The IMS season started on the 17 March with the Alassio IMS International sailing week. There were three days of races involving fifty yachts, with the new models fighting to obtain qualification for the Italian IMS Championship and aiming to demonstrate their popularity.

In the X-35 Team, were the owner, Luca Bianchi, and his daughter,

Martina; together with Dodo Gorla, the three times Olympic medalist, and participants from X-Yachts Italia staff: Piergiorgio Ravaioni, Giulia Ravaioni, Fabio Baffigi and Michele Mennuti.

Thursday the 16th was dedicated to mast tuning and training, which gave the crew a chance to become used to the feel of the boat. At the end of first day we had achieved all our targets and the crew excitedly waited for the next day’s races.

Friday the 17th was partially cloudy with long waves and from 8 to 14 knots of shifting winds. The Race Committee decided to organize two races of four legs each. “Fra Martina” was the smallest boat in group A. The wind was continuously changing direction and “Fra Martina” came 10th overall in the first race and 6th overall in the second.

On the second day, the wind rose from 20 to 24 knots with gusts of up to 28 knots. The course was reduced to three legs. “Fra Martina”, sailing in a regular wind, demonstrated her fighting spirit against 40 to 43 feet boats, despite the wave crossing. The boat showed her maximum speed during the downwind leg, surfing the waves at an average speed of about 11 knots.

At the end of the day, in both the first and second races, the X-35 came 5th.

On the third and last day, in a wind of 20 to 22 knots, we raced only one race. We were aiming for an especially good result in order to reach the podium (the worst result being discarded).

Using sound tactics, on a calm sea and with the team getting on very well, “Fra Martina” rounded the marks, beating her competitors and breaking the finishing line, to come 3rd overall.

X-Yachts Italia S.r.l.