How great it is to hear sea stories aboard a
Classic Boat
like the
Bertram 31
. On a sultry July morning, I find myself in the large cockpit of the Jack La Bolina, a historic Bertram of the Italian Yacht Club, to discover how the oldest club in the Mediterranean is rediscovering the other “sporting” half of the sea than sailing, namely fishing.
Between October 6 and 7 will be the highlight event for the club in this discipline: the Lowrance Fishing Trophy .
Lowrance Fishing Trophy 2023
For a reality historically associated with regattas, this new direction is by no means a foregone conclusion, quite the contrary. On board with me are members Gian Luca Usai, Andrea Ghisalberti and Luca De Prà , among the most active in fanning the flames of this passion that culminates with the
Lowrance Fishing Trophy (Oct. 6-7)
, an event sponsored precisely by
Lowrance
, by electronics giant, Navico.
“Last year we had 40 boats,” explains Andrea Ghisalberti, director of the nautical office, ” and this year we are in the 50s.
Not bad for a fishing competition that started just three years ago. Yet the numbers speak for themselves: a longing, perhaps dormant, that is now finding a way to manifest itself.
It is also a return to the roots for the Italian Yacht Club, whose members have included fishing enthusiasts who were pioneers in their own way, such as member Piletti.
“Not everyone knows,” Ghisalberti recounts further. that Piletti was the discoverer of the famous Santa Lucia Bank, between Gorgona and Corsica. This is to say that, even here, fishing did not come out of nowhere, but is at home.”
Among the reasons for the success of the trophy is definitely the desire to compare themselves, then, and to give each other “battle” on the water with all the lawful means at their disposal: from electronics to fishing rods, with boats and even a few inflatable fishing boats ready to take to the water.
“Be careful, though, because a dose of competitiveness is there,” points out YCI member Gian Luca Usai, “but we don’t want a professional race where only those who do it for a living win. Ours is an event, by invitation of course, but where everyone can potentially participate, even those who do not fish 365 days a year.”
And that very Jack La Bolina, Bertram 31 also completely renovated with Lowrance electronics, where I was told about all this, will be among the star boats in this race.
In the sea, however, there will be no shortage of big names in fishing such as Riccardo Fanelli, Andrea Cavallini, Paolo Acanti and Diego Arosio, as well as Pasquale Marchionna of the MotorGuide team. With them also the famous freediver/fishing youtuber and also sailor Francesco Sena.
Also highly credited is the presence of Giorgio Besenzoni, an entrepreneur whose company is now a world leader in the production of yacht accessories. This year, the Besenzoni company is among the event sponsors, as is Bertram, which will bring its Bertram 39 CC, fully equipped with Lowrance electronics.
Un Bertram così non l’avevamo mai visto. È arrivato il 39 Center Console
Lowrance Fishing Trophy (Oct. 6-7): the program
Sports, fun, but also respect for the sea. Everything is based on catch and release, which is the kind of fishing whereby, after the fish is caught, it is measured and then immediately put back into the sea.
The competition is divided into two categories: inshore and offshore trolling, whose regulations, based on standards set by the Italian Federation, can be consulted within the Fishing Tournament section of the Yacht Club Italiano website.
LOWRANCE TROPHY
Friday, Oct. 6:
- 6:00 p.m.: Briefing to competitors
- 8:00 pm Owners Dinner at the Italian Yacht Club
Saturday, October 7:
- 06:30 Departure
- 14:00 Time Limit Coastal Trolling
- 15:00 Time Limit Offshore Trolling
- 16:30 Time limit boat return
- Award Ceremony to follow
NB: In case of adverse weather conditions, the organization reserves the right to advance or postpone the race by giving timely notice to participants.
