2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series in Luino - XV Lino Favini Cup Sets Sails for the Final Regatta of the Series Tomorrow

October 11, 2018 - Luino, Italy- The finale of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series will begin tomorrow, on Friday October 12th at noon in Luino, Italy. Nineteen Melges 24 teams representing seven nations will have a great weekend sailing on the Eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, locally said Verbàno. A maximum of eight races will determine the winner of the 2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series, 2018 Italian Melges 24 Tour, 2018 Melges 24 Swiss champion and the winner of the event itself.
 
Maidollis ITA854 and Taki 4 ITA778 - Pierrick ContinReigning European Champion - Italian Maidollis (ITA854) of Gian Luca Luca Perego will sail in Luino with two-time Melges 4 World Champion Flavio Favini in helm and the crew members of former Blu Moon.  Photo (c) Pierrick Contin
 
Lino Favini Cup, taking place for the 15th time already, is dedicated to Lino Favini, a great sailor of Verbàno and father of Flavio Favini, one of the most highly-regarded international sailors: this year Flavio Favini besides of hosting the event, will also be involved in the regatta in the role of helmsman for Gianluca Perego's Maidollis, reigning Melges 24 European and 2017 World Champion. With Favini and Perego also fellow sailors Tiziano Nava, Federico Valenti and Giovanni Ferrari from well-awarded Blu Moon will make the competition harder for the others.
Flavio Favini - Photo IM24CA/ZGNFlavio Favini. Photo (c) IM24CA / Zerogradinord
 
Taki 4 ITA778 - Pierrick ContinReigning European Champion - Italian Taki 4 (ITA778) of Marco Zammarchi with Niccolo Bertola in helm is on top of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series' rankings in Overall and Corinthian division respectively.  Photo (c) Pierrick Contin
 
From the entry list we'll find also current ranking leader both in overall and Corinthian division - Italian Marco Zammarchi's Taki 4 with Niccolo Bertola-Giacomo Fossati tandem onboard, reigning European champions; German family team, White Room of Michael Tarabochia with his sons and friends occupying the 5th and 2nd placement in overall and Corinthian rankings respectively; Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team from Great Britain with Geoff Carveth in helm, the winner of the 2017 series (currently 6th in Overall and 3rd in Corinthian rank).
White Room GER677 - Photo Pierrick ContinGerman family team White Room (GER677) of Michael Tarabochia with his sons and friends are currently on the second place in Corinthian division of the Melges 24 European Sailing Series. Photo (c) Pierrick Contin
 
Great to see the team from the longest distance ending their season in Luino - Bo Boje Pedersen's Upupup from Denmark with match racer Joachim Aschenbrenner calling the tactics, who has all chances to climb up from the 9th placement on the overall ranking. The entries from Hungary, Austria, Italy and Switzerland will make the geography and competitiveness only stronger and more international.
 
TOP 10 teams of the Overall ranking, reflecting also Top 4 teams in Corinthian division:
1. Corinthian TAKI 4 ITA778 Niccolo Bertola 175.0 pts 
2. MAIDOLLIS ITA854 Carlo Fracassoli 218.0 pts 
3. WAR CANOE USA841 Mike Goldfarb 274.0 pts 
4. GENERAL LEE ITA793 Mario Ziliani 282.0 pts 
5. Corinthian WHITE ROOM GER677 Luis Tarabochia 287.0 pts  
6. Corinthian GILL RACE TEAM GBR694 Geoff Carveth 302.0 pts  
7. Corinthian LENNY EST790 Tõnu Tõniste 314.0 pts   
8. ALTEA ITA722 Andrea Racchelli 368.0 pts   
9. UPUPUP DEN837 Bo Boje Pedersen 378.0 pts   
10. ARKANOE by MONTURA ITA809 Sergio Caramel 402.0 pts

The ranking of the Italian Melges 24 Tour (after five regattas) sees now Miles Quinton's Gill Race Team (GBR694, 468 pts) with Geoff Carveth in helm on top of the ranking. Only one point separates them from Mario Ziliani's General Lee (ITA793, 467 pts) being second. Swiss Jörg Hotz' Andele climbed to the third position (SUI821, 423 pts) after the regatta in Domaso. While reigning Melges 24 World Champion Andrea Racchelli on his Altea (ITA722) was not competing in Domaso, he is on the fourth position now with 391 pts followed by the reigning Corinthian European Champion Taki 4 (ITA778, 388 pts) by Marco Zammarchi. 
 
M24ESS Luino 2018  
Associazione Velica Alto Verbano will be the host of this international Melges 24 regatta for the fourth time already co-organized by International Melges 24 Class Association, with the precious support of Lino Town Council and of Chamber Of Commerce of Varese
 
From Thursday October 11th, the participants will be able to complete their registration, while the first warning signal is scheduled for Friday October 12th at 12.00, right after the Skippers Meeting taking place at the AVAV headquarters. The regatta will end with the prizegiving on Sunday afternoon as the final possible warning signal will be no later than 14:30.
 
MELGES 24 MEDIA
Racing updates from Luino will be delivered to you across the IM24CA social media and you can follow all the latest actions and coverage of the event at the official IM24CA Facebook Page. Racing can be followed also in real time via TracTrac webpage
More information about the event and series available at melges24.com/europeansailingseries
 
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2018 Melges 24 European Sailing Series consists of the six events altogether. The season opened in Tuscany, in iconic Punta Ala and continued in Portoroz, Slovenia in April that welcomed the Melges 24 class for the fifth time already. Series moved then on to the internal waters, with a double appointment on the Garda Lake: Torbole in July, where the Melges 24 international fleet returned after the 2012 Worlds with the record number of 127 entries, and was in Riva del Garda in August for the Melges 24 European Championship. The season continued with the Melges 24 Italian Championship to on the Como Lake in Domaso, and will end with the Lino Favini Cup, also valid as Swiss Open Championship held in Luino.
 
More information about the series available at melges24.com/europeansailingseries
 
For further information on the event , please contact:


AVAV - Associazione  Velica  Alto  Verbano 
phone:  +39 0332 5316 35  
mail: info@avav.it 
web: www.avav.it
 
Luca Babini
Class Secretary
Melges 24 Italian Class Association
 
Piret Salmistu 
IM24CA Administrator & Media Coordinator
phone: +372 507 7217