Porto Cervo Costa Smeralda: Maltese Falcon wins at Perini Navi Cup 2009 in Sardinia

Westerly winds gusting at up to 40 knots put paid to racing on the second and final day of racing in the Perini Navi Cup 2009. The results of Friday’s race at the Coasts of Northern Sardinia are valid for the series and therefore the 88 metre, triple masted Maltese Falcon, which reached top speeds of 21 knots during racing, takes victory overall. The 64 metre Felicità west takes second place and the 46 metre Antara third.



The final prize giving took place at 6 p.m. on the Yacht Club’s Piazza Azzurra and the Perini Navi Cup and a Rolex timepiece were awarded to the Maltese Falcon by the President of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, His Highness the Aga Khan and Fabio Perini. Prizes were also awarded to the yachts which had completed Friday’s race in the fastest elapsed time. The 56 metre Salute was the swiftest yacht, having completed the 25 mile course in just under 1 hour and 50 minutes, and was followed by the 56 metre Felicità West. The 50 metre ketch Baracuda, which stands out visually due to an unusual steel grey hull combined with violet sails, was third fastest around the course.

“We saw these yachts at their very best on Friday.” commented YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo. “The racing really was of a very high standard and the fleet is so impressive. Seeing 19 Perinis lined up in front of the YCCS at sunset brought such glamour and elegance that we will remember them for a very long time.”

Owners and guests were due to round off a highly enjoyable two days with a gala dinner on the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s panoramic pool terrace.



The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s sporting calendar continues immediately with the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup which starts tomorrow, 6th September with inspections and registrations while racing starts on Monday 7th September.

Marina Yachting, Rolex, Axa, Acqua di Parma, Pommery, Icet and Audi are sponsors of the Perini Navi Cup 2009. Yacht Capital is media partner of the event.
Perini Navi: with a fleet of 46 sailing yachts cruising the world's oceans, Perini Navi is a leader in the design and manufacture of blue water sailing yachts. Famous for revolutionary automatic sail handling systems and for their unique aesthetics, the Perini’s are among the most celebrated vessels in the world. For all results please visit http://www.yccsresults.com/perini09/perini1.htm.

Photos: Atmosphere, Fleet, Maltese Falcon.
Credits Rolex/ Carlo Borlenghi

Costa Smeralda: Gliss victorious at Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2009 in Sardinia

After four days of racing in near perfect conditions in the North of Sardinia, the 32 metre Gliss, owned by Switzerland’s Marco Vogele, has taken victory in the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2009 organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with Boat International Media. Gliss took first place seven points ahead of the Reichel-Pugh designed My Song owned by Pierluigi Loro Piana and was awarded the Silver Jubilee Cup during the prize giving in the Yacht Club’s Piazza Azzurra. Charles Dunstone’s 36 metre Hamilton II came in third, just one point behind My Song.
Vogele was delighted on arrival at Porto Cervo Marina:

“The location is the best, the organization is the best and we enjoyed this regatta so much. Rocks, stakes and sticks are used as natural marks and it’s perfect for everybody. This event is exceptional and excellently organized.”

Today’s fourth and final race of the regatta saw some shifty wind conditions for the first time in the event. The majority of the fleet started in 12 knots of wind from 310 which unexpected swung round to 180° and fell to 8 knots during the starting sequence.

Photo: Gliss, My Song. Credits Kurt Arrigo

The Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta uses pursuit style racing with staggered starts based on each yacht’s handicap: the pure cruising yachts therefore start first with the faster yachts starting at the end of the sequence so that the entire fleet ends up sailing together around the course. Today’s sharp wind shift meant that the first yachts started on an upwind beat while the last yachts to start were flying their spinnaker.
The fleet sailed north from the start off Porto Cervo to round Monaci island before turning back south to round the Secca Tre Monti rock and heading through the strait between the mainland and the Isole delle Bisce Island and the finish line off the Gulf of Pevero.
Today’s Race was won by Open Season, owned by Thomas Bscher, ahead of Gliss and Magic Carpet 2, owned by Lindsay Owen Jones.
Bscher was pleased with the week’s racing: “This was a super week, Porto Cervo at its best. The weather was a dream, ideal sailing conditions which you will not find at this time in Europe. Regarding Open Season we did quite well on three of the days, except the second day when we made a wrong decision. The organization was first class, the race committee as well. We will definitely come again.”
Tommaso Chieffi, Veteran America’s Cup sailor (1986, 1992, 2003, 2007) and tactician aboard My Song which had an impressive 1, 3, 1 scoreline until she took twelfth place in today’s race, was philosophical “We were unlucky today. We had our start just when the wind swung from mistral to sirocco and we more or less stopped, along with the other five boats that started towards the end of the sequence. We had a good week and it has been a great event, it’s just a shame that the last race went this way for us.”


