OYSTER REGATTA CLOSES YCCS 2010 CALENDAR

On the final day of the Oyster Jubilee Regatta, the international fleet of Oyster Yachts remained dockside at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda as the infamous Mistral wind arrived, gusting up to sixty knots and howling along the rugged coastline. The overall classification after three races therefore becomes final and the winners of this 25th Oyster Regatta are Trevor Silver with his Oyster 655 Roulette in Class One (yachts over 60ft long) and Gerde and Annemarie Kohlmoos with their Oyster 54 Sarabande in Class Two (LOA under 60ft). Prizes were also awarded to winners of each day’s race as well during the prize giving ceremony at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Clubhouse.
The 31 Oyster yachts enrolled in the regatta which took place from 21st to 25th September experienced a range of conditions over the course of the event, from light northerly breezes to 20 knots of south-easterly wind and from sunshine and blue skies to squalls and today’s gale force gusts. One constant at this regatta however has been the relaxed and friendly atmosphere which characterized racing as well as the exclusive social events Oyster owners enjoyed each evening.
Trevor Silver, owner of Roulette hails from London and was understandably pleased with his result: “Obviously we are delighted to win here in Porto Cervo. We have had a bit of luck but I believe that the secret to our success was that the core of this crew have been together for some time and get on extremely well. Although we still have a few debates on board!
I am absolutely delighted with the boat, Roulette has been fast since I got her two years ago and we have sailed her a lot, including the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and recently the beautiful sailing grounds around Croatia. I plumped for the Oyster 655 because it is one of the sportiest models in the Oyster range; a fast hull shape and carbon mast gives Roulette a great turn of speed.”
Gerde and Annemarie Kohlmoos' Oyster 54 Sarabande comes from Hamburg, as do all of the crew and after sailing their new yacht out from the Oyster yard at Ipswich, they have cruised extensively in the Baltic Sea before bring her to the Mediterranean. As with the entire Oyster range, Sarabande has several bespoke features including a taller mast to increase performance. Her clean hull lines, powerful rig and a lower centre of gravity bulb keel have created a fast, stiff, comfortable passage maker.
Following the final prize giving owners, crews and the Oyster staff closed the event in style at the Gala Dinner hosted by the YCCS.

Oyster Regatta 2010 Porto Cervo. Credits: Tim Wright/Oyster


“We have organized numerous regattas this year,” commented YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo, “with boats ranging from Maxis and Superyachts to 8 metre one-design craft, but I can safely say that this has been one of the most entertaining we have hosted. The relaxed, family-oriented atmosphere combined with the beauty of the Oyster boats made for a wonderful week of sailing and socializing.”
This event closes the YCCS sporting season in Porto Cervo, details of the 2011 season will soon be available online.

FUN AND GAMES AND FINE SAILING AT THE OYSTER REGATTA

The second race day of the Oyster Jubilee Regatta, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, saw some entertaining activities take place while the 31-strong fleet waited for the infamous Sardinian breeze to fill in. After waterskiing and collective diving exhibitions had taken place this morning, approximately 6 knots of easterly breeze allowed racing to get underway and the fleet crossed the start line off Porto Cervo headed for the islands of Mortorio and Soffi. Overall leaders with two races completed are Trevor Silver’s Oyster 65.5 Roulette V2 in Class One (60ft and over in length) and Sarabande, the Oyster 54 owned by Gerde and Annamarie Kohlmoos, among the smaller Oysters competing in Class Two.
The Oyster 82 Pandemonium, owned by Stuart Smith and Barry J Cooper Junior, was the fastest around the course today in the Class Two group but victory on corrected time went to Roulette V.2 followed by the Oyster 62 Luna of London with Heinrich Schulte’s Anabasis in third. Following Roulette V.2 at the top of the overall table are Anabasis and Richard Smith’s Oyster 655 Sotto Vento.
In Class One it was the Oyster 575 Boarding Pass III that took line honours with Sarabande hot on her heels, just three seconds behind. On corrected time Sarabande took first place ahead of Boarding Pass III, owned by Bill Munro and Susan Harris, with Stuart and Caroline Popham’s Spirit of Spring in third.
Following racing the fleet docked for an overnighter in Porto Rotondo, approximately 8 miles south of Porto Cervo. Participants will enjoy the hospitality of the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo during an exclusive cocktail reception and dinner tonight before resuming racing tomorrow morning.
For further information on the regatta please visit http://www.yccs.it/ or http://www.oystermarine.com/ .

