IMCA Administrator Fiona Brown Brings Us Up To Date On Planning For The 2012 Melges 24 Worlds In Torbole
For me as Class Administrator its always a bit nerve wracking when we have a last minute change of plan for an event and so when I was advised that the 2012 Melges 24 Worlds would move to another location in Italy I was naturally worried about what that would mean in practical terms. Fortunately for me the decision was made to take the event to Circolo Vela Torbole on Italy's Lake Garda, a club with which we have a long and excellent working relationship dating right back to the start of the Melges 24 Class in Europe in the mid 1990s and including the 2001 European Championship.
Even more fortunately for me I happened to be at a Dragon Regatta at Circolo Vela Torbole on the day the decision to move was made. I think I surprised the club a little bit when I turned up on their doorstep at 9am the next morning and said "Hello, I'm Fiona from the Melges 24 Class, could I speak with you about planning the 2012 Melges 24 Worlds", but despite the total lack of notice Club Administrator Renata Vyskocova immediately called President Gianfranco Tonelli to ask him if he could join us, made me an amazing cup of coffee and got down to business. Over the next four days I was able to work closely with the entire club team, including Manager Alberto Bertamini, to review all aspects of pulling the event together.
I would also like to say a big thank you to past Melges 24 World Champion Raimondo Tonelli, who made him self available at short notice and gave me invaluable help and advice on everything from finding the best solution for the schedule, to how the race courses could be arranged to give the best possible racing. Raimondo grew up in Torbole and I couldn't have had a better person to help me.
At the 2001 European Championship we had 73 teams competing and space was tight on shore and in the marina so these were priority items on my agenda for discussion as we could have approaching double that number of boats competing this time around. I knew that last year the club had hosted the 105 boat Laser SB3 Championship and I spoke with several sailors about their experience of that regatta. I was relieved to learn that the club had done an excellent job of managing both the facilities and the competitors to ensure that everything ran smoothly and there was room for all, particularly during arrival and haulout.
The first thing that President Tonelli wanted to assure me of was that the entire Circolo Vela Torbole site will be completely cleared of all other boats, dinghies and vehicles during the Championship and that we will have full and exclusive use of the site. He also explained that during the coming winter the shoreside areas of the club will be undergoing considerable improvement with new hard surfaces, lighting, docks, etc.
There are two crane positions at the club next to the marina. This area can become congested because normally there are keelboats and dinghies stored ashore here. For our regatta the area will be completely empty giving enough room to easily operate both cranes and move boats in and out without interference/bottleneck. There will be a third crane located to the southern end of the club grounds where a temporary holding pontoon will also be located for the boats to use briefly during the launch/retrieve. Depending on final entry numbers a fourth crane will be available for haul out at the Porto San Nicolo marina just to the west of Torbole town. A detailed craning schedule will be published so boats know which crane to use and what the haul out order is. Once on site all boat/trailer movements will be managed by the Club team to avoid congestion so you will simply drop your boat into the car park on arrival and the next time you will actually need the car to move it will be when you come to pick it up to depart. Having watched the team get 40 Dragons out of the water in under 2 hours using just one crane I have confidence that Alberto and his crew run a very good system and understand our needs.
Once the boats are launched the trailers will be taken by the club team to a storage area in the town just a few minutes drive or bike ride from the club. This will be secured but access for competitors will be possible. There will also be 24 hour security and parking control on the main club site throughout the regatta. On the final day the trailers will be returned to the relevant craning area ready for the haul out.
Car parking is at a premium on the site but each team will be allowed 1 car parking pass although since the town is so close many may prefer to walk or cycle to and fro. There are many cycle hire shops in town for those who don't want to bring bikes from home and the walk/cycle along the lake is a delightful way to start and end the day.
The club has major plans for revisions to the marina this winter and those plans will increase the number of permanent berths to sufficient for over 100 Melges 24s. In addition the revised layout will give the club the option to add additional temporary pontoon sections to the permanent marina enabling up to approx 140 boats to be berthed. Because there will be so many boats coming and going each day the club team will provide marshalling/support RIBs to assist boats in and out of their berths when necessary. Again this system was well demonstrated during the Dragon regatta and since Dragons are much longer and less manoeuvrable that Melges 24s it was useful to see the team in action. To maximise space in the marina for the competitors all the support and committee boats will be moored at a separate facility a short distance away in the town.
Out on the water we anticipate running two race courses. The schedule will open with two days of practise racing followed by 6 round robin races to decide the gold and silver fleets and then up to 6 more races to complete and decide the championship. The club ran two race courses for the SB3 regatta last year and have access to all the equipment and personnel they need. The names of the race officers have yet to be formally confirmed but IMCA Championship Coordinator Hank Stuart is working with us to oversee everything.
