Day one of the i14 worlds saw seventy boats from seven nations starting in a building Ora Breeze in Torbole Lake Garda.
Current World Champions Archie Massey and Harvey Hillary took the first race win, with Andy Shaw and Rob Struckett in second with Australian champions Mark Krstic and James Londi in Third.
Glen Truswell and Ed Fitzgerald moved into fourth, passing three boats on the final run.
Unlike other skiff classes, the I14 uses a triangle sausage course format with a single race day. With a 90-minute target time for the race winners, the format emphasises long-course tactics and boat speed.
The reaching legs create another challenge for teams in the gusty conditions. Unlimited spinnaker sizes place high importance on the ability of crews to curl the kite to sail high angles and for teams to judge lay lines and two sail reach crossover’s.
Race Officer Carmelo Paroli summed up the championship aims by saying that only one boat wins, but everyone has fun. It’s a great way to epitomise the i14 way.
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