"Swan so long...." on the third race day of the Rolex Swan Cup 2010

On the third race day of the Rolex Swan Cup 2010 each of the five competing divisions (Maxi, Grand Prix, Classics, Swan 45, Club Swan 42) completed a “Long Islands Race” as scheduled. The fleet of 92 Nautor’s Swan yachts enrolled in the regatta, organized by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 1980, were accompanied by 20 to 25 yachts of westerly breeze for the best part of the day and racing lasted between 5 and 8 hours approximately for the various divisions. The occuoants of the top spots in the overall classifications remain unchanged with Danilo Salsi’s DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA) continuing to lead in the Maxi class, Peter Simon’s Moonsoon Jaguar (GBR) in the Classic class and Silveren Swaen (NED) in the Grand Prix class. Overall leaders in the one-design classes have not changed since yesterday either: among the nine Swan 45s racing in the Rolex Swan 45 World Championship Earlybird (GER) owned by Hendrik Brandis retains first place while in the Club Swan 42 class Enrico Scerni’s Kora 4 heads the leaderboard.

Rolex Swan Cup 2010. Maxi fleet. Credits: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex

The Maxi class was set a 63 nautical mile course which took them from the start off Porto Cervo to leave the Monaci island to port before heading south and along the channel between the coast of Sardinia and the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago. At the main island of La Maddalena the Maxis turned north to round Barettinelli di Fuori to port and double back towards the coastline and onward to the French islands of Lavezzi approximately 6 miles off Corsica. From Lavezzi the fleet embarked on a long downwind run around the outside of the archipelago and south to Mortoriotto before turning for the finish at the entrance to the bay of Porto Cervo.
First out of the box in the Maxi class were the usual suspects: the Swan 90 White Lie (ITA), the Swan 100 Fantasticaaaniene (ITA) with Vasco Vascotto on tactics and the Swan 90 DSK led the fleet around the island of Barettinelli di Fuori, approximately one third of the way around the course. As the front-runners in the class crossed the finish line off Porto Cervo shortly after 5 p.m. DSK continued to lead but it was the newly-launched Swan 80 Berenice that crossed the line second ahead of White Lie while Fantasticaaniene was forced to withdraw after having ripped three of her sails. DSK dropped back to fourth in corrected time. First place on handicap went to the Swan 80 Astra del Est (AUT) followed by Berenice and the Swan 82 Nikata (GBR). DSK retains her overall lead 3 points ahead of Johann Killinger’s Swan 60 Emma and the Swan 112 Mystery.
DSK’s owner Danilo Salsi commented: “We had not a good start, we had to go back to the start line, and start again but now with all the big boats in front of us. At the first mark we were seventh, so we had to pass all the big boats. We only passed White Lie down by Motoriotto. Down there it was a complete change in the programme because the Sciroco from the south came up against the mistral. Because we were the first of the fleet, we stayed a long time changing from the spinnaker to the jib – it was a lot of work for the crew so we are going to have a good dinner tonight!”
The Grand Prix, Swan 45 and 42 classes followed a 47 mile course which took them along the coast and to Lavezzi where they turned west and completed the same downwind leg and finish as the Maxis.
The first Swan 45 to round the mark at Lavezzi was Hendrik Brandis’ Earlybird, at Barettinelli the fleet was closely grouped but Earlybird continued to lead followed by Vittorio Codecasa’s Jeroboam (ITA) and Andrea Masi’s Ulika (ITA). It was Tea Ekengren’s Blue Nights (FIN) with Jochen Scheumann on tactics, however, that led the Belgian Samantaga-Duval and Earlybird across the finish line. With this race having a weighted value of 1.5 Earlybird’s still leads the overall classification but is now followed by Samantaga-Duvel owned by Philippe Moorgat and Patrick Van Henr. Nico Poons’ Charisma (NED) slips back to third.
Kora 4’s domination of the Frers-designed Club Swan 42 class was threatened today as Leonardo Ferragamo’s Swan 42 Cuordileone, with Paul Cayard calling tactics, had another good day. Although Brandis led the fleet around Barettinelli, Ferragamo was able to overtake her on the homeward run to take victory. Long Echo (GBR) came in third behind Kora 4. The overall classification sees Kora 4 retain her lead with three bullets and two second places in the five races completed. Cuordileone is in second place and Natalia (ROM)in third.

