The 2024 edition of the “Desenzano FISU World University Championship Sailing” was presented this morning in Desenzano del Garda. The competition will feature sixteen international teams of university sailors. The event, organized by Fraglia Vela Desenzano in collaboration with CUS Brescia, will take place from June 6th to June 9th, with a day reserved for the recovery of postponed races on June 10th.
The crews, consisting of five athletes each, will represent various nations, including two Italian teams from Fraglia Vela Desenzano, as well as teams from Canada, Singapore, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria, Japan, Croatia, Poland, Malaysia, Australia, Ireland, and China. This world university sailing championship is known for its high level of competition and will be held under the auspices of important organizations in the field such as the Italian Sailing Federation, the Italian University Sports Center, and the International University Sports Federation.
The races will be held using the Dolphin 81 hull, a one-design boat built by the Brescia shipyard Maxi Dolphin and designed by Ettore Santarelli, whose centenary of birth is celebrated this year. The first three days of races will determine the finalists who will compete for the title on June 9th.
The event also includes moments of cultural integration and promotion of the territory. The athletes will arrive in early June, and on June 5th, the opening ceremony will take place with a parade along the lakeside of Desenzano. On June 10th, a guided tour of the city of Brescia is also planned, and during the race days, there will be opportunities to taste typical local products.
Stefano Loda, president of Fraglia Vela Desenzano, highlighted the organizational complexity of such a large-scale event, emphasizing the importance of the occasion for the young members of the club. Lara Magoni, Undersecretary for Sports of the Lombardy Region, also emphasized the value of the event as a showcase for local excellence and as a moment of cultural unity through sport.
Desenzano’s mayor, Guido Malinverno, emphasized the importance of the event in the context of the numerous sports initiatives that characterize the season, confirming Desenzano del Garda’s role as a hub for internationally significant events and a prominent tourist destination.
Italian Version
