28 Mini 6.50’s, 9 protos and 19 series, 540 miles: Genoa, Capria Island to port, La Caletta (Siniscola, NW Sardegna), Gianutri Island to port, Piombino Channel, Genoa. Start, 16 April 1207 hours. Fresh Northerlies on the way down, from Sardegna port tack to windward, almost layline to Gianutri, still with 10 to 15 knots of wind.
Then from Elba north, light (read big holes) and variable. For the proto category, Andrea Caracci and Jorge Reichers in at 0737 this morning (Wednesday) with the Caracci built proto Ita756 after trading off first and second with Fra747, Teamwork Evolution, for most of the race. Fra747 in at 0838. Ita520 Intermatica with Pendibene and Fermin led the series category for most of the race, while the spaniards Ruiz and Altadill (yes, the one and same) have picked up a dozen places since heading back north, but both are in the leading group of ten becalmed about 5 miles off of Genoa (at 1800 local). Anyone’s game. Tracking (primitive but effective) here.
And look at this – for the 500 meter beat to windward after the start Fra747 couldn’t point, but on the puffs with gennaker up heading offshore I watched her go by two or three older Proto’s as if they they were 4KSB’s. Ugly thing, poor dear…Thanks to James Robinson Taylor.