Rolex Swan Cup 2010. Swan 45 Blue Nights. Credits: Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex.

Amanda Hartley’s Swan 56 Clem (ESP) took line honours in the Grand Prix fleet and P.H.J. Bakker’s Swan 53 Silveren Swaen (NED) took victory in corrected time ahead of Merel 4 (GBR) and Atalante 2 (BEL). Just two points separate the top three boats in the overall classification for this group. Silveren Swaen maintains a slim lead over Clem in second and Crilia (GER), owned by Heinz-Gerd Stein in third.
The Swan 65 Monsoon Jaguar led the Classic Sparkman & Stephens class around their 36-mile course which brought them from Porto Cervo to Monaci and up along the coast before turning for Barettinelli and heading downwind to the finish off Porto Cervo. Moonsoon Jaguar placed third in corrected time behind another two Swan 65s, Giuseppe Puttini’s Shirlaf (ITA) and Cassiopeia. Jaguar now sits on five points, as does Shirlaf but the British boat retains her lead overall thanks to two bullets gained in the first two days. Francesco Persio’s Swan 47 Dream is in third place.
Tomorrow will be a well-deserved lay day for all of the boats except the Swan 45 fleet who will continue battling for the title of World Champion. Racing is scheduled to start at 12 midday. Shifty southerly winds of 8-10 knots are predicted.
Owners will enjoy a gala dinner hosted by the YCCS and Rolex at the YCCS Clubhouse tomorrow evening while on Saturday Rolex will host a crew party.

Costa Smeralda, Sardinia: MAXI BREEZE AT THE MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP

Porto Cervo, 7th September 2010. Day Two of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda brought spectacular racing as the 47 competing giants caught strong and steady south-easterly wind and some big waves. Eighteen to 20 knots of warm sirocco wind accompanied the Mini Maxis, competing for their inaugural World Championship, throughout 3 windward-leeward races while the rest of the fleet completed a 36 mile course in and around the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago. Overall leaders in their respective divisions are: Hamilton II (Racing & Racing/Cruising), Y3K (Wally) and Highland Fling (Super Maxi). Ranger continues to lead Velsheda among the J Boats and Andy Soriano’s Alegre dominates among the Mini Maxis with four wins out of five races held so far.

Alegre. Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010 Credits Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex.

