Italians Excel At Expert Olympic Garda

Thirty nations, 230 boats and 345 athletes battled over eight of the Olympic events at the 2009 Expert Olympic Garda, with the host nation taking top billing at the end of a week of racing on Lake Garda.

The week’s racing, jointly hosted by the Fraglia Vela Riva and Fraglia Vela Malcesine, ended with plenty to celebrate for the home Italian team with the triumph of Giulia CONTI and Giovanna MICOL (ITA) in the Women’s 470; well-earned victory for Gabrio ZANDONÀ and Francesco DELLA TORRE (ITA) in the Men’s 470; uncontested domination for the SIBELLO brothers, Pietro SIBELLO and Gianfranco SIBELLO (ITA) among the 49er; and final victory for Fabian HEIDEGGER (ITA), after a suspense-filled duel with Federico ESPOSITO (ESP) in the Men’s RS:X. Other standout performances came with a fantastic series of successes for Australia’s Tom SLINGSBY, back on form in the Laser and for France’s Sophie DE TURCKHEIM in the Laser Radial. There were also victories for rising star Giles SCOTT (GBR) in the Finn and for four-time Olympic medallist Robert SCHEIDT and his crew Bruno PRADA (BRA) in the Star. 

Main sponsor of the international event dedicated exclusively to Olympic class sailboats was Expert (www.expert.it), represented at the awards ceremony by their highly trained Research and Technical Director, Marco TREVI.

Following on from the racing on Lake Garda, the next stop for the world’s top Olympic sailors will be Medemblik in The Netherlands from 27-31 May for event five of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, the Delta Lloyd Regatta.

Videos of the week’s action-packed events, and interviews with the leading protagonists of the Expert Olympic Garda 2009 can be found on the website of the Italian Sailing Federation www.federvela.it/video and on the website www.sailrev.tv.

Updates and final rankings are posted on the Fraglia Vela Riva’s website www.fragliavelariva.it in the section dedicated to Expert Olympic Garda 2009, and on the site of the Fraglia Vela Malcesine www.fragliavela.org.

Meanwhile, a roundup of the Expert Olympic Garda 2009’s most fascinating photo images appear on the website of Slidebox.it at www.slidebox.it.

Full Results – click here