The Desenzano 2024 FISU World University Championship Sailing crowned the French team, in front of Italy 2 and Singapore. The timid winds on the second day of racing played with everyone’s nerves but made the competition even more interesting.
Sixteen competing teams, made up of around ninety sailors and representing the fourteen nations registered, divided into two fleets made up of eight Dolphin 81s identical in performance and all equipped with new sails, completed three races on the first day of competition. Alec Coleman’s Canada topped the rankings just one point in front of Ange Delerce’s France and six points ahead of Samuel King’s Australia and Alessandro Archetti’s Italy 1.
Colourful manoeuvres
The following days of racing were more complicated as the stabilisation of high pressure on the peninsula meant there was barely enough wind to compete. There was quite a lot of patient waiting, of catching up, of reshuffling of positions and some decisions had to be made by the Race Committee.
On the last day, the Gold Fleet competed and France impressed everyone to logically win the title in front of Italy 2 and Singapore.
The final results are as follows:
1. France
2. Italy 2
3. Singapore
4. Canada 2
5. Italy 1
6. Poland
7. Ireland
8. Australia
9. Germany
10. Canada 1
11. Austria
12. Japan
13. Netherlands
14. Croatia
15. China
16. Malaysia
France celebrating in style
The event finished with the usual closing ceremony. Congratulations to all 16 participating teams and to the Organising Committee who all did a great job despite the wind playing with everyone’s nerves!
