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XIII° Roberto Trombini Challenge Trophy Match Race 2007

PRESS RELEASE 22nd May 2007

TPRESS RELEASE 4th JULY 2007

• The “rematches” from the America’s Cup at the Roberto Trombini Challenge Trophy
  
• James Spithill (Luna Rossa), Paolo Cian (Shosholoza) and other big names in match racing at Marina di Ravenna : from 11th to 15th July

Just a week to go to the start of the thirteenth Roberto Trombini Challenge Trophy, the first ISAF grade 1 match race event organized in Italy which each year brings together the best of world match racing. From 11th to 15th July the first rematches after the America’s Cup can been seen at Marina di Ravenna, between some of the great champions coming from Valencia.

Not to be missed, the return of James Spithill, helm of Luna Rossa Challenge
in his first official race after the America’s Cup which finished 3rd July with Alinghi winning against Emirates Team New Zealand 5-2. In the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup the New Zealand team beat Luna Rossa. It is Spithill’s fourth time at the Trombini Challenge event and he has already won twice; if James wins again this year the Challenge Trophy will go to him.

It will be interesting to watch another champion of the Luna Rossa Challenger - Frenchman Philippe Presti, world and Olympic champion and Spithill’s sparring partner; Italian match race champion Paolo Cian, ex helm of Shosholoza at Valencia, for the last two years among the top 3 in world ranking; he was winner of the Trombini Challenge in 2005 and finalist in 2006; veteran yachtsman Bertrand Pacè, America’s Cup expert and ex Team New Zealand he was with BMW Oracle at Valencia; South African Ian Ainslie strategist of Shosholoza.

Complete list of competing Skippers

Ian WILLIAMS (GB) (ISAF ranking n. 1)
Paolo CIAN (IT) (n.3)
Eugeniy NEUGODNIKOV (RU) (5)
Damien IEHL (FR) (8)
Eric MONNIN (CH) (12)
Matteo SIMONCELLI (IT) (14)
Ian Richard AINSLIE (RSA) (16)
James Spithill (AUS) (21)
Jacopo PASINI (IT) (36)
Simon MINOPRIO (NZ) (52)
Philippe PRESTI (FR) (92)
Bertrand PACE’ (FR) (121)

The opening ceremony will be on 11th July evening 12th and 13th the Round Robins, Saturday 14th July quarter and semi finals and the finals on Sunday 15th July.

As always The Trombini Challenge offers a cocktail of excitement and yachting activity which can be followed by the general public; the matches can be seen from the grandstand on the pier with running commentary during the races. The evenings offer convivial occasions for the teams and participants of the event.

The Roberto Trombini Challenge Trophy is organized by Progetto Vela, in collaboration with Circolo Velico Ravennate, and with the support of numerous sponsors united in the memory of the well known and enthusiastic champion yachtsman from Ravenna - Roberto Trombini .

Progetto Vela - ASD - Via Sergio Cavina 5 48100 Ravenna Tel 0544 465556, fax 0544 464408
Communication - Fabio Colivicchi +39 335 5730 361 ­
Fabio.colivicchi@velavela.org

THE ROBERTO TROMBINI CHALLENGE TROPHY
The 2007 edition retains its success formula; conceived by Progetto Vela, whose President is Andrea Trombini, in collaboration with Circolo Velico Ravennate and sustained by numerous sponsors in memory of Roberto Trombini well known yachtsmen from Ravenna. The identical boats (Tom 28, 9 metres were designed for the event by Giovanni Ceccarelli from Ravenna)
The matches take place within the inner harbour at Marina di Ravenna and a grandstand to accommodate over 500 spectators has been erected on the pier; there will be a running commentary during the races and interviews with the skippers on the pier followed by pleasant evenings together with the crews, umpires and guests.

WINNERS’ LIST
Without exception, all the big names in world yachting have taken part in the Trombini challenges over the years. The winners’ list includes James Spithill (actual helm of Luna Rossa Challenge), Magnus Holmberg – Swedish _ (team leader and helm of Victory Challenge) and Peter Holmberg from the U.S. Virgin Islands (one of the Alinghi helms), all with two victories.
The other winners are Mario Celon, who triumphed in the first edition, Chris Law (GB), Danes Sten Mohr and Jes Gram-Hansen (start helm of the Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team), Paolo Cian (helm of Team Shosholoza), up to the 2006 edition won by Chris Dickson, skipper and helm of BMW Oracle.

