Italian Half Ton Nationals 2013

The Italian Half Ton Nationals were recently held in Anzio on the west coast and south of Rome, with 11 classic Half Tonners competing. The series was held in challenging conditions over the first two days of round-the-buoys racing, with very rough sea and 25 knot winds, with the race course often swept by violent squalls.

Loucura - Italian Half Ton champion for 2013 (photo Anzio360Photo)

Prydwen, fourth overall, gets a roll on downwind

Two boats were vying for top honours after five races, Fabrizio Gagliardi's Farr 31 Loucura and Massimo Morasca's Elena Celeste. In the spirit of racing from the heyday of level rating Ton cups, the sixth and final race was the long one (and counted for 150% points), the 115 mile Asteria Cup race, sailed off Anzio and taking in the islands of Ventotene to the south, and Ponza. 

The close racing between Loucura and Elena Celeste continued, but Peter Fois' Eulimene was first to the gate off Ventotene. In the second part of the race the upwind speed of Loucura came to the fore to win the race and the series overall from Elena Celeste. The Half Ton class yachts in fact had five boats in the first six places in the Asteria Cup.

Startline action in the 2013 Italian Half Ton Nationals, Loucura gets a good start by the committee boat, with Rangiriri mid-line

The ex-New Zealand yacht and 1977 Half Ton Cup winner, Claudio Massucci's Rangiriri had a disappointing result in the final race, finishing eighth, and fifth overall.

Rangiriri sails downwind during the windy 2013 Italian Half Ton Cup series

Loucura (photo Anzio360Photo)