani/Mauro Moccheggiani	ITA 187	17	16	33
MATRIX (88)	Luigi Amedeo Melegari/Luigi Melegari	ITA 181	21	13	34
TEAM BARBARIANS (07)	Stuart Simpson/Fred Kemp	GBR 84845	18	19	37
BIG BANG HUBLOT (45)	Battistella & Curtis/Cesare Curtis	ITA 177	22	18	40
TORPYONE (18)	E.Lupi & M.Pessina/Edoardo Lupi	ITA 487	23	21	44
HIGHLIFE (77)	Peter Rogers/Dave Cowell	GBR 121	19	26	45
JANAS (27)	Roberto Pardini/Pietro Fois	ITA 172	16	DSQ	46
SHAKEDOWN (17)	Geoffrey Pierini/Geoffrey Pierini	USA 178	24	23	47
BLACK MAMBA (04)	Martin Knetig/Martin Knetig	CZE 204	27	22	49
TEASING MACHINE (15)	Jean Francois Cruette/Jean Francois Cruette	FRA 202	26	24	50
I.NOVA2 (33)	Carlo Pesenti/Carlo Pesenti	ITA 100	28	25	53
FRA MARTINA (22)	Edo, V. Pavesio & G. Rinaldi/Edoardo Pavesio	ITA 141	25	28	53
LEA (23)	Aamalia De Lana/Ernesto Faraco	ITA 185	29	27	56

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