Bardolino Wins Final at Garda Rowing Race Amid Competition
The Bardolino quartet took the final award of the evening at the Garda rowing race. Bruno Maffezzoli, Silvano Dall’Agnola, Mauro Faraoni, and Francesco Maffezzoli, in the Cassone regatta, postponed to Sunday evening after Saturday’s race was canceled due to bad weather, finished just one second ahead of the Garda quartet (Matteo Pincini, Michele Bertoncelli, Ferdinando Sala, and Alberto Malfer) at the finish line. Ichtya placed third, followed in order by Clusanina, Serenissima, and Regina Adelaide, the second boat of the La Rocca association.
The Cassone rowing event confirmed the dominance of the three scaliger crews, which took turns collecting evening prizes within the entire thirty-fourth edition of the Garda Bisse Palio, and thus are highly competitive for the top trophy up for grabs in next Saturday’s final at Bardolino.
Among the competitors vying for the Lake Flag, there are also three bisse from Brescia: Portesina of Portese, Clusanina of Lake Iseo, and Foscarina of Gardone. The latter had to earn its place in the elite group after a runoff with Serenissima, as both boats had the same points in the standings.
Conversely, it was not possible for Lazise’s Birba, which was four points behind, and thus was placed in the second group that will not compete in Bardolino, along with the third group, for the coveted annual trophy.
Starting this year, unlike previous years when the Flag was awarded to the first-ranked crew after a series of traveling heats, the trophy has been extended to the top six boats that scored the best points after the seven heats preceding the final race.
Returning to the Cassone regatta, the jury initially planned, despite an approaching thunderstorm, to start the heats but was forced to suspend the race during the second heat due to the lake being too rough.
The initial decision, perhaps made too hastily, gave some rowers who anticipated the worst the chance to stage an impromptu protest.
On Sunday, however, everything proceeded smoothly, with the first qualifying race won by Serenissima after a duel with Garda’s Regina Adelaide and Bardolino’s Preonda, which finished in that order, followed by the Torricelle boat and Lacisium.
The next heat was dominated by rowers from Garda, who beat Clusanina, while further back, Villanella was approaching the finish line, chased by Portesina, Genacense, and Ca’ da Mosto.
Then, in the third heat, Bardolino managed to beat Ichtya from Peschiera and Lazise’s Birba, followed in order by Sebina of Lake Iseo, Foscarina, and Sant’Ercolano.
