The history of the Centomiglia

1949: the birth of a legend.

1949 is a decisive year for the MI.La. and for the Italian powerboat.

After the Second World War and with Italy on its knees, sporting activity is struggling to take off. Not even the legendary Pavia-Venice, born in 1929 and known throughout the world as the longest and most demanding endurance race, was able to restart after the last edition in 1939.

At this point, the Motonautica Italiana Lario enters the scene with the establishment of a endurance race, three years before the resumption of the Pavia-Venice (1952). In June 1949, Sandro de Col, who went to Pavia to assist his pilots for a circuit race on the Ticino, hears about the intentions to restore Pavia-Venice and the fantastic idea comes to him that Como could also have its nautical marathon. He talks about it immediately with the directors Aldo Ayala and Tito Pistarini. The flame lights up immediately and the projects begin, unfortunately held back by the most common concern in those years: money.

But the enthusiasm is too strong to give up on the idea. The Three Musketeers sharpen their swords. De Col goes around looking for money. Ayala and Pistarini sit at the table to study the course and draw up the rules. Only those who were able to witness the scene could describe the day when Sandro De Col arrived at the office all out of breath, waving a check for one million on the Italian Commercial Bank. A motorboat partner had thought of solving the financial problem, the only one who could afford, at that time, such a substantial contribution: Remo Cademartori, who had recently taken over the glorious Taroni shipyard in Carate Urio. With that million, in fact, the Centomiglia can be done.

The first Centomiglia del Lario will be held on the 4th of September 1949, on the Como-Lecco-Colico-Isola Comacina-Como route, touching the most fascinating points of the lake.

La Centomiglia

The Centomiglia del Lario was born as an endurance race for inboard tourism boats, because it was in those years that the Larian shipyards resumed their production and thus found the opportunity to show off their products. The first edition sees 34 participants at the start, of which 26 reach the finish line.

The overall victory goes to Mario Marzorati with a Taroni hull, powered by Gray Marine 5000 cc. at an average of 66,022 km / h. Fortunato Paoletti wins in “inboard tourism up to 2228 cc” class.

The 1950 edition takes place on 10 September, again on the entire circumnavigation of the lake and is won by Carlo Somaini. Unfortunately, the second edition takes place without its main proponent. Sandro De Col, died at the age of 47 in Lyon on the waters of the Rhone, after having won the inboard race, without limitation.

Change of route

Ever since its inception, the Centomiglia has created its own space in the history of powerboating, becoming an unmissable event.

However, since the complete circumnavigation of the lake becomes too distracting for the competitors and the public, in 1951 the route is shortened from Como to Isola Comacina. Not only that: the outboards are now allowed to race, having to complete 2 laps, unlike the 3 imposed on inboards.

40 start and 20 arrive. The overall victory still goes to Carlo Somaini, while Angelo Molinari wins in the inboard with a Lariano hull built in the shipyard located under the stands of the Sinigaglia Stadium, and powered by Mercury.

The 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s

The 1960s also marked a boom in competitors: the 1962 edition exceeded the number of 100 (121 racers, of which 96 completed the course), while that of 1967 saw 130 at the start.
The early 1970s saw the dominance of racing outboards, the famous ON 2000s, with Renato Molinari and Cesarino Scotti. The race then goes back in the hands of the inboards with Tullio Abbate (the pilot who has won more editions: 11) and Giuseppe Todeschini.

With the 1977 Edition, the course is further shortened from Como to the tip of Germanello di Laglio, for 8 laps . The Centomiglia of 5 October 1986 was won by the late Stefano Casiraghi with a Lamborghini-powered Abbate inboard. From 1987 to 1996 the route goes back around the Comacina Island. Memorable, however, will be the 1993 edition, postponed from October to the end of November due to the flooding. With a lake as smooth as oil due to the absence of other boats, it is the edition of the fall of every record. That 21 November 1993, in fact, the Lugano driver of the M.I.L.A. Sandro Gianella, with a Lucini-Lamborghini boat, establishes the highest and still undefeated average of 195.454.
Since 1998, the route is comprised of the 8 classic laps on the Como to Laglio course.

La Centomiglia today

In 2005 a new, shorter but more spectacular Centomiglia was inaugurated from Como to Faggeto Lario.
In 2009, on the occasion of the 60th edition of the Centomiglia del Lario, the UIM assigns the World Endurance Group B Championship to the Yacht Club Como to be held in three races: Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September on the stretch of water of the first basin touching Como , Blevio, Cernobbio Como.

In the 61st edition of the Centomiglia del Lario held on 25 and 26 September 2010, the competition sees the participation of hulls of the P1 Powerboat class with the assignment of the European Championship of the category to the Pennesi-Montavoci crew, and the victory of the Centomiglia at the Carpitella-Cangiano crew at an average of 163,501km / h.
In 2011 the Centomiglia hosts the two final tests of the Italian Endurance Championship, the second of which together with the boats that participated in the 62nd edition of the Centomiglia del Lario. We are in 2012 and the 63rd Centomiglia del Lario also includes the Single round of the European Endurance Championship and a round of the Italian offshore 3000 championship. Given the organizational capacity of the Club, in 2013 the UIM awards the Championship for the second time Endurance World Championship to be combined with the 64th edition of the Centomiglia del Lario. Crews from Germany-Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Malta participate in this prestigious event. At the end of three fierce tests, the last of which in the context of the Centomiglia del Lario, our driver Alberto Pascali wins the World Endurance Championship.

In the 2016 edition, with the patronage and contribution of the Lombardy Region, the 67th edition of the Centomiglia del Lario takes place. The victory goes to the driver Tullio Abbate JR at an average of 147 kmh.
In 2017, the Centomiglia del Lario reaches its 68th edition with the renewed assignment by the U.I.M. at our Club of the World Endurance Championship in a single round and two rounds of the Italian Offshore Championship, as well as one round of the Italian GT 15 Championship category dedicated to young people aged 12 to 16. The 2018 edition sees the final of the Italian Endurance Championship and the 69th Centomiglia del Lario won by the Bacchi driver of the Motonautica Boretto Po at the hourly average of 150 km.