RRD ONE HOUR CLASSIC
This weekend saw a beautiful edition of the RRD One Hour Classic concluded in Torbole, on Lake Garda, Italy. Check out the official event report and video here!
Dutchman Jordy Vonk took the lead, with the best results in both the fin slalom and foil slalom achieved on the first day of competition, in more windy conditions. Photos By: Moan Photo.
At the Circolo Surf Torbole the 33rd edition of the RRD One Hour Classic was full of wind, pro champions and records, the latter being broken in Friday’s regatta in the foil discipline, the one that is having the most evolution in terms of equipment and mastery of the medium. The real star of the 2022 edition was the Dutchman Jordy Vonk, who right from the first day demonstrated a clearly superior pace in both the slalom fin and slalom foil disciplines, compared to his opponents, who tried to react, but were unable to improve on his times, achieved in the hour of competition, between two buoys placed at the windward mark on the two shores of the Upper Garda (east and west, Conca d’oro and Ponale areas). On the second day, Bruno Martini, winner of the single race, tried his hand in the foil, but his performance was inferior to that of Vonk, the Dutch athlete who shattered last year’s record set by Martini himself, completing two laps more, 21, and stopping the chronometer at 1 h 01′ 00″.
On Sunday, the last day, there was still a good southerly wind and ideal conditions for the fin slalom race: it was again Vonk who immediately took the lead of the fleet with a speed that looked as if he could even beat Bruno Martini’s fin slalom record, set by the Circolo Surf Torbole athlete in 2018; but despite winning with a detachment over Matteo Iachino, Vonk completed the same number of laps, 19, but in a higher time, namely 1h 02′ 36″ against Martini’s 1h 00′ 31″. In the following foil race on Sunday, it was iQFoil European and Formula Foil World Champion Nicolas Goyard who got off to a good start and won the single race, but once again without breaking the record. In the fin slalom, therefore, Bruno Martini’s record held, while the foil discipline showed giant strides in terms of top speed, and thus with the record being broken: the flying boards reached a peak of 33.59 knots against the 31.84 of the fin slalom and an average speed of 27.4 knots/h, equal to 50.75 Km/h. This edition will certainly be remembered for having seen the best World Cup athletes on the starting line together with the fans of this sport, which has made Torbole and the Alto Garda area famous all over the world: it was three days of wind and sunshine, ensuring regattas that tested even the most trained athletes.
The synergy between the Circolo Surf Torbole, the AICW class, the Italian Sailing Federation, and the manufacturers, who find in Torbole and Upper Lake Garda a reference point to promote their athletes, as well as the technical equipment, allowed the event to be a great success, both from a competitive-sporting point of view, and in terms of promoting the discipline.
Slalom Foil
The final classification, which takes into account the best performance over the three days of racing, confirms the overall victory of Jordy Vonk (21 sides in 1h 01′ 00″), second place for Croatian Enrico Marotti (21 sides in 1h01’15”) and third place for Italian Matteo Iachino (Yacht Club Italiano, Genoa- 21 sides in 1h01’21”). The top 7 in Friday’s regatta achieved 21 sides (2 more than last year), confirming the leap forward in terms of speed of foil boards. Excellent ninth overall and first under 20 was the Dane Joahn Soe (20 sides in 1h 03′ 27″, second the Pole Polak, and third the Circolo Surf Torbole athlete Jacopo Gavioli. The women’s classification crowned the Spanish foil specialist Blanca Alabau, who beat the French Marion Mortefon by 24″ in the 18 completed sides; third another World Cup athlete, Sara-Quita Offringa from Aruba: among the women’s under 20 category, a Czech one-two with Pinosova and Altmannova; third the Italian Marta Monge (Circolo Nautico del Finale).
Slalom Fin
Jordy Vonk again took first place in the RRD One Hour Classic fin, with 19 sides in 1h 01′ 00″, second place for Circolo Surf Torbole athlete Bruno Martini, 9″ behind, and third for the other Italian (Yacht Club Italiano) Matteo Iachino (19 sides in 1h02’00”. Vonk also won the Alberto Menegatti Permanent Trophy, awarded to the first classified slalom fin.
Danish under-20 Soe not only won the under-20 category, but also achieved a fourth place overall, which shows the athlete’s future potential. Second place under 20 went to Poland’s Polak and third to Italy’s Michele Laurenza (Planet Sail Bracciano). Czech Adela Raskova, on the other hand, won the women’s classification, followed by French Marion Mortefon and Italian Caterina Biagiolini (Windsurfing Club Marina Julia), who won the under-20 classification.
