Italians from Yacht Club Italiano triumph by a whisker

The Danes very quickly made their mark on this edition, occupying top spot in the provisional rankings to the bitter end, thanks to their superior understanding of the game, where the individual takes a back seat to the benefit of the group. But as the Round Robin qualifier days went by, the Italians from Yacht Club Italiano, sailing together for the first time, remained firmly in contention without ever letting up the pressure. Being more incisive and consistent at key moments made the difference in the final races to edge out their Danish rivals at the last minute and claim victory. “We really wanted to win and fought to the end to achieve this victory,” said Gabriele Burlando. “The competition was tough but we did our best to prevail. I must say it was a fantastic regatta,” added Vittorio. Indeed, both teams had a remarkable run, winning all their match races, a demonstration of what team racing is all about at this high level: collective mastery, tactical intelligence and total commitment and focus. The Swiss from the Gstaad Yacht Club never managed to break up the duo but did secure a hard-fought podium finish in 3rd. In their wake, the Yacht Club de Monaco team, comprising Océane Schroeder, Joséphine Dobbelaere, Pietro Carlevaris and Louis Faivre, came 8th having gained invaluable experience against top level international competition.