The Mini Maxis began racing on schedule at 12.05 p.m. The first race of the day, race 3 of the series, was held in 18 to 20 knots of wind from 130°. The race, which had a total length of approximately 9 nautical miles, was won by Niklas Zennstrom’s Ran (GBR). Neville Crichton’s Shockwave, overall winner of the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2010, came in second on corrected time while Germany’s Container came in third. Race 4 saw Andy Soriano’s Alegre (GBR) back on form to take her third bullet of the series ahead of Ran and Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente (USA). The 24 competing Mini Maxis started their third and final race of the day at 3.10 p.m. with the wind still blowing at 18 knots from 130°. Alegre and Ran once again took first and second respectively while Container came in third.
The Mini Maxis have now completed five out of a possible nine races in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship and Alegre sits three points ahead of Ran in the overall classification with Shockwave a further five points behind in third place. The fleet will face a slightly different challenge tomorrow with a coastal race planned for the class and further strong breezes predicted.
The remainder of the fleet enjoyed a wild ride around the islands which act as natural buoys in the regattas organized by the YCCS. From the start off Porto Cervo, the Maxis headed on a run to the Monaci island which they left to port heading back towards the mainland. They then sailed up the coast, passing between Punta Sardegna and the largest of the islands in the archipelago, La Maddalena, before turning north as far as Barrettinelli di Fuori and heading upwind around the outside of the archipelago to the finish line off Porto Cervo.
While Igor Simcic’s Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) was the fastest boat around the course, covering 36 nautical miles in 2 hours and 52 minutes, she placed second on corrected time behind Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling (GBR). Singularity, with Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking helming, took third. These three boats hold the same positions in the overall classification.
The eight-boat Super Maxi division was also fast around the course with both Hasso Plattner’s Visione and Albert Buell’s Saudade (MLT) crossing the finish line in just over 3 hours. Corrected time, however, saw Hetairos (CAY) take victory ahead of Salperton (CAY) and Visione. Hamilton II retains her lead in the overall classification ahead of Hetairos in second and Visione in third.

Hamilton II. Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010. Credits Carlo Borlenghi/Rolex.

Magic Carpet2 (GBR) was the first Wally home today in real time and also took victory in corrected time. Peter Offen’s Y3K (GER) took second place ahead of Andrea Recordati’s Indio (ITA). Y3K leads the overall classification after two races ahead of Magic Carpet, owned by Lindsay Owen-Jones and J-One (GBR) owned by Jean Charles Decaux.

Sardinia: Preparations for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup underway in Porto Cervo

Preparations for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup which will take place in Porto Cervo from 5th to 11th September are in full swing. Forty-nine yachts are due to take part in the annual regatta which has been organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 1980. Twenty-four of the participating boats will compete in the Mini Maxi division for the title of Mini Maxi Rolex World Champion 2010.




Throughout this inaugural edition of the Mini Maxi Worlds technical controls will be rigorous and each of the vessels must undergo weighing and measurement. Inspections have already begun at the nearby Portisco Marina using equipment and scales specially designed and constructed for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the International Maxi Association for this regatta. For the first time each boat, some of which weigh as much as 20 tons, will be hauled out, fully exposing their hull and keel and providing precise data to determine the yacht’s handicap rating.
The Mini Maxis range from 18 to 24 metres and will line up on the quays of Porto Cervo Marina alongside the rest of the Maxi fleet, several of which are over 40 metres long. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup regularly attracts some of the world’s top yachtsmen and women and racing is scheduled to start on Monday 6th September. The event will conclude with a final prize giving in the Yacht Club’s Piazza Azzurra on 11th September.

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TEAM AZZURRA PREPARES TO RACE ON HOME GROUND. AZZURRA ’83 ON DISPLAY AT OLBIA COSTA SMERALDA AIRPORT

