Yachting: 2022 Youth Optimist African Championship in Langebaan (September 24 – October1)   |05 October 2022

Odysius Melanie (Photo: Alain Alcindor)

Lucca Marzocchi finishes fifth in Africa, 17th worldwide

Luca Marzocchi was Seychelles’ best performer at the recently held 2022 International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) African Optimist Championship.

At the Club Mykonos in Langebaan, South Africa from September 24 to October 1, Marzocchi took the 17th overall position out of 66 sailors and was ranked fifth out of 31 males in Africa after four days of racing.

Hit with a standard technical penalty (STP) worth seven points in the first race for a loose bailer after finishing fifth to bring his score to 12 instead, Marzocchi’s best finish was a fourth place in the 10th and last race.

After his worst finish, 36th place, had been discarded, Marzocchi finished with 163 points in his first competition in international waters.

Had he not lost some valuable points in some races, Marzocchi could have finished among the medals in South Africa, but unfortunately for him he missed a golden opportunity to make himself known in this category on the continent and get his name in the history books.

Speaking to Sports NATION, Marzocchi said he is proud of himself but at the same time he missed a good opportunity to win a medal.

“I had some good races but then the wind died and I found myself in a difficult position. It has been a very good learning experience for me and I sincerely think I could have won a medal since I was second overall in Africa at one point. Frankly, I think I have done well,” Marzocchi told Sports NATION.

The 15-year-old whose first international race was in 2019 in Seychelles, will next year move to the bigger Laser category.

Seychelles was represented by two other young sailors at the championship ‒ Joshua Alcorn and Odysius Melanie.

Melanie was ranked 32nd with 291 points (12th in Africa) after his worst finish - 55th place – had been discarded and his best result was 10th place in the fifth race.

As for Alcorn, he was ranked 48th overall with 368 points (20th in Africa). His best finish was in the fourth race with a 14th position, while his worst result was 57th.

The African champion is Mozambican Antonio De Souza Junior with 120 points and he was ranked eighth worldwide.

The silver medal was taken by Angolan Valdir Moreira Francisco with 125 points (ninth worldwide) and another Mozambican, Eiilicio Manhique took the bronze medal with 152 points (14th worldwide).

In the girls’ event, the gold medal was won by Mozambican Wilka Sousa with 201 points (20th overall), with South African Elisa Facon (222 points, 23rd worldwide) and Angolan Victoria Cullpossa Camota (254 points, 25th worldwide) winning the silver and bronze medals.

Argentine Bautista Iriberri was the overall winner with 44 points and he also got two first place finishes in races five and eight. Despite winning the first race, he was relegated to eighth place after also being hit with a standard technical penalty.

In second position was Murray Duthie from Australia with 50 points despite getting three first positions in races three, seven and 10.

Another Argentine, Luca Baruta completed the medals podium, taking third place among the boys and fourth overall with 66 points.

The women’s world race was dominated Angela Vittoria Monie Zeano with 63 points and she finished third overall, leaving Brazilian Heloisa Ruschel Gonçalves (77 points, fifth overall) and Australian Mia Austin (130 points, 10th overall) to claim the silver and bronze medals.

The young sailors were accompanied by coach Francis Duval and team leader Alain Alcindor.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Seychelles will host the 2024 Optimist African Championships.

The next championships will be held in Morocco in 2023 from May 2-9 at the Royal Yacht Club Mdiq, while Algeria will host the 2025 edition.

Gerard Govinden