Sailing: Formula 18, Viganò brothers win
The crystal clear waters of Lake Garda welcomed one of the most spectacular sailing classes in the world: the Formula 18. On July 26 and 27, 2025 the modern sailing center Univela Sailing hosted a national regatta also open to international crews, confirming spectacle of adrenaline, technique and speed.
The 2025 edition of the Italian championship saw more than 20 crews from Italy, Germany, Finland, Austria, Poland, Switzerland and Denmark at the starting line.
Andrea & Matteo Viganò (Centro Vela Dervio) – silver medalists at the Italian F18 2025 and 2024 Championships, among the most anticipated names on the eve of the event, confirmed their supremacy by winning the leg ahead of Matteo Fiorini & Lorenzo Casamenti (YC Rimini) – bronze medalists at the Italian 2025 Championship. Third place for Elia Mazzucchi & Jacopo Lisignoli (CVC Domaso) – always among the top 5 in Italian regattas.
After two days of racing and five completed races, Andrea and Matteo Viganò (ITA 303 – Centro Vela Dervio) took a clear victory thanks to an’exceptional consistency of performance and three partial victories.
On the second day, the wind from the south blew more stably than on Saturday, with an’alternation of cloudy and clear skies, allowing three decisive races to take place.
The Viganòs shined with clean sailing, effective starts and impeccable tactical management, taking victory despite the high technical level of the entire fleet. Fiorini-Casamenti finished in second place with an overwhelming victory in the fifth race, while Mazzucchi-Lisignoli (tied for third place but with fewer first-timers) suffered a BFD in the fourth race.
The Campione race course on Sunday offered significantly more consistent conditions than on Saturday. The south wind blew between 7 and 10 knots for much of the day, allowing three technically challenging and hard-fought stick races to take place.
Shore spectators enjoyed the spectacle of these high-performance catamarans, which achieved high speeds and spectacular maneuvers even in moderate winds. The presence of crews from all over Italy and even from abroad (Finland and Spain) further contributed to the quality of the event.
“We are very pleased with how the regatta went” said the Univela organizing team. “The weather allowed us to complete the program and the Formula 18 class confirmed its exciting and spectacular character, perfect for showcasing a technically challenging and windy race course like Campione del Garda.”
The Formula 18 class was the proving ground for Ruggero Tita, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Nacra 17 (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), and Vittorio Bissaro, Nacra 17 world champion, fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and now flight controller of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli for the America’s Cup. Their experience in the F18 class helped forge the talent and technique that has taken them to the top of world sailing.
