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Displaying items by tag: Rocco Wright

The intensely-fought multi-race Youth Sailing Nationals at Howth in April saw many classes go right to the wire, with only a point or two separating the leaders after the championship concluded.

But in the “Senior Junior” class, the large-fleet ILCA 6, Rocco Wright of the host club was literally in a class of his own, with the international Gold winner of 2022 returning to full competition in runaway style with a ten-point overall lead.

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Rocco Wright won a home waters victory at the Investwise Youth Sailing National Championships in Howth on Sunday.

Wright took the ILCA 6 Youth National Champion title by a clear margin of ten nett points after ten races sailed across a range of conditions that concluded in light winds.

The Howth Yacht Club sailor was followed by his clubmate Luke Turvey on 25 points. One-time series leader Tom Coulter of (East Antrim Boat Club) was third on 29 points in the 33-boat fleet.

Wright, of Howth Yacht Club, adds the domestic title to his recently won bronze in the ILCA 6 Men’s class at the ILCA European Championships in Andora, Italy, as Afloat reported here.

ILCA 4 Title for Pierse

The ILCA 4 title was won by Royal Cork’s Oisin Pierse, with Krzysztof Ciborowski (Royal St George YC) and Cillian Twomey (Howth YC) in second and third place.

Results are below

Published in Laser

Defending title-holder Rocco Wright of Ireland faces a two-race challenge in the ILCA6 Men's European Championships climax in Andora, Italy.

The Howth Yacht Club star has work to do to regain his overall lead but, at the same time, has almost certainly done enough to be on the podium this Friday evening.

Greek sailor Athanasios Kyfidis and Mattia Cesana of Italy edged ahead of Wright today, but just seven points separate first to third places in their event.

Kyfidis recovered first place after scoring a 4-3 and leads with 31 points. Cesana ITA (7-2) is second with 33. Third place for the overnight leader and reigning ILCA 6 Men Senior European champion Wright is on 38 points.

The top three are all Under 21, thus leading the Overall and U21 championships.

They have opened up a large gap on the points table to the remainder of the 71-boat class that includes Fiachra McDonnell (Royal St. George Yacht Club) in eleventh overall.

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Reigning ILCA 6 Men's Senior European champion Rocco Wright of Howth Yacht Club took the lead today in Andora, Italy, with 21 points.

Overnight leader Athanasios Kyfidis GRE and Mattia Cesana ITA follow him two points behind.

They are all Under 21, so leaders of both the overall and U21 championships.

Wright's lead would be slightly better, but for a capsize in the final race of the day when he placed eighth, his worst result of the series so far, which he discards. Nevertheless, his fourth day of competition still counted another race win and all top ten results.

There was a further strong showing for Fiachra McDonnell (Royal St. George Yacht Club), who had a very consistent day with a fifth, sixth and third places that shifted him to sixth overall.

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Athanasios Kyfidis GRE is heading the fleet with 7 points (3-1-17-3), followed 1 point behind by the reigning European champion Rocco Wright IRL (4-6-3-1) with 8. Mattia Cesana ITA is third with 14. They are all Under 21 and lead both the overall and U21 championships.

Wright rounded off his qualification round with a race win. As defending champion, the young Howth Yacht Club sailor overcame a shaky start to the day when he capsized while in second place but recovered to finish sixth. In the next race, he placed third before going on to his race win. As the lowest-scoring boat in his 71-boat event, he is well placed for three days of racing to decide the championship.

Medium air conditions were quite shifty, with the breeze up and down in big seas on the Riviera delle Palme.

Royal St. George Yacht Club's Fiachra McDonnell also lies 14th overall with 14th place in the final race.

Three races are scheduled for Wednesday, with the first warning signal at 09:00. Coaches meeting at 07:00.

ILCA 6 Men – Full results below

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Sixteen-year-old Rocco Wright has won the ILCA6/Laser Men's European Championship on the Côte d'Azur today.

The Howth Yacht Club youth also won the U21 division, and this event is added to his Youth World Championship Gold won in the Netherlands in July.

His result came down to the final race on the last day that he started on level points but ahead on a tiebreak from Cypriot Georgios Yiasemides. Wright kept his nerve to place fourth while staying well in front of his main rival, who placed 13th.

 "I'm just speechless to be world and European champion this year. It was always a dream of mine to win a worlds and a Europeans and to do it the same year... I'm just over the moon!"

Wright's immediate goal is to resume working on his skills at a training camp in Valencia next weekend.

As Afloat reported earlier, Wright regained full control of the fleet and led both the overall and Under 21 European championships from the penultimate day.

2022 EurILCA 6 Men Senior European Overall Podium:

  1. Rocco Wright IRL 55
  2. Georgios Yiasemides CYP 64
  3. Kacper Stanislawski POL 93

2022 EurILCA 6 Men Senior European Under 21 Podium:

  1. Rocco Wright IRL 55
  2. Georgios Yiasemides CYP 64
  3. Daniel Cardona Balsa ESP 11

Full results below

Published in Laser
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Irish sailor Rocco Wright of Howth (1-13-5) regained full control of the fleet and leads both the overall and Under 21 European championships again with 32 points at the ILCA 6 European Championships in Hyeres France on the penultimate day.

Having won the Gold at the Youth World Championships earlier this year, Wright has his sights firmly set on the Under 21 title as he leads his 64-boat fleet by a comfortable 20-point advantage with the final day to sail.