The countdown is on with just over a week to go until the start of racing in the third event of the Louis Vuitton Trophy, scheduled to be held in La Maddalena, Sardinia from 22nd May to 6th June. The crew of Azzurra, flying the burgee of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, have spent the past weeks training (in Valencia on America’s Cup boats) and competing in regattas (Olympic classes, match-race and one-design) and are now preparing to return to Porto Cervo. The YCCS Clubhouse which will be the team’s operational base during the La Maddalena event.
Team Azzurra, together with fans and spectators arriving in Sardinia, will be welcomed by the YCCS’s legendary International 12 Metre yacht Azzurra which has been completely restored to her original splendour and is now on display at the arrivals zone of Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport. Azzurra rose to fame when in 1983 she became the first Italian participant in the America’s Cup, reaching the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Her restoration was entrusted to the Maxi Dolphin shipyard in 2009 and entailed nine months and 6,000 hours of work. The hull was completely recoated with an epoxy matrix. The surface was repainted to recreate the exact original colour scheme, thanks to a sample found in the archives of the Valliccelli offices. In order to bring the deck to its original condition, the restoration team had to study in detail all the images and drawings of Azzurra at the time of her launch. The deck, which over time had suffered the effects of oxidation, had to be completely taken apart, anodized and polished; some elements, which had been lost, had to be meticulously recreated from scratch. Azzurra was recently exhibited at the Milan boat show before being brought to Olbia where she will remain throughout the summer season.
The Louis Vuitton Trophy – La Maddalena will begin on 18th May with official training sessions for the teams aboard the four America’s Cup Class boats provided by the organization: ITA 90, ITA 99, USA 87 e USA 98. The format of the event provides for an initial Round Robin where each team will meet each of their opponents in turn. The top eight teams will then progress to the next stage where the top classified teams will compete against those in the bottom half of the classification. The winning teams will then go on to race in the semi-finals and finals.
Ten of the strongest teams in the world, representing eight nations, will compete in the Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena and a further two renowned Italian teams will participate alongside Azzurra: Mascalzone Latino Audi team, Challenger of Record for the 34th America’s Cup, and Luna Rossa. America’s Cup Defender BMW ORACLE Racing will also participate, as will Emirates Team New Zealand, winner of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Auckland (March 2010) who were defeated, however, by Azzurra in the event held in Nice (November 2009).Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and President of Azzurra, is pleased to see the team sailing in home waters: “These will undoubtedly be spectacular and highly technical regattas, not only due to the extraordinary level of the participating teams, but also thanks to one of the most challenging and striking regatta courses in the world. The presence of three teams flying the Italian flag is sure to attract a lot of interest from the general public, both nationally and internationally, and will boost tourism in the area. Sailing as a sport has a strong following in Italy and I hope these wonderful races and Azzurra’s undertakings will inspire a host of young sailors.”
Giovanni Maspero, Azzurra’s Team Principal adds: “The Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena represents another significant step which will strengthen the excellent work the team has done. We’ll be racing on home waters and this will certainly put extra pressure on the crew, our supporters have high expectations but it is important to remember that the level in this event will be the highest of the series, Luna Rossa and BMW Oracle are back in competition with their full crews and looking to perform well from the start. Azzurra, in addition to preparation carried out in Valencia, has a great crew in her favour as well as meticulous organization ashore which allows the athletes to take to the water feeling motivated and relaxed. Each event is an end unto itself, a clean sheet on which to write the next chapter of challenges that Azzurra will strive towards.”
The ten teams participating in the Louis Vuitton trophy in La Maddalena are:

Aleph, FRA, skipper Bertrand Pacé
All4One, FRA/GER, skipper Jochen Schumann
Artemis, SWE, skipper Paul Cayard
Azzurra, ITA, skipper Francesco Bruni
BMW ORACLE Racing, USA, skipper James Spithill
Emirates Team New Zealand, NZL, skipper Dean Barker
Luna Rossa, ITA, skipper Ed Baird
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, ITA, skipper Gavin Brady
Synergy, RUS, skipper Karol Jablonski
TEAMORIGIN, GBR, skipper Ben Ainslie

For more information please visit http://www.azzurra.it/

Hotels Residences in Costa Smeralda, Sardinia

New TriStar222 Sardinia at the Costa Smeralda in October 2010

The prestigious Emerald Coast Costa Smeralda in Northern Sardinia is home to the high-quality long distance triathlon event in Italy on the 3rd of October 2010. The TriStar222 Sardinia Arzachena Costa Smeralda is situated in one of the most beautiful areas of Italy, where white sands meet crystal clear waters, the Emerald Coast. The first long distance triathlon in Italy entails 2km of swimming, 200km of cycling and 20km.

