Circolo Vela Torbole Excels in International Regattas, Boosting Local Sailing
The Circolo Vela Torbole has been the protagonist of an exhilarating racing season. Navigating on the crest of the wave reflects the trend of recent decades and has allowed the nautical club, presided over by Franco Santoni, to excel not only on a national level but also across the continent.
This is confirmed by the numerous and well-attended international prestigious regattas organized from last spring to just a few weeks ago. Among them are the two world championships for the popular catamarans Hobie Tiger and B 14, the European Open Championship with about a hundred entrants, the emerging Melges 24, which have an Olympic future, and the Italian or district championships for the legendary Star boats.
Competitions and Participation in the Gulf of Torbole
Among the other major racing events, the International Melges 24 Week, which preceded the European competition in September, and the 26th Optimist d’Argento Trophy, featuring hundreds of young helmsmen from all over Europe at the starting line.
The activity concluded with the 31st Tornado Torbole Trophy. The various regattas held in the Gulf of Torbole drew very high participation, with helmsmen representing at least ten different nations each race, not only European. Among them are Olympic champions, world champions, and continental champions.
Victories, Recognitions, and Comments on the Success
This has confirmed the enviable saying: “Torbole is one of the ‘in’ capitals of sailing.” “If we have repeated the exploit of previous years,” – comments Santoni, who has been part of the club’s board for nearly half a century – “the credit goes, of course, to the environmental conditions of Alto Garda, but also to the contribution of members and dozens of collaborators.
Added to this is the support from the Province and the municipal administration, which have enabled us to upgrade our equipment, including a floating dock, facilitating our operations.” In this “top-tier” environment, it is inevitable that local helmsmen take home trophies.
Recent Successes and Future Perspectives
The latest in a long series of victories took place at the recent “Finn Cup 2001,” where three Torbole-based sailors stood on the podium: the winner Roberto Bosetti, his brother Claudio in second place, followed by Antonio Frizzera in third.
The Circolo Vela’s biggest skipper is Silvio Santoni, a multiple European champion who narrowly missed qualifying for the Star class at the Sydney Olympics. Among his season results was a sixth-place finish at the Open European Melges 24 championships, sailing with the South Tyrolean owner Gregor Stimpfl, who is registered with the Torbole club.
Come next spring, the two champions promise spectacular battles, while the Circolo Vela under President Franco Santoni announces another outstanding racing season.