The overnight leader Ben Elvin GBR (25-35-23), is now third overall with 66.

Georgios Yiasemides CYP (3-11-39) is second on both the overall and U21 championships with 51.

Daniel Cardona Balsa ESP (third U21 sailor) and Mario Novak CRO complete the overall Top 5 with 73 and 77 points, respectively.

Results are downloadable below

Published in Laser
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The National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch scored a 16th-39th-32nd dropping him to 32nd place overall in a light wind three race penultimate day of the ILCA/Laser European Championships in Hyeres, France.

Three more races were held today by all the fleets, with shifty and patchy 8-12 knots of breeze. There were many ups and downs that made the sailing conditions very tricky for all the 350 competitors, with significant changes in the standings.

"We just didn't find the right mode to get in front of the fleet at the beginning," commented Vasilij Zbogar, Lynch's Laser coach. "The truth is... I don't know; we were going so well before the event, but now we have different conditions.

"Finn mentally was prepared well and is feeling well. We're struggling a little bit for speed in these conditions for the set-up we have could be a little bit better."

Zbogar, a triple Olympic medallist, pointed to Lynch's improved performance in the upper wind range earlier in the week, calling it a "huge step forward." Normally, the Rio veteran would be expected to perform well in the conditions of the past two days.

"I'm not feeling great - I need to be doing better," Finn Lynch said after racing ended. "There is a lot of luck involved in these conditions, but I need to be better so that I can afford to have bad luck."

For the remaining two races, Lynch will be aiming to finish on a high with individual best results though both the podium and, most likely, the top ten are beyond his reach.

It was not a good day for the overnight leader and reigning 2021 Senior European champion Michael Beckett GBR (22-25-2), losing the top spot for the first time in the event. He’s now in second place but only 2 points behind the new leader Pavlos Kontides CYP (4-3-1), who’s counting 32.

Finland’s Kaarle Tapper FIN (5-23-3) is now third with 50. 7 points after him is Jonatan Vadnai HUN (8-18-17) on fourth.

Lorenzo Chiavarini ITA (6-17-13) and Sam Whaley GBR (24-6-10) are tied in 66 points on places fifth and sixth.

Provisional ILCA 7 European Top 10 after 10 races:

  1. Pavlos Kontides CYP 32
  2. Michael Beckett GBR 34
  3. Kaarle Tapper FIN 50
  4. Jonatan Vadnai HUN 57
  5. Lorenzo Chiavarini ITA 66
  6. Sam Whaley GBR 66
  7. Niels Broekhuizen NED 72
  8. Tonci Stipanovic CRO 74
  9. Hermann Tomasgaard NOR 75
  10. Jean Baptiste Bernaz FRA 85

Download results below

Published in Laser

Howth Yacht Club's Rocco Wright retained his overnight lead in the non-Olympic ILCA6/Laser Men's Euro event in Hyeres, France. 

A second place followed by an eighth means he has a ten-point lead at this early stage of the regatta in a 64-boat fleet.

There are two Senior European titles at stake in the ILCA 6 Men’s competition: the Overall champion and the Under 21 champion, and both are held by Wright  (1-2-2-SCP27). 

The second place is for Ben Elvin GBR (4-1-9-2) with 7. Alastair Brown GBR (18-8-3-1) completes the Overall podium with 12.

Georgios Yiasemides CYP (9-5-1-19) and Lovre Bakotic CRO (27-7-4-11) complete the provisional U21 podium in places fourth and sixth overall with 15 and 22 points, respectively.

Xavier Leclair FRA (46-3-6-10) is fifth overall with 19 units.

Friday is the last day of the qualifying series, with the first warning signal at 12:00.

The forecast is for even stronger winds. 

Six days of races are scheduled in total, with the last ones coming on Monday 21st to decide the new 2022 EurILCA Senior European champions.

Results are downloadable below

Published in Laser
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Howth Yacht Club sailor Rocco Wright leads both rankings after an impeccable 1-2 in the opening races of the ILCA 6/Laser Men's European Championships in Hyeres, France.

The 2022 EurILCA Senior European Championships & Open European Trophy started today at Cercle d’Organisation du Yachting de Compétition Hyèrois (COYCH) in Hyeres, France.

Wright, the reigning World Youth Gold medalist, is followed two points behind by Ben Elvin GBR (4-1). Georgios Yiasemides CYP is third overall and second U21 after scoring a 9-5.

More than 350 sailors from 65 countries enjoyed great sailing conditions today for the first two races, with winds varying from 10 to 14 knots in the beginning and 18 to 22 knots at the end. of the second race.

Elia Stocco ITA (7-9) and Mario Novak CRO (12-6) complete the provisional European Top 5.

Terry Hacker GBR (6-12) is third Under 21 and 6th overall.

Download the results below

Published in Laser
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About The Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a 'must do' race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.

The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.

In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.

George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7

The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.

So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC's longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.

Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race "must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?"

In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard's brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America's Cup with Moro di Venezia.

Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP's of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.

The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.

World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.

The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany's Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.

THE COURSE RECORD

The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.

However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2024

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 19 October 2024.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST Saturday, 21 October 2024

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth

Main Trophies

Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy – overall race winner under IRC Time Correction

Boccale de Mediterraneo – winner of ORC category

RLR Trophy – winner of monohull line honours

Captain Morgan Trophy – winner of multihull division on corrected time (MOCRA)

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