Torpyone on top

Lupi and Messina's team claims Audi-Tron Melges 32 regatta in Porto Venere

Congratulations are in full order for Edoardo Lupi and Massimo Messina - owners of Torpyone - now crowned the 'King of Poets'. They came out on top in the 18 boat fleet racing in Porto Venere, Italy on the second stage of the 2015 Audi-Tron Sailing Series. Along with Lupi and Messina was tactician Lorenzo 'Rufo' Bressani and crew Flavio Favini, Carlo Zermini, Lorenzo Lupi (son of Edoardo) Matteo Mason and Stefano Ciampalini.

"Our second place finish at the World Championship in Miami was our best result ever - until now," commented Lupi. "In Loano, we did not have such a great performance, but this makes up for it for sure. We now feel very happy and it puts us in a great position as we look ahead to the World Championship in Trapani."

Messina added: "For Lupi di Mare, this is a moment of great joy. Without a doubt, we give thanks to Rufo as he was the one that put us in all the right places, which ultimately brought us to the top of the podium. His spirit was infectious and this carried through to the whole team, which was a key to our success this weekend."

On the final day only one race, race number six, was held in moderate, yet shifty and tricky breeze. Andrea LaCorte's Vitamina/Celadrin got off to an awesome start to lead the fleet around the first two buoys, but it was Lupi/Messina that picked up on the fresh left-side pressure giving them the winning advantage after the course was shortened. Dalton DeVos' Delta finished second, followed by Roberto Tomasini Grinover's Robertissima in third.

Finishing second on the podium was overnight leader Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio helming G-SPOT, making this by far his best finish ever in the class. The young American DeVos, thanks to a second-place result in the final race ended up third while Tomasini Grinover came fourth, and Valentin Zavadnikov's Synergy GT was fifth.

The next event in Europe is in Riva Del Garda over 5-7 June, then onto Porto Ercole on 10-12 July as a final warm-up and opportunity to fine tune the boat and crew for top-notch Worlds competition. The World Championship will take place over 26-30 August in Trapani.

Top ten results after six races with one discard

1.) Edoardo Lupi-Massimo Messina/Lorenzo Bressani, Torpyone; 3-13-1-[11]-2-1 = 18
2.) Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio/Branko Brcin, G-SPOT; 2-6-5-1-7-[14] = 21
3.) Dalton DeVos/Jonathan McKee, Delta; 1-8-2-[13]-9-2 = 22
4.) Roberto Tomasini Grinover/Vasco Vascotto, Robertissima; 9-3-4-4-[12]-3 = 23
5.) Valentin Zavadnikov/Andy Horton, Synergy GT; 11-5-3-2-8-[15] = 29
6.) Alec Cutler/Chris Rast, hedgehog; 5-1-6-[BFD]-17-4 = 33
7.) Andrea LaCorte/Jesper Radich, Vitamina/Celadrin; 14-2-11-[BFD]-1-6 = 34
8.) Filippo Pacinotti/Gabrio Zandona, Brontolo; [10]-7-10-9-3-9 = 38
9.) Matteo Balestrero/Matteo Ivaldi, La Spezia Sailing Team; 8-12-8-6-4-[17] = 38
10.) Alessandro Rombelli/Francesco Bruni, STIG; 7-9-7-10-[14]-10 = 43

Full results here