Lake Garda Hosts Historic Coppa dell’Oltranza Speed Records Event
Next Sunday, October 8th, the International Garda Meeting will take place on the waters of Lake Garda in front of Maderno, featuring the “Coppa dell’Oltranza”.
An event established and initiated in 1929 by Gabriele D’Annunzio with the intention of embodying that daring spirit that has always been in the Vate’s blood. The regulations themselves, authored by D’Annunzio, were designed to have no limits and, above all, to be audacious towards what was then impossible.
The formula established to confirm the winner of the event states that the essential requirement is that “in the next edition (following the new record set, ed.) the average speed must not be less than the speed achieved by the previous year’s winner multiplied by 1.01.”
Records to beat and categories
The latest and current record to beat was set by Guido Cappellini with an average of 176.231 km/h on October 25, 1998, surpassing his previous record set two years earlier with an average of 166.892 km/h. In Maderno, the threshold speed to surpass will therefore be 177.994 km/h for outboard categories and 157.268 km/h for inboard categories.
Throughout its history, the “Coppa dell’Oltranza” has recorded only 7 records: 101.500 km/h set by Achille Castaldi in 1949, 125.108 km/h in 1951 by Ezio Selva, repeated in 1956 with 138.581 km/h, Lino Spagnoli with 131.556 km/h in 1980, Flavio Guidotti in 1981 with 142.971 km/h, and twice Guido Cappellini, with 166.892 km/h in 1996 and, notably, 176.231 km/h in 1998.
This event has experienced ups and downs over its history, with years of inactivity, but in recent years it has been revived by the Motonautica Associazione Salò and supported by the Federale Authorities. The various trials held for this occasion are also valid for the Italian Championship F 2 and T 400, Racer 2000 cc – Orlando Bodda Trophy, and the Italian T 3000 Championship.
Today, Saturday, October 7th, the free practice and timed trials will be held. Tomorrow, Sunday, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, the main competition will take place with the top active pilots of the moment, including Cappellini, Abbate, Molinari, Parmeggiani, and others.
