Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius 2022 - SAIL LEADERBOARD NZ

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup – Building on success

by Quinag on 22 Aug 2017
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup Quinag
Pulses look set to race once again at the Mediterranean’s greatest festival of big boat competition. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), an organization that in turn can trace its roots back nearly four decades.

The forty-eight entries range in size from 18.3 metres to a mighty 36 metres. The combined length of competing craft once again exceeds a kilometre and when racing starts on 4 September, the sailing world will look forward with relish to another week of intense battles between yachts that defy perceived boundaries of design, innovation and technology.

Half-century of passion and excellence
The success of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is due in large part to the continuing efforts of the yacht club that founded the event back in 1980. The YCCS has been a partner club of Rolex for over thirty years and with good reason. It exhibits all the trademark characteristics one would expect from an organization that aims to lead. Riccardo Bonadeo, Commodore of the YCCS, explains the philosophy of the club: “Passion, excellence, innovation and a focus on the next generation represent the driving forces that have positioned the YCCS at the forefront of the international yachting scene and kept it there.”



As usual, this year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup fleet will be grouped into classes depending upon several factors, including size, rating and racing capabilities. Within the smaller participating yachts, between 18.29 metres and 24.08 metres, the sub-division promotes close and fair racing under the prevailing handicap systems.

The all-out racers, the Maxi 72s, will contest the Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship, while the more cruising oriented Mini Maxis will compete for their own trophies and traditional Rolex timepieces. Top picks from this segment of the fleet include three-time world champion, Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente, in the Maxi 72s; Mini Maxi Racer defending champion, Carlo Puri Negri’s Atalanta II, and, the 2016 Mini Maxi Cruising winner, Benoît de Froidmont’s Wallyno.

Special bonds
“The number of international sailing regattas organized by the YCCS has constantly increased,” continues Bonadeo. “Our 2017 sporting calendar counts 20 regattas including the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. This will be the 28th edition of this event, which we have been organizing since the 1980s in collaboration with title sponsor Rolex. We have always had a special bond with the Maxis and their owners and we are delighted to welcome them back every time - especially this year, during our Golden Jubilee.”



Over the thirty-plus years of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the average size of the competing yachts has increased steadily in correlation with the massive developments in material-science and technology. Regular competitor Vittorio Moretti’s Viriella is currently the biggest entry at 36 metres, and will compete in the Supermaxi class reserved for craft over 30.50 metres.

Last year’s explosive Supermaxi, Win Win, the dual-purpose cruiser-racer drawn by Javier Jaudenes and constructed by Baltic, returns to defend her title, joined by the brand new, 32.50 metre fully-carbon Ribelle, designed by Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design and built by Vitters. Ribelle is an example of the trend for collaboration between various specialized elements of the yacht-building industry. Green Marine in the UK built the hull and superstructure, while Rémi Tessier conceived the interior design.

Substantial involvement
Wally yachts burst onto the Maxi racing scene in the late 1990s, introducing an elegance, versatility, sophistication and timeless design to the high-octane world of big boat racing. Some fourteen are expected at this year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. J One marks 20 years of competition including several wins at this event. The Wallycentos - Magic Carpet Cubed and Galateia – will represent the very latest concepts in modern high-performance cruisers, with designs that are both luxurious and fast. The majority of attending Wallys will race in their own class, with the winner receiving a special trophy alongside a Rolex timepiece.



Looking ahead
Just as it looks back on fifty years of leadership in the maritime world, the YCCS also looks ahead. Besides reaffirming its commitment to organizing sporting events, according to Bonadeo, the YCCS has decided to mark this significant point in its history by giving something back to the ocean that has driven the club’s passion and provided a playing field for its activities: “As we reach this major milestone, we have decided to add our voice to the global conversation on ocean conservancy and, accordingly, will organise the One Ocean Forum in Milan in October.”

