Maxi "Spirit of Portopiccolo" wins the IV edition of the Venice Hospitality Challenge

With the prize-giving ceremony at VYP Venice Yacht Pier held today at 4.30 pm, the fourth edition of the Venice Hospitality Challenge, a regatta of Maxi Yacht, combined with the major luxury venician hotels, the sailing Grand Prix of the City of Venice, came to the end.

The ceremony was attended by leading Italian and international protagonists of the sailing world: Kim Andersen President World Sailing, Andrew McIrvine IMA Secretary General, Francesco Ettorre FIV President and Naval Military Admiral Marcello Bernard. Ermelinda Damiano, President of the City Council of Venice, recalled the indissoluble link between Venice and sailing, a sport that unites all those who love and live the sea.

During the award ceremony Mirko Sguario, president of Yacht Club Venice, delivered “the Doge Ambassador Hat” to Kim Andersen and to Francesco Ettorre with the wish to become ambassadors of Venice Hospitality Challenge, the only regatta in the world that takes place on a city circuit.

Thirteen maxis were today on the starting line each of them twinned with one of the following famous hotel: Hotel Danieli, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice; The Westin Europa & Regina, Venice; The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice; Sina Centurion Palace Hotel; Belmond Hotel Cipriani; JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa; Cà Sagredo Hotel; Hilton Molino Stucky; Falisia, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Portopiccolo the Marriott International Group; Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort; Palazzina Hotel and Cristallo, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Cortina d'Ampezzo by Marriott International. Team number 13, the "Moro Di Venezia" ran for the city of Venice.

Weather conditions saw slight breeze of around 3 knots from the west that required great teamwork and a special attention to board tactics in the interpretation of the difficult currents characterizing the basin to complete in the shortest time the route from San Marco to Lido, then to Giudecca and back to San Marco.

The start of the race, given at 1.50 pm by PRO Gianfranco Frizzarin saw the team Spirit of Portopiccolo's superiority since the beginning with a good start on the start line, managed to take command, chased by the Maxi Jena and Pendragon VI teams. During the racing the head positions have not changed and the final victory has gone to the team Spirit of Portopiccolo, with Cà Sagredo Hotel, who had the recent success at Barcolana. At the helm of the 87-foot Maxi with carbon hull and canting keel designed by Rachel & Puig (the famous ex Morning Glory), Furio Benussi, who drove the crew to victory without hesitation. “Winning my second Venice Hospitality was a great excitement and much of my credit goes to my brother Gabriele who has cared for the sporting side by concretizing a program that we have been pursuing for years” said the skipper at the delivery of the prestigious Doge Hat, realized this year by renowned Murano Glassworks Barovier & Toso. In the second position at the finish, after seven minutes, Nuovo Maxi Jena headed by Mitja Kosmina for The Gritti Palace, winner of the 2015 and 2016 editions and third position Pendragon VI with Salvatore Eulisse for the Hilton Molino Stucky.

The event, organized by the Yacht Club Venice, was supported by Generali Italia and Moët & Chandon. Authentic Media Partners: AD Architectural Digest Conde Nast, Circle Dynamic Luxury Magazine, Excellence Magazine and Venice Made in Veneto, with the addition of the prestigious collaboration of Alilaguna, CMV Panfido, Naval Military School Francesco Morosini,the Italian Navy, VYP Venice Yacht Pier and Venice Unica.

Venice Hospitality Challenge 2017 - Results (in real time)

1- Spirit of Portopiccolo - Cà Sagredo Hotel - skipper Furio Benussi

2- Nuova Maxi Jena - The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice - skipper Mitja Kosmina

3- Pendragon VI - Hilton Molino Stucky - skipper Salvatore Eulisse

4- Adriatic Europa - Hotel Danieli a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice - skipper Dusan Puh

5- Shining Umago Umago - Sina Centurion Palace - skipper Zeliko Perovic Huck

6- Idrusa - The Westin Europa&Regina - skipper Paolo Montefusco

7- Anemos - Falisia a Luxury Collection Portopiccolo - skipper Guglielmo Danelon

8- Cleansport One - JW Marriott Venice - skipper Jure Orel

9- Anywave - Belmond Hotel Cipriani - skipper Alberto Leghissa

10- Kiwi - Cristallo a Luxury Collection Hotel - skipper Paolo Pesaresi

11-Ancilla Domini - Palazzina Hotel - skipper Mauro Pelaschier

12-Il Moro Di Venezia II - Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort

13- Il Moro Di Venezia - Città di Venezia - skipper Claudio Carraro

(Race report by Venice Hospitality Challenge media team)