III Italia Cup ILCA, Anatol Sassi (ILCA 7), Nicolò Cassitta (ILCA 6) and Alberto Avanzini (ILCA 4) win in Riva del Garda
Riva del Garda, 11 May 2025 – The III Italia Cup ILCA has concluded in Riva del Garda, an event that brought together almost three hundred sailors from all over the peninsula, and beyond, along the docks of Fraglia Vela Riva. Today, a cool but unstable Ora and the time for the last start set by regulation at 3:30 pm, allowed two races to be held for all the Gold ILCA 4 and ILCA 6 fleets and for the ILCA 7s.
Among the ILCA 7s, Anatol Sassi (C.C. Aniene) managed to get the better of Enrico Tanferna (Y.C. Olbia) by just one point, who had overtaken him only yesterday. The leading pair is followed about ten lengths behind by Paolo Freddi (C.V. Portocivitanova), who deserves credit for having sailed a top-level race. Luca Valentino (C.V. Ravennate) and Federico Uricchio (F.V. Malcesine) complete the top five. First Master, sixth overall, Frederik Westman while among the Under 21s Kenje Sam Wespers (C.V. Portocivitanova) won and among the Under 19s Federico Cittadini (C.V. Portocivitanova) won.
The great battle of the ILCA 6, which saw five athletes in two points on the eve of the final day, was resolved in favor of Nicolò Cassitta (Y.C. Olbia), also best Under 19, who beat the European youth bronze medalist Alessandro Cirinei (F.V. Riva) by just one point and Manuel Henk Vos (F.V, Malcesine) by two. Lorenzo Ghirotti (F.V. Riva) and Federico Bonalana (F.V. Riva) finished at the foot of the podium, while in the women’s field Maria Vittoria Arseni prevailed, finishing seventh overall and also best Under 21 and Under 23, ahead of Matilda Joy Talluri ((C.N. Livorno) and Ginevra Caracciolo (L.N.I. Napoli). Among the Under 17s the best male was Claudo Crocco (F.V. Riva), best female Clara Lorenzi (C. N. Bardolino) while among the Masters the winner was Alp Alpagut (F.V. Riva) who received recognition for the funniest statement of the weekend: “Considering that I was racing against eighteen-twenty year olds and that I have been out of the ILCA eighteen times in the last twenty years, I can say that I did very well”.
Among the many ILCA 4s there was no contest: Alberto won by a landslide Avanzini (F.V. Malcesine) who inflicted a delay on the second overall – Zala Sterni (Sirena Klub Triestino) – of thirty-six points. Christian Girani (C.V. Muggia) and Cesare Pierrdomenico (C.V. Portocivitanova), best Under 16 male, completed the men’s podium, while the best in the women’s field was the aforementioned Zala Sterni (Sirena Klub Triestino), who was followed by Giulia Marella (Compagnia della Vela Venezia), who finished fifth overall, and Maria Chiara Fulign (C.V. Portocivitanova). Best Under 16 women was Sofia Gisele Berteotti (F.V. Riva).
The III Italia Cup ILCA ended with the awards ceremony, held on the multipurpose terrace of Fraglia Vela Riva, which is preparing to host the Italian Open Melges 24 Championship, scheduled between May 23 and 25 with a fleet of over thirty boats.