“The variety of boats all racing together, the location, the weather and the atmosphere is unique” commented Ed Dubois, designer of fourth-placed Moonbird The race organisation by YCCS is world class and the yacht club is possibly the most beautiful and organised in the world. In common with our clients, we at Dubois feel it is the superyacht regatta for the Mediterranean.”

For further information, full entry list and to view photos and video of the 2009 edition please visit http://www.loropianasuperyachtregatta.com/ or http://www.yccs.it/ .

Moonbird takes lead in Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2009 in Costa Smeralda

In a very fitting turn of events Day Two of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta - the Fitzroy Yachts race day - was won by Moonbird, one of the two Fitzroy-built superyachts competing. Marco Vogele’s Gliss came in second on handicap today and Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s My Song took third place. Moonbird is also sitting at the top of the overall classification thanks to her second-place in yesterday’s Race One. My Song is in second place, just one point behind, and Gliss is in third place overall in this event organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with Boat International Media.



Race two, a 35 mile course which wound in through the island of the La Maddalena archipelago, was once again accompanied by blue skies, sizzling sunshine and a brisk Mistral wind which kept owners and crews busy and entertained. the owner of the 39 metre Ganesha commented:

“We had gusts of up to 31 knots which was just a little bit too much wind for us so we didn’t fly the spinnaker. As a result we probably lost 2 or 3 places but it was still a great day’s sailing. I think Porto Cervo is the best place to sail in Europe. "

Wally Yachts had another great day with three of their yachts taking the top places in elapsed time for the second day running. Claus Peter Offen’s Y3K completed the course in just over two hours and 40 minutes followed by Magic Carpet2 and Indio.
Rodney Martin, Managing Director of Fitzroy Yachts was pleased with the today’s race “I’m really pleased to see a Fitzroy-built, Dubois-designed sloop cross the finish line first and take first place on handicap on the Fitzroy Race Day. The event is really well organized and is a credit to the YCCS and Boat International Media.”
Racing started on schedule this morning at 12.05 and the fleet was set a coastal course which took full advantage of the 18 to 20 knots of wind from 295°. The YCCS Race Committee sent the superyacht fleet from the start off Porto Cervo north to round the Isola dei Monaci to port before rounding the southern tip of Caprera island and sailing northward along the coast. The yachts then turned North, passing between the La Maddalena island and the island of Spargi. After rounding the Barettinelli di Fuori islets at the northern end of the archipelago the fleet then headed back south leaving the La Maddalena and Caprera islands to starboard and on to the finish in the Pevero Gulf, just South of Porto Cervo.
Racing is scheduled to continue June 12th at 12 midday. The forecast predicts strong westerly winds in the morning which should calm to approximately 15 knots in the afternoon.
For further information, full entry list and to view photos and images of the 2009 edition please visit http://www.loropianasuperyachtregatta.com/ or http://www.yccs.it/.

(Images: Moonbird, My Song. Credits Kurt Arrigo)

Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2009 starts today in Porto Cervo

Tuesday 9th June. Porto Cervo, Italy. A fleet of superyachts lines the docks of Porto Cervo Marina ready and waiting for the start of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2009. Racing is scheduled to start tomorrow, Wednesday 10th June, with the nineteen-strong fleet completing a coastal course in and around the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago on each of the four days of racing in programme. This is the second edition of the event organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Boat International Media and sees the participation of Italian luxury clothing brand Loro Piana for the first time.



Both modern and classic designs are present with Andrea Recordati’s Wally 101, launched less than one month ago, lining up against the Royal Huisman-built Meteor, a reproduction gaff rigged Gloucester Schooner launched in 2007. The best of Italian nautical know-how is well represented with three of Willy Persico’s Southern Wind yachts participating (Fado, Farandwide, Farewell) alongside no less than five Wally craft (Indio, Magic Carpet 2, Open Season, Saudade, Y3K). The fleet ranges from the 25.4 metre My Song, owned by Pierluigi Loro Piana, to the largest yacht in the fleet, the 52 metre Kokomo, owned by Australian Lang Walker.
Racing will take place using the IRC rating system and with staggered starts based on each yacht’s handicap which will allow the entire fleet to race in close proximity around the course whilst insuring safety on the starting line.
The event will also offer a varied social programme for owners and crews including a beach party at the Romazzino Hotel and an Owners Dinner at the YCCS Clubhouse. The Loro Piana Prize Overall - The Silver Jubilee Cup by Boat International Media will be presented to the overall winner during the prize giving ceremony scheduled for Saturday June 13th. A special prize will also be awarded to the best classified Wally yacht.
Fitzroy Yachts are Gold sponsors of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2009. Alloy Yachts, Future Fibres and Lufthansa Private Jet are Silver Sponsors of the event. IBS Yachts, Louis XIII by Remy Martin, Royal Huisman, San Lorenzo, Scorpion and Wight Vodka are contributing sponsors.
For further information, full entry list and to view photos and images of the 2008 edition please visit http://www.loropianasuperyachtregatta.com/ or http://www.yccs.it/ .