European Melges 24 Championship Set to Showcase Top International Sailing Talent

It is an exceptional fleet for the European Melges 24 Championship set to take place in Torbole from September 2 to 8. More than just a European event, it feels like a World Championship.

This title was won exactly 12 months ago by the late Giorgio Zuccoli, who most passionately sought to bring this event to the waters of Trentino.

Among the prominent champions competing are Olympic medalists, renowned offshore skippers, and winners of the Admiral’s Cup. One such example is the English Keith Musto, a star of the FD class in the 1960s.

International Participants

From the United States, there will be sailor Mike Toppa, who has previously worked alongside great skippers such as Dennis Conner and Rod Davis, world champions of the 12-meter class of the America’s Cup with “Victory 83”. At the helm of that boat was the Gardesan legend Flavio Scala.

The Italian hopes are centered on the local skipper Silvio Santoni and the Verbanese Flavio Favini, who will have as tactician the former Azzurra sailor “Titti” Nava. They are joined by Ligurian Pietrino Dalì, a former European champion in the Star class, who competed in Sydney with this boat. He is also better known as a crew member of “Luna Rossa”.

The Cesena-born Egidio Babbi, a world champion with the A-class catamarans, and the Sebino-native Mario Ziliani, the current Italian Melges 24 champion.

German and French Participants

Germany relies on the usual Albert Batzil, a world FD champion, and especially on Marcus Wieser, one of the greats of match racing. Wieser is a European champion in the America’s Cup discipline and a two-time Admiral’s Cup winner.

The French contingent also includes Walter Pirinoli, the Italian-French sailor who is a former World Tornado Champion and was the flag bearer for Italy at Atlanta ’96, where he finished with an honorable 5th place.