Puntaldia (Sassari), 24 September 2022
The Norwegian Lasse Petterson with Gabriele Benussi as tactician in the Melges 32 class and the Italian Brontolo of Filippo Pacinotti (tactician the American Taylor Canfield) in the Melges 20 class are the new 2022 World Champions.
The tenth round made of gusts of sirocco at over 20 knots ends on the spectacular Puntaldia regatta race course and for both classes the world championship challenge that was played up to the last edge of the last test with the title that, during of the regatta, it changed hands continuously until the final verdict on the finishing line.
Among the Melges 20, while the third step of the podium had already been mathematically assigned to Dario Levi’s Fremito d’Arja (with Stefano Cherin), all eyes were on the duel between the leader Brontolo and the Monegasque Nika of Vladimir Prosikhin (with Manuel Weiller tactician). Four points to defend for Brontolo who immediately after the start chooses to abandon Nika on the opposite side of the race course; the choice does not pay and brings Brontolo at great risk of seeing the victory parade in front of an unleashed Nika projected in the meantime to undermine the first position in the race followed by Dario Levi.
Passing to the last windward mark Nika is in front of Fremito d’Arja with Brontolo detached in sixth place. At the last jibe Nika “stumbles” in an imperfect maneuver that stops the race of the Monegasque team and leads Brontolo to overtake and cross the finish line with his arms raised. For Brontolo it is the second world title which also adds to the crown of European champion won just last year on this same race course.
High tension also in the Melges 32 class where the world championship ends with the whole podium in just two points with the Italian Enfant Terrible of Alberto Rossi who collects the silver with a bullet in the last race in which at times Rossi was virtually champion. The Norwegian Pippa with a conservative and useful behavior can settle for fourth place on the finish line while the German Wilma of Fritz Homann (with Nico Celon), second behind Enfant Terrible in today’s race, completes the podium in third place on equal points (29) with the Italian team.
In the Corinthian division the world champions are respectively the Italians of Neodent of the Savoini brothers and Marco Giannini among the Melges 20 and the Germans of Heat of Max Augustin among the Melges 32.
The Puntaldia event also awarded the last valid points for the circuit ranking of both fleets: among the Melges 20 after 5 stages (Marina di Scarlino, Porto San Giorgio, Gaeta, Villasimius and Puntaldia) the success goes to the veteran Fremito d’Arja (pt. 96). In second place B.Lex by Benedetta Iovane (pt. 81) with Nika completing the podium (pt. 77).
The title of Melges World League 2022 champion in the Melges 32 class is for Wilma (pt. 74) with just two points ahead of Enfant Terrible. In third place the Corinthian team of Heat (pt. 68).
The Melges World League 2022 counts on the support of: Helly Hansen, Quantum, North Sails, Garmin and Madonna di Campiglio as well as the technical partners Free Ride Cosmetics, Equilibra, Rigoni di Asiago, Revì, Acqua Cedea, Azienda Agricola il Ponte, Birrificio Petragnolo, Dai Dai, La Bellanotte, Sabatini Gin, Caffè Toscano, FoodNess and le Formiche di Fabio Vettori.
Melges Europe and the Melges World League support the One Ocean Foundation message by signing the Charta Smeralda.
