Press Relise n° 36

THE SICILY GRAND PRIX GOES TO THE BERLINER BARONJAN, FEDERICO ESPOSITO FIRST AMONG THE ITALIANS, ITALIAN QUALIFICATIONS COMPLETED FOR THE NEXT WORLD AND EUROPEAN YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS

ITALY TAKES CHARGE OF THE NATIONS CUP

PALERMO – 23^RD OF MAY – Once again a great success. After a week of events it was a positive 19^th edition of the World Festival on the beach.  Lots of people came to the Valdesi Village to watch from the beach the windsurf races, the beach volley or just to look around the stands set up in Valdesi Square and breath in the electrifying atmosphere.

There were more than 500 athletes involved in the events from windsurf, kitesurf, high sails races, beach volley, fitness and parachuting.  There were 8 nations present for the windsurf races and 10 for beach volley.  A great success for the sport but also for the entertainment that was held each evening calling once again thousands of people to the two stages set up in Valdesi Square and on the beach.   The audience was in a frenzy for the come back of dj Claudio Coccoluto and a huge call back for the jazz evenings presented by Nick the NightFly that saw a certain type of audience.     .

Today the German Alexander Baronjan won the Sicily Grand Prix, the Mistral race that closed the World Festival on the Beach.

At 2.00pm the take off for the first and only race of the day with a wind blowing 10 – 12 knots, that fell however a little after the begining of the second race which  in the end could no longer be held.

After yesterdays score, it was satisfactory for the berliner to come in third in todays attempt behind the polish male Maksymilian Wojcik and Riccardo Giordano who after a week made his come back with second place in yesterdays last race.

In the general results, behind the German came in Wojcik and Federico Esposito the first of the Italians. Fourth place for Marco Casagrande followed by Baffetti and Belli dell’Isca.

The Italians had success in the Nation Cup. Italy closed in charge with 150 points leaving France (294 points) and Poland (382 points) behind.

The Sicily Grand Prix was the last Race for the Italians to qualify for the European and World Youth Championships to be held in Poland in June and Bulgaria in August.

Federico Esposito from LNI Piombino and Riccardo Belli dell’Isca, the out going  world champion in the junior category, made it into the Youth qualifications.

Fabian Heidegger from A.V. Caldaro the first junior to classify and manuel Giannerini from LNI Livorno will represent the junior category from Italy.

Victory for the Australian Allison Shreeve 12^th in the general classification, who precedes Vidal from France and Laura Linares the young girlwho holds two world titles conquisted in Mexico in December the first Italian in the classifications

The first male of the minim category was Fabrizio Emanuele from Marsala.

Paco Wirz had success among the Masters who beat Rosario Cinquegrani, first from the grand master category.

In the Aloha category Guido Carli won followed by Federico Spanò and Marzia Marinai.

At around 12 noon “Stella del Mattino” owned by Vito Buscemi was the first of the sail boats to arrive in Mondello for the sailing race, valid as the 3^rd race in the spring championships.

It was spectacular to watch from the bay in Mondello the arrival of at least six competitors from various categories, who arrived at the same timewith their sails flying to reach the winning line.  Among the smaller sails Vito Buscemi had success with his “Stella del Mattino” followed by Nicola Bellanca’s  “Donna Blu”.  In third place came in Salvatore Brucato’s  “M25S”.  In the Cruise category race “Filo da Torcere” owned by Ugo Palmieri, came in before Di Fede’s “Parsifal II” and Chiazzo’s “Exstasy”.
And finally in the cruise category, there was victory for Gaetano Marchese’s “Filomena” that came in infront of Civello’s “Il Bello Libbio” and Giuseppe Bellanca’s “Banzai”.