A Dutchman and four surfers from home, in Mondello, are the new world champions of the windsurfer class. With the eighth round this afternoon the curtain has fallen on the course-race, while tomorrow will be the spectacular fleet regatta with 350 participants at the start, in the long distance to close the program of the event organized at the Albaria club.
In the summary, the titles went to Marco Casagrande (Club Albaria) in the light category, to the Dutch Stephan van den Berg, gold in Los Angeles, for the medium-light, to Alessandro Alberti (Clubino del Mare) among the medium-heavy, to Riccardo Giordano (Albaria) in the heavy and to the Marsala Laura Linares ( Roggero di Lauria) in the women’s ranking. For the home surfers to add the surprising performance of the fourteen-year-old from Palermo Blasco Aronica (Cv Sferracavallo), sixth overall among the lightweight, but winner of the under 15 classification.
Today’s last regatta, the eighth on the calendar, did not change the rankings, already consolidated by yesterday’s tests. The Roman Andrea Marchesi held the second place in the lightweight, behind Casagrande resisting the return of the French Belot and the Australian Gourlay. Instead, behind the unreachable Van den Berg, the French Delapierre overtook the Tuscan Alessandro Torzoni. Excellent recovery of the Palermo Antonino Cangemi climbed up to the fourth square.
Marco Ferrera (Albaria) tried until the last, but in vain, the arduous task of reassembling Alessandro Alberti, in excellent shape after the tricolor won in September in Vieste. Without problems Giordano, twice Olympic. The advantage accumulated previously kept him safe from the returns of the Dutchman Elfing and the French Lacadre.
Finally, the great return to success for the Marsala Linares who dominated the Gulf of Mondello without being worried by the youngest opponents, the Sardinian Roberta Piras and the Roman junior Rachele Balini. The titles of the men’s slalom (in the late afternoon of today) and the long regatta between Mondello and Isola delle Femmine still remain to be awarded.
With these two tests will end the 48th world championship of the historic windsurfer class, the most practiced ever. An event with 350 athletes competing from 25 nations that will go down in history for the greatness of the numbers and also for the fact that some Nautical clubs in Palermo together with the leader Albaria, have networked. From the Roggero di Lauria, to the Clubino del Mare, to the Palermo Naval League with the support and collaboration of the Italo-Belgian company and finally with the support of the Department for Sport of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Tourism Department of the Sicilian Region.
The contribution made by the dynamic volunteers of the Ninni Cassarà language high school in Palermo is also invaluable. Not only sports but also fun with beach parties at the end of the day much appreciated by athletes and companions.
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