A return to form for Annalise Murphy saw the Rathfarnham sailor win Gold today at the Italian Olympic Week 2013 on Lake Garda, the first round of the new Eurosaf sailing world cup.
The Dubliner, the Irish Sailor of the Year was sailed down the fleet on the first leg of the course in a tactical move by a medal race opponent but caught the leaders in the 6-boat fleet on the first downwind leg and then led the race in the blowy lake conditions.
Admittedly the win comes against a fleet not as strong as the recent world cup series but it will nevertheless boost her confidence for events later in the season including the Laser European Championships at her home club, the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire in September.
Italian Olympic Week is the first regatta in the Eurosaf series. In total five regattas will be sailed over the summer months with the next regatta, Delta Lloyd starting in just eight days in the Netherlands on 21 May, followed by Sail for Gold in Weymouth and Kieler Woche in June and finally Semaine Olympique Francaise in la Rochelle in the autumn.
A new format for the medal race was trialed this week at Italian Olympic Week whereby the fleet is divided in to Gold and Silver after two days with the top six boats in the Gold fleet progressing to the Medal Race on the final day. This new format will be officially adopted for Rio 2016.