Fraglia Vela Riva is ready for an “international” 2024

Riva del Garda – The rich season of regattas organized by Fraglia Vela Riva will officially open on February 29th, one of the few yacht clubs in the world, the only one in Italy, to boast the President Development Award of World Sailing, awarded to it in 2022 by virtue of activity to promote sailing among young people.

And it is precisely with an event reserved for younger sailors, the Youth Centenary Regatta (29/2-3/3), that the 2024 season of the association chaired by Andrea Camin will come to life, so much so as to offer, very closely, two events of sign.

Between 15 and 17 March it will be time for the Sail&Ski Garda Dolomiti, a combined sailing-ski event scheduled between Riva del Garda and Madonna di Campiglio, open to specialists of the J/70, one-design class among the most active at an international level and already a protagonist in Riva del Garda of very popular events.

International connotations will be the hallmark of the 42nd edition of the Garda Optimist Meeting (28-31/3), the Fraglia Vela Riva’s reference event, unique in the world for participation, colors and emotions which, as tradition dictates, will be preceded by the Country Cup (27/3) and a festive opening ceremony.

After an overall quiet April – the first round of the Fraglia Cup, a social regatta, on the 14th and the Alpen Cup 5.5 between the 18th and 20th – the Dragoni Grand Prix, scheduled between the 1st and 4th, will open the month of May which will offer the return of the M32 high performance catamarans and their European Series (10-12/5), a Contender meeting (17-19/5), the second round of the Fraglia Cup (19/5) and the Riva Cup (30/5-1/6), event open to multiple classes, including the RS400 and the 505.

In June it will be time for the RS21 Cup (7-9/6), a rapidly growing one design class which has always recorded important numbers in Riva del Garda, followed a week later by the aforementioned M32 (European Series #2, 14 -16/6) and from the Nastro Azzurro (16/6). Bringing the summer to Fraglia Vela Riva will be the UFO22 (22-23/6) and the J/70 Cup (28-30/6), which will bring no less than sixty crews to Riva del Garda.

Still monotype in July, with Melges 24 and Melges 32 reunited in a single weekend (5-7/7) as in 2023, and the M32s (European Series #2, 25-27/7); events interspersed with the third round of the Fraglia Cup (21/7).

Also in July, between the 13th and the 20th, Fraglia Vela Riva will be among the organizers of the event of the year: the Youth Sailing World Championship, a multi-class youth world championship managed by World Sailing.

Space for regattas even before the summer holidays: the Eurocup Asso (1-3/8) will open the month of August which, as the only other event, offers the fourth event of the Fraglia Cup (15/8).

In September the world title of the M32 class will be awarded (3-8/9), the Logtzes (13-15/9) and the protagonists of the Fraglia Cup (15/9) will also return to Alto Benaco while in October we will start towards the end of the season not before having hosted the Autumn Meeting RS Feva (4-6/10), the Torboli Trophy reserved for Optimists (11-13/10), the final round of the Fraglia Cup (20/10) and the very popular Eurocup Finals 29er (24-27/10).

“Having defined the 2024 regatta calendar with satisfaction, the watchword has become planning – begins Ciro Giampiero Mercurio, recently appointed Regatta Manager by the Fraglia Vela Riva board – From experience we know that, once the season has started, events follow one another fast and there is either no time to regroup between one appointment and another, or it is very limited. It is an effort that only a workforce like that of Fraglia Vela Riva, driven by a strong passion and a notable team spirit, is able to support every time with renewed enthusiasm”.