Last weekend saw 54 fireballs from around the world converge on the sailing mecca that is Riva Del Garda for three days racing that decided the 2007 Grand National, the first event of a fantastic triple header culminating in the World Championship at Lake Silvaplana in Switzerland.
Day 1 - Sunday
Race 1
54 boats got away for race 1 in the Southerly Ora breeze of 12-15 knots. Matt Mee/Richard Wagstaff led all the way round from the windward mark with Andy Smith/Jonny Mildred in hot pursuit. Richard Estaugh/Rob Gardner finished 3rd and Chips Howarth/Vyv Townend 4th.
Race 2
David Edwards/Simon Potts lead from the windward mark closely followed by Chips Howarth/Vyv Townend, Vince Horey/Andy Thompson and Estaugh/Gardner. Behind this group Mee/Wagstaff, Smith/Mildred and Becky Priest/Tim Saunders all sailed lower on the run keeping them in touch with the bunch. Mee/Wagstaff got through to 1st with Edwards/Potts pulling through to 2nd and Howarth/Townend 3rd.
Day 2 - Monday
Race 3
Racing took place in a shifty 14 knot 'Peler' breeze from the north and saw Peter and James Wood lead at the windward mark. They battled with Howarth/Townend, Edwards/Potts and Horey/Thompson. The Woods lost these three boats around the course but managed to hold on to 4th. Veronica and Ben Falat held 5th from Massimo Dinale/Pierluca Debernardis 6th.
Race 4
The shifting wind continued having dropped 8 knots. The right hand side of the beat favoured Dave Giles and Dave Mason with Andy Pearce and Jon Bale closely second at the windward mark. The lighter wind made the run more tactical with many close fought place changes. At the finish Mee/Wagstaff had pulled through to 1st with Edwards/Potts 2nd.
Race 5
The right hand side of the beat was again favoured with Pearce/Bale just leading Edwards/Potts at the windward mark. Despite being constantly challenged by the following pack and place changes on the second beat, Pearce/Bale lead Mee/Wagstaff at the finish with Edwards/Potts third.
Monday started with rain and no wind, weather which was to continue until mid afternoon when the race committee made a popular decision to finish the event there.
This meant that the overall winners were Matt Mee and Richard Wagstaff continuing their good form of this year.
Fraglia della Vela Riva organised a great event for the Fireballs, both on and off the water. Competitors particularly appreciated the pasta after sailing each day.
Following the Grand National competitors now have two options. Top up the tan for a few more days and enjoy some more blasting on Lake Garda or take the trip up to the mountains to Lake Silvaplana in Switzerland and take part in the Pre worlds regatta proceeding the World Championships.
| 1 | GBR 14919 | MEE MATT, WAGSTAFF RICHARD | 5,0 | 1 | 1 | (8) | 1 | 2 |
| 2 | GBR 14949 | EDWARDS DAVID, POTTS SIMON | 9,0 | (5) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | GBR 14830 | HOWARTH CHIPS, VYV TOWNEND | 12,0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | (6) | 4 |
| 4 | GBR 14926 | HOREY VINCE, THOMPSON ANDY | 22,0 | (25) | 7 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 5 | GBR 14948 | ESTAUGH RICHARD, GARDNER ROBERT | 25,0 | 3 | 4 | (13) | 8 | 10 |
| 6 | GBR 14821 | PEARCE ANDY, BALE JONATHAN | 31,0 | 13 | 12 | (30) | 5 | 1 |
| 7 | GBR 14954 | PRIEST BECKY, TIM SAUNDERS | 33,0 | (20) | 6 | 7 | 13 | 7 |
| 8 | GBR 14953 | WADE DAVE, DUNTON BEN | 39,0 | 7 | 8 | 21 | 3 | (dns) |
| 9 | GBR 14895 | SMITH ANDY, MILDRED JONNY | 44,0 | 2 | 5 | (dns) | 17 | 20 |
| 10 | GBR 14960 | JEFFCOATE TOM, SMITH ANDY | 47,0 | 12 | 19 | 9 | 7 | (25) |