Pedigree participants, meticulous management
The yachts competing at the 2017 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will be some of the most impressive on the planet. Their crews will be yachtsmen and -women at the top of their chosen sport. Both demand the highest level of race management. Unsurprisingly, given its dedication and philosophy, the YCCS race team is one of the best in the sailing world.



As the crown in sailing for almost 60 years, Rolex is extremely proud of its association with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and its flagship event, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. This longstanding, successful partnership is founded on the principles of excellence, performance and prestige, which, when combined, form a bedrock for both organizations.

RS Quest 728x90 BottomX-Yachts X4.0Henri-Lloyd - For the Obsessed

Related Articles

Emirates Team NZ Store: Exclusive 20% discount
ETNZ Store: For a limited time, we're offering a storewide 20% discount on all our merchandise Enjoy an exclusive shopping experience at the Emirates Team New Zealand store with our special promotion! For a limited time, we're offering a storewide 20% discount on all our merchandise - ends April 29, 2024
Posted today at 1:49 am
Swell start to SPS windward-leeward series
Action-packed opener for Part II of Sail Port Stephens with large swells adding to it all Rock fishermen were being advised to stay indoors but the sea conditions off Port Stephens made for an action-packed opener to the Anchorage Marina Windward-Leeward Series, part 2 of the 2024 Sail Port Stephens Regatta Series
Posted today at 1:33 am
Cup Spy April 26: Tow and Sail
Four teams were active - two in Barcelona and the others in Cagliari and Auckland Early Edition: Four teams were active - two in Barcelona and the other in Cagliari. As reported earlier Emirates Team NZ sailed in fresh winds in Auckland.
Posted on 26 Apr
The Transat CIC: how to follow the start
The 48 competitors will leave Lorient heading for New York on Sunday Switzerland's IMOCA racer Oliver Heer: Now I have my back to the wall. Inside, personally I feel a lot of pressure.
Posted on 26 Apr
52 Super Series 2024 starts this weekend
The counters have returned to zero After thrilling end to the 2023 52 SUPER SERIES circuit which saw Germany's Platoon, owned and steered by Harm Müller-Spreer, win the season title on tie-break, the five regatta 2024 circuit opens on Sunday.
Posted on 26 Apr
Last Chance Regatta at Hyères, France Day 6
Six Olympic dinghy places claimed by emerging nations Six of the eight men's and women's dinghy Olympic places on offer at the Last Chance Regatta were claimed by sailors supported by the World Sailing Emerging Nations Program on a rain-soaked final day of qualification at the Semaine Olympique Française.
Posted on 26 Apr
Antigua Wingfoil Championship Race Day 1
Participants of all ages and backgrounds at Antigua Sailing Week Against the lush green mountains of Antigua, colourful Wingfoil sails adorned the horizon, marking the commencement of Antigua Wingfoil Championship Race Day 1 during Antigua Sailing Week.
Posted on 26 Apr
Cup Spy Apr 25-26: Two Sailings, and a Reveal
Kiwis and Italians sailed, the Brits towed, while American Magic just popped out of the shed Three teams sailed today - one in Auckland and the others in Cagliari and Barcelona. American Magic gave an unexpected reveal today, when the US Challenger opened the shed door and saw daylight for the first time. The Brits tow-tested.
Posted on 26 Apr
59th Congressional Cup at Long Beach Day 2
First four advance to quarter-finals Closing out the opening round-robin stage of the 59th Congressional Cup today in Long Beach, the top four teams - Ian Williams/ GBR, Jeppe Borch/ DEN, Dave Hood/ USA and Gavin Brady/ USA, each advance to the Quarter-final stage of the event.
Posted on 26 Apr
Finns and French finish Ocean Globe Race
Galiana WithSecure and Evrika excape the windhole 40nm from the finish line It was a long, painfully slow final two days to complete their circumnavigation. But, finally, Galiana WithSecure FI (06) and Evrika FR (07) crossed the Royal Yacht Squadron finish line in a moody windless, moonlight Cowes arrival.
Posted on 25 Apr