The 789 competitors at the 22nd International Optimist class meeting at Riva del Garda sailed just one race on the final day on Sunday. Light winds forced the Race Committee to shorten the regatta to only one race for each competing division. The sailors waited on the water until the cut-off time of 2pm, but the afternoon southerly breeze didn’t have enough time to kick in.

Division A (82 sailors born in the years 1994-1995) completed a total of six races since the beginning of the event and benefits from one discard. Two girls dominated this fleet and battled for the podium until the very end. Maria Ottavia Raggio (Italy, 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 11th, 1st, 7th) made it to the top, 4 points ahead of Sara Piasecka from Poland (4th, 2nd, 9th, 8th, DSQ, 2nd). Third on the podium, only one point behind Sara, finished Victor Abenius from Sweden with a DNF, 10th, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and10th.

Maria Ottavia Raggio (born in 1994) said: “I am so happy to know that I am the winner, it’s so exciting. Yesterday, in the last race of the day, I was able to start ahead of everybody else in my fleet and keep the lead until the finish line, it was awesome. My next race will be the Trofeo Accademia in Livorno, Italy.”

Division B (707 sailors born from 1989 to 1993) completed a total of eight races and benefits from one discard. The winner is Kacper Zieminski from Poland with the following scores: 7-8-1-3-2-2-12-4 and a total of 27 points. Second is Tim Saxton from Great Britain with: 1-23-3-6-12-1-7-5 and 35 total points. Third, Martino Tortarolo from Italy with: 17-3-5-2-1-8-22-1 and a total of 37 points.

The following nations were represented at this record breaking event: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lituania, Norway, Poland, Republic of San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, USA.