“TriStar222 Sardinia offers one of my favourite cycling routes, attractive from the standpoint of scenery and at the same time challenging in terms of racing, thanks to the rolling landscapes. The hilly layout will enable all athletes to compete in agility and strength, and at the same time it will make the competition even more exciting”

says Martina Dogana, Italian Champion in triathlon who has participated in developing the race in Sardinia.
The 2km swim takes place in the clear waters of the Bay of Cannigione (Arzachena), in the province of Olbia. The 200km cycling portion follows a single-loop course entirely closed for traffic. Once in the vicinity of Arzachena, triathletes will head east towards Porto Cervo sailing around the headland on the west of Cannigione. Once back near Arzachena, the circuit will turn towards the coast in the North-East to Palau. Then athletes will follow the coastal road through Santa Teresa di Gallura until Aglientu, where the course will enter into the wild hinterlands of Northern Sardinia distinguished by the classical Mediterranean bush through Luogosanto, Tempio Pausania, Luras, Calangianus, Sant'Antonio di Gallura and back to Cannigione. The 20km run course consists of a very fast circuit of 5 km, entirely flat along the seafront of Cannigione, to be completed 4 times.

For Registration and Info: http://www.tristar222sardinia.com/

Perini Navi Cup 2009 starts tomorrow in Porto Cervo, Costa Smeralda

Porto Cervo, 2nd September 2009. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s September racing calendar is set to start in style as the Club hosts the Perini Navi Cup from 3rd to 5th September. The waters off Porto Cervo will provide the perfect backdrop to the record fleet of 19 Perini Navi sailing ships participating in this third edition of the event. A large number of these sailing giants, are already docked in Porto Cervo Marina, much to the delight of sailing enthusiasts and awestruck passers-by.

Perini Navi yachts are known for their marriage of elegance and cutting edge technology and the fleet, which if lined up end-to-end would stretch for almost a kilometer, will certainly be a sight to behold as it winds its way through the granite islands of the La Maddalena archipelago. Racing will take place on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th September using staggered starts based on each yacht’s ORC Club handicap which will allow the fleet to race in a close group as they proceed around the course. Racing can be followed in real time thanks to on board tracking displayed on the site http://www.perininavicup.it/.

Participating yachts include the most recent addition to the Perini Navi family, the 56 metre Ketch Riela, delivered in June of this year. The 2008 launched Baracuda whose 50 metre aluminium hull boasts an aggressive, aerodynamic line, will also participate. The largest participating yacht will be the 88 metre Maltese Falcon. Winner of the Perini Navi Cup in 2006 and classified second in her class in the St Barths Bucket 2009, Maltese Falcon will have a good chance of finishing in the upper realms of the classification. The tallest mast in the fleet, however, belongs to the 56 metre Salute: measuring 75 metres, it is the tallest aluminum mast in existence today.
“The Perini Navi Cup is always a wonderful event for me and this third edition, with such a large number of participants, is particularly special.” declared Giancarlo Ragnetti, Managing Director of Perini Navi. “It is a record which gives me great satisfaction and which shows how passion and dedication can achieve extraordinary results. Once again our owners have shown their affection for the family that we created at the start of the 80s and which today counts 46 yachts.”

YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo was also enthusiastic:

“The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is delighted to organize the Perini Navi Cup for the first time and to welcome this record fleet of ships from the Perini family. The event fits in perfectly with the Club’s development in the superyacht arena and our aim to attract the cream of owners, shipyards, designers and the entire nautical spectrum to the YCCS. I am certain we are going to enjoy some spectacular sailing in a festive atmosphere.”

Tomorrow, Thursday 3rd September, owners and crews will be busy completing registrations and attending the technical briefing while the first race is scheduled to start at 12 midday on Friday 4th September. Racing will continue on Saturday 5th September with the final prize giving scheduled for 6 p.m. A varied programme of exclusive social events will be organized ashore including a welcome cocktail, a cocktail competition aboard the yachts and a gala dinner at the YCCS Clubhouse.

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.


