Switzerland's Eric Monnin has claimed victory at the 15th OM International Ledro Match Race on Lake Ledro in Italy.
The final was one-sided. Monnin's crew took both matches against France's Ange Delerce without dropping a race in the knockout stage. Third place went to Italy's Riccardo Sepe, who beat Lennard Bal in the opening match of the petit final, then recovered from an equaliser to win the deciding race.
"It has been a demanding event," said Monnin after the win. "Lake Ledro is a wonderful venue, but tactically very challenging, especially with the unstable breezes we experienced over the last few days. We faced well-prepared teams and there were no easy results."
On what got them through, he was direct: "Once we got through the Round Robin, our strength was maintaining a high level of concentration and winning every match in the knockout stage. This is an important result both for team morale and for the remainder of the season."
Italian Sailing Federation Board Member Domenico Foschini, who holds responsibility for match racing within the FIV, pointed to the quality of the fleet and the work done behind the scenes. "The Ledro event once again confirms itself as a benchmark for international match racing," he said, noting Sepe's podium finish against "some of the world's leading match race specialists." He credited the Race Committee, umpires, and volunteers, and confirmed the federation is planning a dedicated FIV Match Racing training programme for young sailors later this season.
The prize-giving was attended by club president Gaspare Inglese, Deputy Mayor of Ledro Luca Zendri, XIV FIV Zone President Giampaolo Montagni, and Cassa Rurale di Ledro Vice President Anna Gnuffi. Monnin's team received a new trophy specially created for the OM International Ledro Match Race.
The regatta is supported by Garda Trentino, Cassa Rurale di Ledro, Alpilegno, Intra Lighting and Franco Adriana.
Final Results
1. | Eric Monnin 2. | Ange Delerce 3. | Riccardo Sepe 4. | Lennard Bal 5. | Christian Hamilton 6. | Timothée Rossi 7. | Julia D'Amodio 8. | Tom Foucher 9. | Mati Sepp 10. | Michał Gryglewski 11. | Kristine Mauritzen 12. | Angelos Papageorgiou
