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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Costa Smeralda: 20th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup starts tomorrow

Forty two maxi yachts are putting the finishing touches to registrations and preparing for the first day of racing September 7th 2009 in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 in Northern Sardinia. The assembled yachts range from 18 to 45.5 metres in length and represent 14 nations (CAN, CAY, FRA, GBR, GER, HKG, IRL, ITA, MLT, MON, NZL, POL, SUI, USA). The event, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda together with the title sponsor Rolex, will run from 6th to 12th September with racing scheduled to start at 11.30.
The Maxi fleet will be split into five divisions: Cruising/Spirit of Tradition, Mini Maxi Racing, Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising, Racing/Cruising and Wally. Each division will have a separate start and may be assigned different courses. The schedule foresees windward-leeward or coastal races for Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th while a longer Islands Race is scheduled for Wednesday. Thursday will be a lay day and racing will continue on Friday and conclude on Saturday 12th September. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Race Committee, headed by President Peter Craig, will set courses in and around the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago off the North-Eastern coast of Sardinia.
Competition is expected to be particularly fierce in the Mini Maxi Racing division which sees top level sailors such as Francesco De Angelis, winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000, calling tactics aboard Luna Rossa and Adrian Stead, America’s Cup participant in 2003 and 2007, aboard Niklas Zennstrom’s Ran.
Stead, who is fresh from victory in the Rolex Fastnet Race aboard Zenstrom’s 22 metre Judel –Vrolijk designed sloop, is looking forward to an exciting week: “I think we’re going to see some absolutely fantastic racing. The forecast is good, moderate to fresh north easterly breezes, at least for the first part of the week. An excellent fleet has assembled here and it’s the first time all eight of the Mini Maxi racers will sail together so there is a lot of interest and expectations are high for this week. I’m looking forward to seeing how the new Alfa Romeo performs.
As regards the boat to beat in his division, Stead was cautious. “All of the boats are strong in certain conditions, there are no weak boats in the Mini Maxi fleet and they are all well sailed.”
Other names of note include America’s Cup winner Jochen Schueman (Alinghi, 2003 and 2007) aboard Thomas Bscher’s Wally Open Season and Karol Jablonsky, 2002 world match racing champion, aboard Albert Buell’s 45 metre Saudade.
As is always the case with YCCS and Rolex events, owners and crews will be kept thoroughly entertained ashore thanks to daily social events including after race refreshments on the Club’s Piazza Azzurra, a Rolex Party for owners and crews and a gala dinner at the Cala di Volpe hotel.
Racing is scheduled to start tomorrow with the first signal at 11.30 for the Mini Maxi Racing division. Seventeen to eighteen knots of wind from north east are forecast.
For news from the regatta course and live tracking please visit http://www.yccsmaxi.com/, for further information visit http://www.yccs.it/ , http://www.regattanews.com/ or contact the press office.