Marina Militare take Leg 2 win, Team ENIT overall leaders at 2021 Hempel Mixed Two Person Offshore World Championship

Giovanna Valsecchi & Andrea Pendibene have sailed to a resounding victory on Leg 2 of the 2021 Hempel Mixed Two Person Offshore World Championship in Italy.

The ITA2 crew representing Marina Militare (Italian Navy) crossed the finish line at Marina di Ravenna at 13:20 hours this afternoon, around 15 miles ahead of their nearest rivals. This has been a predominantly light airs, upwind leg, with the fleet of 10 Figaro 3 keelboats racing 300 miles from Bari in the south of Italy.
 
Of the three Legs in the 2021 Hempel Mixed Two Person Offshore World Championship, this is the most significant in terms of overall points. After the winner’s lunch time victory, it was exactly five hours later when the next boat, the other Italian team, crossed the finish line at 18:20 hours. In a tight battle all the way to Ravenna, ITA1 Team ENIT (Claudia Rossi & Pietro D’Alì) kept the chasing pack at bay, finishing second but only three minutes ahead of Team South Africa (Michaela Robinson / Siyanda Vato) in third.
 
The young South African crew, both in their twenties, celebrated their podium place having betted on sailing for the shore side of the course to pick up some early evening land breeze which powered them past Team Belgium (Sophia Faguet & Jonas Gerckens) who crossed the line five minutes later. That overtaking move by South Africa could prove pivotal in determining the overall World Championship, as it gives a bit more breathing space to Team ENIT who now hold the lead going into Friday’s decisive Leg 3, with Belgium still in contention in second place and Marina Militare now in third.
 
Thirteen minutes back from Belgium, a match race between two teams saw Team Sweden (Lennea Floser / Martin Stromberg) prevail for fifth place by just 10 seconds from Team USA1 Orcas (Christina & Justin Wolfe). Another quarter of an hour later and the winning crew from Team ESP (Aina Bauzà / Guillermo Altadill) crossed the line in seventh place, which puts the Spanish out of contention for the overall crown. The other Americans, USA2 (Erica Lush / Laurent Givry), were the last team of the tightly-packed bunch to cross the line just after sunset. Some way behind their rivals, the spinnakerless Team GBR crossed for ninth and Team Poland in tenth.
 
The fact that the most experienced offshore racer and winner of Leg 1, Guillermo Altadill, found himself back in seventh place, is an indicator of just how tough and unpredictable this leg proved to be. If Team ESP were struggling, anyone could struggle. Which is why Andrea Pendebene was so delighted with his unexpected victory alongside his long-time sailing partner Giovanna Valsecchi. “You always have big emotions when you win, but even more when we arrive in front of legends like Altadill and D’Ali; it’s not possible!
 
“There were two options on this leg. All the other guys sailed towards the land, for the land breeze, or you go the other way for the other wind out to sea. We decided to go for the other wind, sail direct, minimum manoeuvres, keep it simple.”
 
Part of the strength of the Marina Militare duo is the fact that they have been sailing together for nine years. “We are only one person,” said Valsecchi. “I know everything about Andrea, he knows everything about me. We know our strengths and what we prefer. In light wind, I like to helm, and he prefers to helm in strong wind. That is why we are a good team.”
 
There are ten teams from eight nations competing in this inaugural World Championships. Part of the 2021 Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour which has already seen the Figaro 3 fleet navigate the western seaboard of Italy, the 2021 Hempel Mixed Two Person Offshore World Championship is an 816nm race that is being played out across three stunning stages along the Adriatic coast:
 
Leg 1: Brindisi to Bari
Leg 2: Bari to Marina di Ravenna
Leg 3: Marina di Ravenna to Venice
 
There are teams representing Italy, Belgium, USA, South Africa, Great Britain, Spain, Sweden and Poland.