Eighth at the ORC World Championship: Our Sorrento Story

There are weeks that stay with you long after the boat is back on the dock — and the ORC World Championship in Sorrento was exactly that kind of week. I’m proud, I’m tired in the best possible way, and I’m still smiling. Our B.LEX Sailing Club team finished 8th overall, with me on the helm, and I couldn’t be happier with what we achieved together.
A campaign built race by race
Across the eight races of the championship, our best scorelines were two third places and a second — results that, in a fleet this strong, mean everything to me. Every one of those races was earned: clean starts, patient tactics, and a crew that trusted each other when the pressure was on.
The long offshore race — more than 130 miles — was the tough chapter of our story. We crossed the line in 22nd, in conditions where a Farr 30 simply can’t show its best. That’s the honest truth of offshore racing: the course and the weather don’t always play to your boat’s strengths. We took it on the chin, regrouped, and went back to doing what we do well.
Racing against the best
Lining up against 38 boats crewed by some of the most competitive sailors around was genuinely exciting — and, yes, a lot of fun. That’s something I never want to lose sight of. Sailing is discipline and preparation, but it’s passion first. And these were incredible days.
The final day was the one I’ll be telling stories about for a long time. The wind pushed past 25 knots at times, the sea built into a proper, powerful swell, and B.LEX came alive — we touched 18.5 knots. An unbelievable speed, the kind of moment that reminds you exactly why you fell in love with this sport.
Thank you
A campaign like this is never the work of one person.
Thank you to the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia for an outstanding event — the organization was superb from start to finish.
A heartfelt thank you, too, to the sponsors who made this Worlds campaign possible — LENOL, GED TRANSPORT, CHUGOKU and CAIM. Your support is what turns an ambition into a campaign, and a campaign into a result we can all be proud of.
And above all, thank you to my crew. In particular Branko Brincic and Max Minghini, who have shared these racecourses with me for several years now. We’ve grown together, and days like these are the reward for all of it.
Last but not least — thank you, Sorrento. It was special.
We will be back. ⛵️

📸 Photo credit: Carlo Borlenghi

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