Results / Gill European Championships Fraglia vela Riva - 28/07/2014

Riva del Garda is known for its scenery, skiing in the Winter and many go hill walking during its hot summers, But these weren’t the only sweaty and tired hikers hanging round the harbour last week – welcome to the RS200 Eurocup, whose 60-odd participants are often described as ‘staggering’. Usually around the Oca Bar at midnight.

For those who have never been, Fraglia Vela Riva sailing club is architecturally similar to a fin de siècle Hacienda – the sort favoured by Colombian export/export businessmen. It is actually quite splendid and large with a bar and sun loungers, although (reportedly) the ladies changing facilities are tight [ed]. The club is given over entirely to the hosted event, and this year the organisers put up barriers to keep Muggles out of the dinghy park. Whilst the town is noted for its fashionable chic and stylish modernity of its young and vibrant population, you don’t want seedy, unsavoury, shabby types in the dinghy park. Regretfully, Andy Peters was nevertheless granted admission. The boundaries of sartorial acceptability were challenged somewhat by the red Stella McCartney hiking boots of John McKelvie. Wet spillage in aisle 3. I mean, really.

Anyway, people race boats here because of the local wind called the ‘Ora’. If you are a hairy-chested, borderline psychotic helmsmith (sorry Charlotte) and razzing around at 20+ knots is your thing, you’d probably quite like it here. The microclimate is the thing. By and large, if it is hot, the Ora fires up anytime from about midday. This is like spending the day in a blow drier, with reaches so fast you don’t get the time to get scared or admire the fantastic scenery.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday last week, the murk hung around the hills like disappointing yoghurt, dampening the wind. More Thora than Ora. One race was abandoned due to most teams nodding off. With only 1 race each for Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday (when everyone got wetter than a submarine’s number plate) and Thursday were 3 races a-piece, and a regulation 2 on Friday. 

You can see the results below – do you really want to read about the racing …?. Andy and Jill Peters, who hiked like badgers on chest hair jam, made the most of a much breezier second half of the week to pip Hamish Walker. And the wind on the last day was a proper omigod 30 knots or so.

The two race teams (each with a distinctive whiff of fags and Valpolicella) did a fantastic job, turning races around very quickly and second-guessing the next wind pattern every time. We alternated between the cliffs and the middle of the lake every other day. Also, many thanks to Heather’s organisational skills, serene and swan-like, never betraying any undignified thrashing below the waterline. Oh, and thanks to Volvo, who have lent me one of their massive cars for the Nationals. Amazing how much ice you can take to a barbecue in the boot of a loan car. I must also remember to say ‘it’s very noisy for an automatic’ when I give the keys back.

Julian Bradley
Wembley Sailing Club

FINAL RESULTS BELOW