Lukasz Grodzicki, in the end, is the winner of Sicily Grand Prix Regatta, one of the jewels of the XXV edition of the World Festival on the Beach in Mondello. The blond Polish guy, 14th last in the last ISAF World Ranking, won thanks to a brilliant performance that let him close down the lead established by Mariano Reutemann [ARG], 23rd in the ISAF Wold Ranking, after a strong battle similar to the RS:X European Windsurfing Team Racing Championship final between France and Argentina.
The light north wind blew in the Gulf of Mondello allowing the race committee to start the 89 participating athletes on the RS: X, Techno 293 and Raceboard boards who all completed two races.
With the two first places of today, Grodzicki took the lead from Reutemann who remained locked in a battle for a place on the podium with Maksymilian Wojcik [POL] and Pierre Noesmoen [FRA]. Grodzcki also won also the special “Cecè Paladino” prize reserved for the best athlete in the event.
Riccardo Belli dell’Isca [ITA] finished in fifth place, being the first of Italians for whom the Sicily Grand Prix is valid as second race of the Italy Cup, before the Argentinian Berardo and the other blues Giannini, Esposito, Misuraca, Ferin and Baglione.
In the women competition, windsurfer Veronica Fanciulli [ITA], who will represent Italy in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August on the Techno 293, won first place, followed by the Hungarian Diana Detre and Laura Linares [ITA] who didn’t race today.
The French windsurfers ruled the Techno 293 series. After having won the Techno European Winfsurf Team Championships, Albert Chaillot and Maxime Labat fought between themselves for the individual victory, with the first who could maintain the leadership built yesterday on his teammate and confirmed himself as the number one among the U17.
In third place, the young and interesting Russian hopeful Andrey Zagaynov, arrived in Mondello from far Anapa, a charming city on the Black Sea with more than 42 km of beach with a characteristic pink color and where from January to December it’s possible to practce windsurf, from the olympic board to the freestyle and wave.Practicaly a new little paradise for this sport.
At the foot of the podium another russian, Evgeny Ayvazyan, who was preceded by the french girl Clidame Humeau, first in the woman ranking, and the italian Luca Matracia. The Under 13 recorded the victory of Antonino Cangemi, followed by Alessandro Sapia and Alberto Zerillo.
The battle on Raceboard changed completely the provisional ranking fixed the day before: the Slovak Patrik Pollak has overtaken the former leader Alessandro Alberti, who finished third behind Paco Wirz.
The evergreen Italian won both races today and could finish the Grand Prix in second position and showed another time his never lost superb skill, even in absecnde of a regular training.
