Swan Sardinia Challenge: "Hatari" is also best in class in the light wind short programme
Tatjana Pokorny
· 30.06.2024
The wind has not been nearly as cooperative as the friendly hosts off the Sardinian coast of Alghero over the past few days. Mild breezes demanded a lot of patience from the race committee, the eleven ClubSwan 50 crews and the eight ClubSwan 36 teams at the Swan Sardinia Challenge. In the end, Principal Race Officer Maria Torrijo and her team completed three races. The winner of the big swans remained the same as in the previous strong-winded test of strength off Bonifacio: Marcus Brennecke's "Hatari"
Swan Sardinia Challenge: "Hatari" remains in front
The crew, led by owner and helmsman Marcus Brennecke and his top tactician Markus Wieser, did not miss a beat despite the sweltering heat. Without dropping out, they took third and second place on the first day and a third place on the last day. Three top-three results were enough for overall victory ahead of Raquel and Graeme Peterson's "Moonlight". After finishing fourth and third, Hendrik Brandis' "Earlybird" missed out on an even better result than third place on the podium by finishing eighth in the final race. Leonardo Ferragamo's "Cuordileone" crew had to settle for sixth place in their home town of Bella Italia. Mark Bezner's team on "Olymp" sailed to eighth place with tactician Jochen Schümann and a blatant series of 11, 1, 9.
Sailors from 24 nations would have liked to see more sailing, but the new venue proved to be more difficult on the water this week than the fleets expected. Markus Wieser said after the "Hatari" crew's second win in a row: "We only had three races and it was a tough week. It was super warm and hazy, and it was tough for everyone. I think we sailed very well, we were very consistent and deserved to win."
We also won the first event of the season. So I can say that we are in good shape" (Markus Wieser)
The highlights of the season are yet to come
Looking ahead to the upcoming top events of the big racing swans in the second half of the year, Markus Wieser said: "I think we sailed very well. We were pretty consistent and deserved to win. We also won the first event of the season, so I can say that we are in good shape. But our main goal is to sail as well as possible at the World Championship in Palma! Everyone is also looking forward to Porto Cervo in September. That will be a great event. But it's still quite a while until then. So we'll be travelling with a few other boats to the Copa del Rey in Palma in August so that we can keep going and not have to take too long a break."
The Swan One Design Worlds will mark the final highlight of the year for the racing swans from 23 to 27 October off Palma de Mallorca. Prior to this, the Rolex Swan Cup will take place off Porto Cervo from 15 to 21 September, where the entire international swan family will come together in the dream spot of the Costa Smeralda. Click here for the Regatta calendar for the sporty swans.