For the Jury we will be working with an expanded 10 man team (to cope with the two race courses) plus an arbitrator and there will be on the water judging as usual.
Competitors will be welcome to arrive at the club from Monday 23 July and the facilities will be fully available to us from that point. Teams can arrive earlier to practise but will just need to make arrangements with the club office for this. Registration will open on Friday 27 July and following the success of our trial in Aarhus we anticipate using the simplified registration system requiring just sail limitation stamping, crew weigh in and registration paperwork to be completed. Measurement checks will then be conducted throughout the regatta. Registration will continue on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July when there will also be practise racing. The Championship racing will then run from Monday 30 July to Saturday 4 August.
On the social side those of you who have been to Torbole before will know that the club is renowned for its hospitality. For the Opening Ceremony there will be an initial gathering on the historic quayside in Torbole and then the teams will march in procession along the lake shore to the club where there will be a welcome dinner and fireworks over the town/lake. Each evening there will be post racing pasta parties and daily prizes and the final Prize Giving Party will be held at the club after the boats are hauled to allow those teams with long drives to leave that night if they wish to. For those who want to stay on to celebrate there will be plenty of fun to be had in Torbole late into the night!
Regarding accommodation there are hundreds of options within walking distance from campsites and apartments up to 5 star hotels. The club is confirming a special competitors discount with the local hotels and details of how to claim a discount will be given shortly. In the meantime you can view a list of the Circolo Vela Torbole's hotel/accommodation partners at http://www.circolovelatorbole.it/en/partners/ and full accommodation listings and additional tourist information can be found at http://www.gardatrentino.it/en/lake-garda/. Our regatta is scheduled for the week before the start of the main Italian holidays so whilst the town will be busy accommodation is available at all levels.
If you are thinking of bringing the family or have never been to Lake Garda/Italy before this is the perfect opportunity. Whether you want safe beaches, extreme sports adventure, history and culture or relaxation and pampering this area of Italy offers the lot. There are safe beaches and lots for the kids to do right in front of the town and you can even watch the racing from the beach too. There is an excellent network of ferry services between the main towns on the lake so getting out and about couldn't be easier or more fun There are lots of delightful cafes, bars and restaurants, many with wonderful views of the lake/race area and some great shops and spa facilities too. The local wines are out of this world and Italian food needs no further introduction from me - just suffice it to say that this part of Italy is a gastronome's delight! The area is famous for its mountain biking, hill walking, climbing and paragliding so if you're an adrenalin junkie its all right there on the doorstep waiting for you. Torbole is also one of Europe's best windsurfing venues and the Torbole Windsurfing Club has a band new facility right next to the town and the main beach which is worth checking out.
Further afield Verona is just an hour away, Milan 90 minutes and Venice only two hours. I ended up with time to kill whilst waiting for my plane home from the Dragon Regatta/site visit and had a delightful day wandering through Verona taking in Juliette's Balcony (pictured), the Roman Arena and many of the historic streets and squares as well as the 14th century Castle. Verona is famous for its annual Opera festival in the Arena so if you enjoy opera this is a must see. The productions are truly spectacular and to watch opera in an arena which has also seen Roman Gladiators fighting for their lives is not to be missed. During the period of the Worlds performances in the Arena will include Aida, Romeo and Juliette, Don Giovanni, Carmen and Turendot so why not arrive a day or two early or stay on for a few days afterwards to take in one of these truly astonishing spectacles (see http://www.arena.it/en-US/arena/schedule-2012.html for info).
If you love to shop Milan is a must for the dedicated shopper and fashion lover. Spend a day immersed in the wonders of Italian haute couture and don't forget to take in a coffee or a glass of Prosseco at one of the famous bars - see http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/26/milan-fashion-week-the-caf... for the pick of the fashionista haunts.
If your partner is travelling to the regatta with you why not reward them for those dutiful days spent waiting on the dockside and looking after the crew by treating them to a short break in Venice at the end of the regatta. It truly is as magical and romantic as they say and nothing beats arriving along the Grand Canal in a beautiful varnished water taxi (yes it totally is worth the expense!). Whether you love to take in the museums, enjoy the dozens of theatrical and musical performances on offer each evening or simply want to unwind and take in the atmosphere of the canals and back streets there truly is no place like it on earth - see http://www.venice-tourism.com/en/visit-venice.html for more info.
We're just getting the event website finalised right now and this will go live within days carrying lots of additional information. In the meantime you can keep up with things on the event Facebook page.
Stay tuned for further updates.