Does Urban Development Affect the Ora Wind More Than Climate Change?
Is the greenhouse effect “killing” the Ora? “No, what weakens our wind is the concrete covering the Busa.” This is the conviction of Gianni Torboli, a Riva sailor with an impressive and extensive racing record, whose opinion we requested on the data collected by researchers Andrea Piazza and Stefano Corradini and published by us yesterday. These data present a concerning picture of the situation, suggesting that the greenhouse effect would be the main cause of the “illness” of the Ora, but Torboli counters with a fascinating theory based on his long experience and deep knowledge of nature and the territory.
Gianni Torboli’s Perspective
“The Ora is a thermal wind,” explains Torboli, who was a world champion in Fun and participated in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. “I believe that urban development in Riva has influenced its behavior. The houses, hotels, and warehouses that have covered the Busa have significantly increased the ground temperature, and the air rising from the land is now much lighter than in the past. In short, a sort of barrier is created, which causes the Ora to be pushed upward, decreasing its strength over the lake.”
He demonstrates this by noting that in less densely populated areas, such as Dro or Vezzano, the south wind returns to its previous strength and often blows stronger there than on the lake shore. At fifty-two years old, with over forty-six of those years spent on boats, Torboli is convinced that the changes in wind patterns—begun at least a decade ago—are due more to micro-changes in the territory than to the greenhouse effect.
Territorial Warming and Seasonal Changes
“The heat rising from the city,” he continues, “creates a true buffer: the Ora no longer reaches the shore but blows several hundred meters offshore. Furthermore, the lake’s water used to be much warmer than it is now. These thermal fluctuations have caused changes in the Ora on a seasonal level, and strangely, it has been blowing even in winter for some time.”
Contrary Opinions and the Risks of Hasty Conclusions
“Discussions and statistics? Just words in the wind.” Domenico Tamburini, instructor at Circolo Vela Torbole, is clear and direct. “I believe these are hasty conclusions because each season is different and has its own story: one year it rains a lot and the Ora blows less; the next year, it’s cold until April; and this year, it rained continuously. It’s not possible to derive conclusions,” he says. “Since some summers, the wind has seemed to blow a little less strongly, but to claim that the greenhouse effect is making the Ora disappear…”
Supporting this view is Corrado Falleni, a Veronese federal judge often at Torbole: “These are physiological changes for which I don’t believe a single explanation exists. No one denies that the greenhouse effect could play a role in all this, but the situation is much more complex and involves overall climate change and the territory itself.”
The opinion is also fully shared by Sergio “Ciccio” Lambertenghi, an internationally renowned sailor and a crew member of Silvio Santoni in the Star class, as well as by Mikel Slijk, owner of the sailing school “Conca d’Oro” in Torbole. “I’ve been in Torbole for fifteen years,” explains Slijk, “and I assure you the wind is fine. Each season is different, just like vintages: for example, 1997 can be better than 1998. Yet, the vineyard remains the same. A series of contributing factors, even minor ones, have created the differences: so, it’s about the season over the lake, which varies every time for a thousand reasons. It’s impossible to identify a single cause and make a definitive diagnosis.”
