The final leg of the 2025 Sailing Championship, held over Easter weekend at Poetto Beach in Cagliari and organized by the Windsurfing Club Cagliari, delivered three intense days of racing and emotion, making it one for the history books of the Hobie Cat class.
Strong winds marked the opening day, with Alessandro Cesarini and Eleonora Tabussi (Centro Velico 3V) dominating the Hobie Cat 16 fleet with four consecutive wins. But shifting conditions on day two reshuffled the standings: local sailors Piero Gessa and Roberto Dessy (WCC) rose to the top with consistent performances, despite suffering a dismasting. Cesarini and Tabussi settled for second, with teammates Carlo Mustacchi and Gaia Merli in third.
In the Dragoon class, Angelo Salemme and Tommaso de Vergottini (Compagnia della Vela di Roma) took the lead with sharp tactics, overtaking locals Antinori-Zhang (WCC), who finished second. Jacopo Nadal Masala and Elisa Leo (WCC) secured third. Among the debutants, Nina Columbu and Giulia Chessa stood out as the top rookie crew, while Gemma Casimirri and Beatrice Ursini were the best all-female team, showing talent and determination throughout the event.
Top female crew honors in the Hobie Cat 16 class went to Valentina Gessa and Katia Pessola (WCC), while Paolo Pedde and Samuele de La Ville (WCC) won the under-21 division, and Luca Di Paolo and Livia Sciarretta (Tognazzi Marine Village) led the under-19s.
Easter Monday was scheduled for the final races, but a national sports suspension following the death of the Pope brought the event to an early close.
Despite the early ending, the regatta was a resounding success—thanks to flawless organization by the Windsurfing Club and the outstanding leadership of Race Committee President Ferdinando Orlando, whose expertise and dedication were key to the smooth running of the event.
The Windsurfing Club Cagliari continues to be an international reference point for the Hobie Cat class, not only through major regattas but also thanks to its renowned Criterium, a competitive training series that brings around twenty boats to sea every Saturday. This consistent activity cements Cagliari’s status as a top-tier sailing hub in the Mediterranean and beyond. Once again, sailing delivered a spectacular chapter in the sport’s ongoing story.
Images and more info about the event here.
