The first qualifying event for the 2017 AUDI Sailing League was organized by the YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo and saw 12 teams participating. A round robin formula ensures that each team will race against all of the others over the course of 30 short and highly competitive windward-leeward races with six boats on the starting line each time. The teams doing battle included Marina Militare (Team Leader Vincenzo Vano, Ignazio Bonanno); Centro Velico 3V (Team Leader Matteo San Giorgi, Helmsman Edoardo Mancinelli Scotti); Circolo Canottieri Aniene (Team Leader Luca Tubaro, Helmsman Lorenzo Bressani); Circolo Nautico Torre del Greco (Team Leader Claudio Polimene, Helmsman Raimondo Orpello); Circolo Velico Ravennate (Team Leader and Helmsman Michele Mazzotti); Club Nautico Gela (Team Leader and Helmsman Massimo Barranco); Club Vela Portocivitanova (Team Leader Alessio Marinelli, Helmsman Michele Regolo); Club Velico Crotone (Team Leader Alessio Frazzitta, Helmsman Mattia Pagani); Yacht Club Quartu (Team Leader Mauro Farris, Helmsman Davide Schintu); Yacht Club Porto Rotondo (Team Leader Camillo Zucconi, Helmsman Ferdinando Palomba); Yacht Club Riviera del Conero (Team Leader Vincenzo Graciotti, Helmsman Francesco Falcetelli); and the home team representing YC Costa Smeralda (Team Leader and Helmsman Antonio Sodo Migliori). After three days of sailing, it was clear who was the dominant sailing club team for the first event. With eleven firsts in 13 races, the Circolo Canottieri Aniene with Lorenzo Bressani at the helm (crew Luca Tubaro, Umberto Molineris and Matteo Mason) claimed victory. Racing went well on Friday, Saturday’s sailing had to be cancelled due to a mistral blowing at 40 kts plus, and Sunday’s sailing saw 18 races crammed into a tight schedule to permit a total of 26 races to be sailed. The team representing Circolo Canottieri Aniene (CCA) performed well both in Friday’s strong wind conditions and in Sunday’s medium and shifty breeze, totaling just 16 points overall. In second place with double the number of points was Circolo Velico Ravennate (Michele Mazzotti, Andrea Bazzini, Cesare Trioschi, Francesco Ivaldi) ahead of a team competing in the Italian Sailing League for the first time, the Centro Velico 3V (Matteo Sangiorgi, Edoardo Mancinelli Scotti, Erica Ratti, Alessandro Franzì) which claimed the final place on the podium. “We battled against Ravenna,” commented winning helmsman Lorenzo Bressani of Circolo Canottieri Aniene. “We knew they were our closest rivals, but we were able to win with a good margin and I’m particularly happy about that as it means we have started the season on the right foot.” For more YCCS AUDI Sailing League information, visit http://www.yccs.it/en/regate-2017/foto/audi__italian_sailing_league-238.html.