Dates set for annual invitational yacht regatta in Italy

ITALY (eTN) – It was announced that the dates for the 8th edition of the “Trofeo Challenge Ignazio Florio” [Challenge Trophy Ignazio Florio] be held in Favignana, Sicily, Italy, are confirmed fo

ITALY (eTN) – It was announced that the dates for the 8th edition of the “Trofeo Challenge Ignazio Florio” [Challenge Trophy Ignazio Florio] be held in Favignana, Sicily, Italy, are confirmed for September 11-14, 2013. The Trofeo Challenge Ignazio Florio is an annual invitational yacht regatta.

The confirmation of the event dates was given by the President, Mrs. Chiara Zarlocco, at the exclusive seafood restaurant, Assunta Madre, in the historical Via Giulia, Rome, “to feel the flavors of the sea in a contest of sailing talk” said Mrs. Zarlocco, adding that it is “an enterprise which requires great courage to carry into effect, given the Italian economic context, such as the current one.”

In introducing to the press, authorities, and guests the 8th edition of the Trofeo Challenge Ignazio Florio, Mrs. Chiara Zarlocco, President of Yacht Club Favignana, announced that the new edition will incorporate foreign crew teams from Spain, Malta, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, giving an increasingly international connotation to the trophy.

A fantastic piece of news was announced by Matteo Miceli, one of the contenders of the Favignana Trophy, who took the opportunity to announce that October 2014 is the date for his world tour, “Roma Ocean World,” the non-stop challenge from Rome to Rome by his Class 40 sail boat.

Matthew described with exciting detail the difficult course of his enterprise: starting in a non-easy season, October, out of Gibraltar he will take the Portuguese trade wind to reach the equator, struggling with his “pot au noir” (black hole), a trait characterized by weather instability particularly feared by sailors. Then pointing to the South Pole, Matthew will face very strong winds, to reach the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Horn. It will be the hardest passage, but he is doubling Cape Horn sea with a more lenient sea because December and January are the summer months for this part of the hemisphere. The sail boat will then head to Rome plowing through the Atlantic Ocean.

Also attending will be Massimo Barranco, whose sail ship, “Extra 1” (Club Nautico Gela) was awarded the coveted prize 2012 edition. He will be back this year to defend his title from aggressive challengers, such as the crew winner of the 2011 “Bohemia Express” (flagged Czech Republic).

The challenge this year must be all fighting to the very last breath, cheered on Mrs. Zarlocco. This is also evident from the words of Vincenzo De Blasio (winner with “Scugnizza” ORC World Championship 2012) who participated at the last edition, along with George Martin, with “ANIENE 1st Class.” Not being satisfied with the result, De Blasio took the opportunity of the evening to intervene and launch the challenge to “EXTRA 1,” stating that at the beginning of the season for his regatta planning, Favignana was placed at the top of the list, strongly motivated to win the trophy and defy his good friend Giorgio Martin, competitor, being it necessary.

The President of the Region of Sicily, IVF Ignatius Pipitone, and Pasquale Teri, international sailing judge and President of the International Jury, said: “Yacht Club Favignana not only emphasizes the great organizational skills of Chiara Zarlocco, a higly-reputable event organizer defined ‘unique and inimitable,’ but also combining high-level competitiveness at sea and entertainment on the ground. Credit must be given to the Chairman’s economic investment and organizational efforts to the clubhouse for the evening functions, to the guests who give life to the event, and also to the ability to combine sports, nature, and the event, a skill completely attributed to Chiara Zarlocco. No one has a skipper at the helm as that iron lady,” he said.

Chiara’s words spent on the unique setting of the sail boat races in the sea of the Egadi islands, which always distinguished her spirit of entrepreneurship, launched the challenge and the slogan of this 8th edition “I hope that I can make it.”

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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