| 11 | IRL 14962 | RUMBALL KENNETH, MORAN DAVID | 50,0 | 6 | 14 | 24 | (28) | 6 |
| 12 | CZE 14827 | KORAN PETR, KVASNIK MILAN | 55,0 | 15 | 11 | 11 | (19) | 18 |
| 13 | GBR 14892 | GIBBS PENNY, GIBBS IAN | 57,0 | 10 | 9 | 26 | (27) | 12 |
| 14 | GBR 14964 | MASON DAVID, GILES DAVID | 59,0 | 9 | (47) | 27 | 10 | 13 |
| 15 | GBR 14867 | FALAT VERONICA, FALAT BEN | 61,0 | 17 | 22 | 5 | (41) | 17 |
| 16 | CAN 14768 | LEVY ROBERT, HOLMES-SMITH RUPERT | 61,0 | 21 | 10 | (29) | 21 | 9 |
| 17 | IRL 14894 | BUTLER NOEL, MOORE SEAMUS | 64,0 | 19 | (28) | 25 | 15 | 5 |
| 18 | SUI 14863 | FRÉDÉRIC DUVOISIN, LAURENT GROB | 67,0 | 8 | 13 | (36) | 16 | 30 |
| 19 | GBR 14870 | WOOD PETER, WOOD JAMES | 68,0 | 16 | 23 | 4 | 25 | (40) |
| 20 | GBR 14941 | SCOTT DERIAN, SCOTT ANDY | 68,0 | 11 | 15 | (34) | 31 | 11 |
| 21 | GBR 14340 | BYRNE CONOR, COONEY KARL | 73,0 | 26 | 18 | (32) | 14 | 15 |
| 22 | IRL 14790 | FLAHIVE BRIAN, BUTLER HUGH | 77,0 | (45) | 27 | 22 | 9 | 19 |
| 23 | IRL 14938 | MC GROTTY NIALL, MC GROTTY SIMON | 77,0 | 14 | 30 | (46) | 11 | 22 |
| 24 | SLO 14796 | GOLIAS HINKO, KERSEVAN KATARINA | 85,0 | 22 | 24 | (28) | 23 | 16 |
| 25 | FRA 14671 | GAULT PHILIPPE GAULT, BERTHELOT LOÏC | 89,0 | (27) | 26 | 14 | 22 | 27 |
| 26 | FRA 14912 | GREEN JENNY, GREEN MALCOLM | 90,0 | (35) | 29 | 12 | 18 | 31 |
| 27 | CAN 14968 | JOSPE JOE, EGLI TOM | 93,0 | 40 | 21 | 18 | (48) | 14 |
| 28 | IRL 14934 | BOYLE ANDREW, BYRNE BRYAN | 97,0 | 28 | (39) | 16 | 29 | 24 |
| 29 | SUI 14802 | GIOVANOLI GIAN-ANDREA, GIOVANOLI SUSANNA | 98,0 | 24 | 16 | (41) | 26 | 32 |
| 30 | GBR 14873 | HENWOOD-FOX KERYN, HENWOOD-FOX GARY | 99,0 | 23 | 20 | 19 | (38) | 37 |
| 31 | ITA 14856 | DINALE MASSIMO, DEBERNARDIS PIERLUCA | 100,0 | (42) | 32 | 6 | 39 | 23 |
| 32 | CZE 14931 | CECHURA JIRI, WILL JAN | 110,0 | (38) | 34 | 31 | 24 | 21 |
| 33 | SUI 14726 | LIECHTI KURT, ERNST GABRIELA | 112,0 | 30 | (40) | 15 | 32 | 35 |
| 34 | CZE 14358 | KRATKY JAN, KRATKY ONDREJ | 115,0 | (41) | 41 | 10 | 36 | 28 |
| 35 | GBR 14818 | BADHAM PETE, SYMONS PAULA | 123,0 | 29 | (45) | 43 | 12 | 39 |
| 36 | GBR 14885 | WHITE JEREMY, TURNER DAVID | 125,0 | 36 | 36 | 23 | 30 | (38) |
| 37 | IRL 14713 | MILLER FRANK, MAGEE CILLIAN | 129,0 | 33 | 25 | 35 | (46) | 36 |
| 38 | GBR 14893 | TUDOR ELAINE, TUDOR WARREN | 131,0 | 39 | 33 | (47) | 33 | 26 |
| 39 | CZE 14577 | JENISTA MILAN, NAPRAVNIK JAKUB | 132,0 | 32 | 35 | 20 | (45) | 45 |
| 40 | IRL 14854 | SMYTH LOUIS, ROWAN FRANCIS | 134,0 | 18 | (42) | 37 | 37 | 42 |
| 41 | SUI 14859 | HAERDI CHRISTINA, LANDERER CEDRIC | 138,0 | 37 | 43 | 17 | (44) | 41 |
| 42 | CAN 14680 | COX JAMIE, PEARSON SIMON | 139,0 | 34 | 37 | (39) | 35 | 33 |
| 43 | SLO 14881 | GUSTIN MIRAN, KANSKY DOMEN | 144,0 | (dns) | 17 | 48 | 50 | 29 |
| 44 | IRL 14629 | O'TOOLE CONOR MARK, MCNALLY DAIRE | 144,0 | 47 | 31 | (50) | 20 | 46 |
| 45 | SUI 14921 | SUTER MAJA, SCHLUCHTER FRANCOIS | 151,0 | 31 | 38 | (dns) | 34 | 48 |
| 46 | CZE 13111 | SUPOLIK PETR, JEDLICKA JAN | 166,0 | (46) | 46 | 44 | 42 | 34 |
| 47 | IRL 14877 | MCDONAGH DARA, OROURKE MARGUERITE | 170,0 | (48) | 48 | 38 | 40 | 44 |
| 48 | CZE 14853 | VOMÁÈKO LADISLAV, VOMÁÈKOVÁ HELENA | 173,0 | 43 | 44 | (45) | 43 | 43 |
| 49 | SLO 14731 | KOZELJ ANDRAZ, MUSIC ALES | 184,0 | 49 | (53) | 33 | 52 | 50 |
| 50 | GBR 14673 | FESTING DAVID, FESTING KAREN | 189,0 | (dns) | 51 | 42 | 47 | 49 |
| 51 | SUI 14961 | MUELLER DOMINIK, MEBES CHRISTINE | 189,0 | 44 | (49) | 49 | 49 | 47 |
| 52 | GBR 13951 | SLACK PETER, SLACK DAVID | 192,0 | 51 | 50 | 40 | 51 | (dns) |
| 53 | GBR 14872 | NEWSON BARBARA, NEWSON GUY | 204,0 | 50 | 52 | 51 | (53) | 51 |
