Vitamina Veloce Cetilar wins the M32 European Series
2 MIN
Yesterday was the last day of the M32 European Series on Lake Garda, the circuit reserved for M32 catamarans on the fourth and final leg of the season. And it was a very positive final for the Vitamina Sailing team, which with Vitamina Veloce Cetilar, helmed by Andrea Lacorte, wins absolute second place in the leg – also valid for the European M32 title – as well as the final victory on the continental circuit.
Three days of sailing on Lake Garda, organised by Fraglia Vela Riva, and fifteen races overall fought out by eight M32 catamarans: entertaining technical races that were fought very hard, with the European title going to the talented crew of Bliksem (skipper Pieter Taselaar), a Dutch hull usually racing on the American circuit, in first place ten points ahead of Vitamina Veloce Cetilar and eleven ahead of China One Ningbo (skipper Pieter Jan-Postma, the new World Finn Champion). After a rather complicated weekend, the team’s second catamaran, the Vitamina Rapida Cetilar captained by Marco Radman, came in eighth place.
For the Vitamina Veloce Cetilar – with a crew, in addition to Lacorte, including Team Manager Matteo De Luca, the Australian Olympic gold medallist Will Ryan and the New Zealanders Adam Minoprio and Stewart Dodson – this is a second place that is worth a gold, not only for the recognised value of the competitors. With this result, the boat racing for the Yacht Club Repubblica Marinara di Pisa has achieved the much-desired final success in the M32 European Series, the circuit covering four legs, with a total of eleven boats (and final fifth place for Vitamina Rapida Cetilar).
A considerable exploit by Lacorte and his crew, constantly at the top of a class which, year after year, is becoming more and more competitive.
“It has been a long, tough season, but we couldn’t have ended it better. We are vice European Champions, a more than positive result, but especially we managed to carry home the most difficult victory, the European circuit, with impeccable performance and a crew that have always given their best,” explains Andrea Lacorte, who has already won the circuit in the past. “My compliments go to them, and the high level of competitive performance they maintained in a class where the slightest error can push you back to the bottom. A brilliant performance by the whole team, the guys in the shore team and the second crew who closed the circuit in fifth place.”
After the end of the M32 circuit, however, the Vitamina Sailing season isn’t over yet: from Thursday, Andrea Lacorte and his crew will be back in Lake Garda, in Malcesine, for the first of the two Italian legs of the TF35 Trophy, the circuit devoted to the spectacular TF35 foil catamarans in which the Vitamina Volante Cetilar plays a starring role.