NOTICE FOR THE PRESS
Journalists interested in this event please send an email requesting authorization, indicating intended dates in Marina di Ravenna during the Match Race.
For information please call +39 335 5730 361

ISAF – INTERNATIONAL SAILING FEDERATION (100 years in 2007)

ISAF is the world sailing federation, founded in Paris in 1907 known as the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) in 1996 the IYRU changed its name to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The organization is composed of the various national sailing federations, the main aim of IYRU was to develop a uniform set of rules and measurement standards for racing sailors to allow boats of different weight and length to race against each other. Before 1870 the development of such rules was left to the individual yacht clubs who were also guarantors for the application of said rules. The increase in the number of regattas between boats from different clubs caused the downfall of this system thus a central coordination was required. At the time of establishment in 1907 the IYRU comprised only 12 countries:
Austria-Hungary, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Holland and Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Representatives from the North American Yacht Racing Union were admitted in 1929. In 1960 a totally universal code of racing rules was agreed and implemented, these rules are valid today (with four-yearly modifications required by the world sailing federation committee). From 1906 to 1946 a chairman was elected from time to time to coordinate the annual meetings. In 1946 Sir Ralph Gore was elected the first President and since then the ISAF has had five presidents: Sir Peter Scott, English (1955-1969), Beppe Croce, Italian (1969-1986), Peter Tallberg, Finnish (1986-1994), Paul Henderson, Canadian (1994-2004 and Goran Petersson, Swedish the actual president, elected in November 2004. The vice presidents include Italian Nucci Novi Ceppellini. ISAF is officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the governing authority for sailing world-wide. ISAF, with headquarters in UK, currently consists of over 114 member nations engaged in promoting sailing among youngsters worldwide, training Judges and Umpires and, in particular, management of Olympic Class regattas. There are currently over 80 ISAF recognized Yacht classes from the smallest Optimist Dinghy to the largest Maxi one-design. Furthermore ISAF has exemplified a series of international events and classifications ranging from the Olympic Class to the World Sailing Games and the Youth Sailing World Championships, World Match Race Olympic Sailing Squad, World Ranking List.

FIV – FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA VELA (80 years in 2007)

The Federazione Italiana Vela presides over the entire sailing activities in Italy. Established in Genoa on 13th April 1927 under the name “Regia Federazione Italiana Vela” FIV celebrated its 80th anniversary on Friday 13th April 2007 during an evening at the “Salone d’Onore” in Rome, CONI presented the sailing Oscars.
Currently FIV has about 85,000 members but after a series of promotional campaigns the number is expected to increase to over 100,000. FIV has 630 affiliated associations and 450 sailing schools teaching the basics of sailing to over 35,000, mainly young, and very young, pupils. Among the institutional obligations are the organization of competitions at all levels (there are over 80 recognized sailing classes), marginal organization (15 area committees), team management of national teams at major world sailing events and the Youth Sailing Olympics. Preparations for the Olympics is one of the FIV’s main activities, which as part of CONI, prepare the best teams to compete for medals every four years. To this end the technical managers start by developing youngsters in the classes of provincial interest. Italy is among the few countries in the world that presents a complete team in all the classes both at the Olympic Games and ISAF World Championships and at the important ISAF Youth World Championships. The ISAF Youth World Championship trophy, which is awarded to the best national youth sailing team, was won by the Italian team in Great Britain last year. There is powerful promotional activity of the sport, especially towards youngsters ; from 2007 FIV, in collaboration with certain ministries, has launched the programme VelAscuola to introduce sailing in Italian schools all over Italy. The first president of RFIV was Luigi Amedeo di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi from 1927 to 1933. From 1933 to 1941 he was succeeded by Baron Alberto Fassini Camossi, and from 1941 to 1945 Captain Antonio N. Cosulich. In November 1946 the Unione delle Società Veliche Italiane was established in Florence presided over until 1956 by marquis Paolo Pallavicino. From 1957 until 1964 Beppe Croce was president. On 5th December 1964 the USVI became the Federazione Italiana Vela, member of CONI and IYRU. Croce remained president until 1980, from 1981 to 1988 Carlo Rolandi was president and he is currently honorary president. Since 1989 Sergio Gaibisso has been president of FIV.