The first day of the “2024 Desenzano FISU World University Championship Sailing” took place successfully yesterday, thanks to a light north wind that allowed the completion of the program. The event, organized by Fraglia Vela Desenzano in collaboration with the International University Sports Federation (FISU), saw the participation of sixteen teams from fourteen nations.
The ninety sailors in the competition, divided into two fleets on eight identical Dolphin 81 boats equipped with new sails, faced three races. At the end of the day, the team “Canada 2,” led by Alec Coleman, dominated the leaderboard with three consecutive victories (1-1-1). Following closely behind with just one point behind is “France” with Ange Delerce (1-2-1), and six points behind are the pair formed by “Australia” with Samuel King (2-5-2) and “Italy 1” with Alessandro Archetti (4-2-3). Closing out the top five is “Italy 2” with Alfonso Palumbo (4-4-2).
The races will continue today with three more races for each group. The program includes up to nine qualification races, after which the Gold and Silver Fleets will be determined. Each team will carry their placement from the initial phase as Race 1 into the final series on Sunday. The final ranking will be determined by adding the results of the final races to Race 1.
The opening ceremony, held on Wednesday evening in Piazza Cappelletti from 6:00 pm, was highly appreciated by the participants and industry professionals. Moderated by journalist Mauro Melandri, the event was attended by important institutional representatives and figures from the sailing world. Among the most applauded speeches were those of Desenzano Mayor Guido Malinverno, President of the Italian Sailing Federation Francesco Ettorre, World Sailing Councilor Walter Cavallucci, and FISU President Agnes Ancic-Valkai.
The university world championship is supported by numerous sponsors, including Gruppo Bonera Mercedes, Promotica, Cantiere Maxi Dolphin, Alfa Live, HPA, Sunstripes, Razzi Bevande, Acqua Maniva, Amadori Piscine, Revetec, Isotherm, Vibatex, Sicurtec, and Wi Legal.
The enthusiasm for this international competition continues to grow as the teams prepare for the upcoming challenges on Lake Garda.
Italian Version