Entry list:

Andromeda la Dea, 47 m
Helios, 45 m
Parsifal III, 53,80 m

Antara , 46 m
Heritage, 45,3 m
Perseus, 49,8 m

Atmosphere, 53 m
Heritage M, 33,5 m
Phyrne, 50 m

Baracuda, 50 m
Klosters, 47 m
Riela, 56 m

Elettra, 24,45 m
Independence, 53 m
Salute, 56 m

Felicità West, 64 m
Maltese Falcon, 88 m


Gitana, 36 m
Ohana, 43,45 m

(Photo courtesy of Perini Navi)

In typical Farr 40 style the final day of racing in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship 2009 saw the 25 boat fleet line up for the tenth and final race with just one point separating the top two teams. All was set for a duel to the death between two time world champion Jim Richardson (1998, 2004) on Barking Mad and Massimo Mezzaroma with his Nerone (ITA), winner of the 2003 world championship organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) in Porto Cervo. In the end Nerone, with Vasco Vascotto calling tactics, did not manage to shine in Race Ten and Barking Mad, with tactician Terry Hutchinson, comfortably defended the lead she had held since day one of the series to clinch the title for the third time. Nerone took second place with Giovanni Maspero’s Joe Fly in third. Former world champion Vincenzo Onorato came fourth.
The Mistral wind, sunshine and blue skies which characterized the entire event, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda from 22nd to 27th June, were present once again for the start of today’s first race. Race Nine started on schedule at 11.05 in approximately 18 knots of wind from 290°. Nerone started well and was followed around the first mark, where winds reached 22 knots, by Joe Fly and Flash Gordon (USA), owned by Helmut Jahn. A head to head battle ensued between Nerone and Joe Fly but it was Vascotto’s team which crossed the finish line first ahead of Joe Fly, with Francesco Bruni on tactics, and Flash Gordon.
Heading into Race Ten, the final of the series, Barking Mad’s sixth place in Race Nine left her just one point ahead of Nerone. Tension was high as the fleet crossed the line at 12.40 pm in approximately 20 knots of wind which held at 290°. The American’s of Barking Mad and Flash Gordon followed Alessandro Barnaba’s Fiamma, with tactician Tommaso Chieffi, around the first windward mark. Barking Mad had taken the lead by the leeward gate with Mascalzone Latino hot on her heels and Flash Gordon in third. Mascalzone gained the lead during the second windward leg and held it to the finish, crossing the line ahead of Barking Mad and Flash Gordon respectively.
Richardson was delighted with a World Championship which saw him average less than four points per race: "We're very, very happy. Coming to Italy and winning this World Championship in Porto Cervo is an amazing feeling for us. There are so many good teams out there, particularly the Italians and to be able to win in their home waters is a great thrill for us.”
"We could almost taste victory, so it’s disappointing not to win”, commented Vasco Vascotto, tactician on Nerone, “we sailed well but the American’s were more constant. It has been a great season and we have gained experience, you never stop learning.”
Mascalzone’s Vincenzo Onorato, racing under the YCCS burgee, was philosophical about handing over the title he had won for three consecutive years. “ It’s a great story for the class, we went to Jim’s hometown to win the Farr 40 World Championship in 2006 in Newport, Rhode Island, and Jim has come here to our home, in Porto Cervo to win the Worlds. The last race was the first in our campaign for the Farr 40 Worlds 2010 at Casa di Campo.”
PRO Peter “Luigi” Reggio summed up the week’s racing nicely: “This place is just insanely cool!”
Jim Richardson, Rolex Farr 40 World Champion 2009, was awarded the Farr 40 World Cup trophy and a specially engraved Rolex timepiece during the prize giving held at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
For further information on this regatta please visit http://www.farr40worldchampionship.com/ , http://www.yccs.it/ , http://www.regattanews.com/

Barking Mad, Nerone, fleet. Credits Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Hotel Li Rosi Marini, in Costa Paradiso (Northern Sardegna)

The romantic hotel Li Rosi Marini is a 3* overlooking the sea among the red rocks of Costa Paradiso, surrounded by enchanting bays and crystal clear water. The hotel has a sea water swimming pool and several solariums. The panoramic restaurant is in a large terrace.
All rooms have independent access, phone, TV, minibar, safe, air conditioned, and bathroom with shower and hairdryer. Moreover a few family rooms, triples and quadruples, are scattered between two floors.
The hotel Li Rosi Marini, in North Sardinia, is ideal for all those who want to discover enchanting hidden bays and the fascinating underwater world in the unspoilt nature.