Venezia, Italy (May 23, 2017) – After a short trip in the Adriatic Sea, the Marco Rizzotti Trophy returns to Florida. Lauderdale Yacht Club is the undefeated winner of this XXXI edition of the International Optimist team racing event organized by Diporto Velico Veneziano and Compagnia della Vela. Second place for Italian National team, defeated only by Lauderdale, and LISOT New York. Slovenia 1, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, NIC Catania, Monaco Yacht Club, St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Dutch National Optimist Team, Liguria, Yacht Club Santo Amaro, Slovenia 2, Weir Wood Sailing Club, Cercle de Voile Marseillan and the Serbian team Palilula / Gemax follow behind.
“The XXXI edition was a success despite the adverse weather of Saturday. A big thank you to the umpires, the Race Committee and all the volunteers” commented General Manager Elio Camozzi, on his first experience in this role after receiving the witness from Corrado Scrascia who for years was the soul of this Trophy. Team Lauderdale is:| CALLAHAN | MITCHELL | U.S.A. 16908 |
| CALLAHAN | JUSTIN | U.S.A. 16897 |
| BOLAND | CONNOR | U.S.A. 22282 |
| BAKER | STEPHAN | U.S.A. 20797 |
| SCHUMAN | SARA | U.S.A. 21758 |
After a first day of particularly intense races with 70 races in 7 and a half hours, Saturday the bad weather forced the 16 teams from 4 continents to stay onshore. In the afternoon, all the partecipants embarked on an Alilaguna boat who took them to St. Mark’s Square for a small welcome ceremony to which attended, on behalf of the Mayor, the President of the Municipal Council Ermelinda Damiano. The races ended on Sunday. Although there has been some initial slowdown due to continued shifting, the Race Committee, chaired by Dodi Villani, has managed to conclude all 120 scheduled races in time, ensuring the face-off of all teams.
Three special awards this year. In addition to the two Panathlon Club Venice awards for both ground and sea behavior, respectively gone to Yacht Club Santo Amaro and St. Petersburg Yacht Club, a special award to the youngest sailor, Ognjen Kerekes from Serbia, was given in memory of Giorgio Lauro, an international judge disappeared 10 years ago who helped make this event world famous.
Each summer, more than 600 kids and adults learn sailing, water safety, and river adventuring skills from WSC’s staff of certified instructors. WSC also serves as headquarters for local youth, high school, and college sailing teams, providing the young sailors with boats, coaching, and a base on the river. These programs are currently putting 75 youths, representing more than 20 Portland-area schools and colleges, year-round, on the water three to five days a week. Weekend regattas, held several times throughout the school year, attract as many as 200 sailors from all over the northwest to the Willamette.
The 2017 
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the first two minute of the sequence they will not know which pin the RC will be using. At the 1 minute horn the RC boat hails which pin is the correct end of the line and sailors must adjust accordingly. This tends to put the focus on a starting plan with options and quick thinking with regards to last minute changes.
To set up the drill set a starting-line to windward of a leeward gate with a downwind leg about half the length of your standard race. Sailors are to stay to windward of the starting line until the sequence is over. We tend to run a two minute sequence for this drill as the object isn’t to get a good start, it’s to get people sailing downwind on the same ladder-rung. After the ‘start’ sailors are to race downwind to the leeward mark round and finish to windward. Since the legs are so short, the boats in the middle of the fleet will need to fight for positioning and the boats on the edges will need to be wary of how much distance they travel to get to the marks.
Charles River, the Mecca of college sailing. The River basin is shaped like a long rectangle with dimensions of less than one mile long by less than a half mile wide. The orientation has the long axis running WSW to ENE. North and northwest are always shifty, especially near the finish not far from the rotation dock. East and west winds are the steadiest with the potential for small waves if the wind is high enough. No wind direction is truly steady but winds that align with the long axis are less shifty than the winds blowing across. If there is a geographical pattern, it is that the wind tends to blow perpendicular from a shoreline. This would indicate sailing towards a shore but with a huge caution. The wind gets lighter near shore so you never want to go too close. For example, when the mark is in the NW corner, you want to stay away from the land as you approach the mark because any shift or puff from the land will only last a few seconds. Better to approach on port tack with slightly more consistent wind from beyond the Mass Ave. Bridge.
Heavy recreational traffic is part of the game on the Charles and this includes sailboats and rowing shells mostly. While some racers are frustrated by rec sailors in their way, others take advantage. Skip Whyte, former URI great and long-time coach used to “Manipulate the blockers.” Of course if you try this you will want to avoid being obnoxious in the process.
All FJs capsize easily. The single best way to prevent capsizing is to keep boom vang on downwind. Without it, the main twists at the top which directs the wind pressure force to windward instead of straight ahead.
Last summer 30 sailors came and trained with us, which made for a very competitive practice. We had Harvard and Tufts coaches running races and drills.
