Sail-World.com : Day 2 of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
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Day 2 of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup |
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'Rolex maxi cup - ALEGRE, 2nd in the Mini Maxi Division, and J ONE, 2nd in Wally Division'
© Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo
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Day 2 of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup opened with less than promising conditions. The Race Committee kept the fleet ashore until 11:30, but even then it was not until 13:30 that the racing began in just over 5 knots of easterly breeze.
Three hours later, the Cruising and Mini Maxis had completed a 17 nautical mile course that took them to a windward mark, before reaching back west towards Capo Ferro where they entered the channel and reached off to the submerged outcrop of rocks known locally simply as Secca.
From there, in a freshening breeze, they followed a fetch north to Monaci and another fetch back to Golfo Pevero, before finishing off Porto Cervo. Ranger (CAY IS) took a second bullet in Cruising, as did Numbers (USA) featuring the Alinghi crew in the Mini Maxis.
The Racing and Wally Divisions stretched their longer, more nimble legs a little further covering 25nm which included a long beat from Monaci down towards Mortoriotto before returning to Pevero and the finish. As they turned the corner at I. di Nibani the returning Wallys found themselves on a beam reach and at times appeared overpressed under their massive mains and spinnakers.
With the foot of kites toying perilously close to the foaming bow waves, crew nerves must have been tingling. What looked a short hop must have felt like an age. Open Season was one to almost round up as she took a gust broadside, but this did nothing to upset her otherwise perfect day. Thomas Bscher's Open Season (GER), in the Wally Division, was joined by George David's Rambler (USA) in Racing on today's winner's podium.
Whilst Y3K led the 143-foot Esense home on the water, it was Open Season that took the race ahead of Jean Charles Decaux's J One on handicap and now leads the Wally Division after two races.
Back to Aboukir Bay, or at least the reach past Capo Ferro and into Bomb Alley. This was great sailing for the front-runners in the Mini Maxi Division.
Almost a straight-line drag race, but for an annoying gybe near the end. Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo 3 (NZL) with Torben Grael in the hot seat led by some distance a pack comprising Alegre (GBR), Numbers, Roger Sturgeon's Rosebud (USA), Jim Swartz's Moneypenny (USA) and one or two of the smaller Wallys, such as J One down towards the unsuspecting picnickers. The wind had finally built to double figures at this point and the spectacle was complete, as the group gybed together, as though signalled to do so by the lead boat.
In the Cruising Division the two J Class yachts Ranger and Velsheda enjoyed another match-race round the course, seemingly oblivious to all that is going on around them. Ghost was first home again after a poor first leg that saw her trail the Js around the initial windward mark. Some good work on the ensuing long, downwind leg saw her open up on her more traditional looking rivals.
The gap was never going to be enough, because though Ranger and Velsheda seemed only interested in each other they are sailing so well to post a 1,2 today some 13 minutes ahead of Edwin Van Der Straten's Bristolian on handicap. Ghost repeated yesterday's eighth, whilst things went very badly wrong for the mighty Salperton.
After yesterday's wide grins, Salperton was forced to retire from today's racing with hydraulic problems that will see her crew hard at work tonight to ready her for a return to the fray for the remainder of the series. After yesterday's excellent result everyone has their fingers-crossed the biggest boat in the fleet will be on the start line tomorrow.
In the Racing Division, the 90-foot, conventional keeled, water ballasted Rambler struck a blow for the little guy by pulling out a win today. Despite finishing some thirteen minutes behind the 100-foot, supremely powerful Alfa Romeo, George David's crew, with Ray Davies and Peter Isler sharing the tactician's role, scraped home on handicap by a mere 18 seconds. But that is the name of the handicap game. One second, one minute, one hour - a winning margin is a winning margin.
Principal Race Officer Peter Craig is hoping for better breeze and earlier start tomorrow. Whilst the Mini Maxis are expected to undertake Windward/Leewards, the remaining three divisions will continue to contest more of the fascinating coastal racing on offer off Porto Cervo.
Rolex Maxi Cup - Leading positions
Racing
1. ALFA ROMEO Neville Crichton NZL, 1-2-3.0
2. RAMBLER George David USA, 2-1-3.0
Cruising
1. RANGER, RSV Ltd USA, 1-1-2.0
2. VELSHEDA, Tarbat Inv. Ltd GBR, 3-2-5.0
3. HETAIROS, Rockport Limited (GER), 4-4-8.0
Mini Maxi
1. NUMBERS, Meyers/Bertarelli USA, 1-1-2.0
2. ALEGRE, Andres Soriano, 4-2-6.0
3. ROSEBUD/TEAM DYT, Roger Sturgeon USA, 3-3-6.0
Wally
1. MAGIC CARPET, 2 Lindsay Owen-Jones GBR, 1-4-5.0
2. J ONE, Jean-Charles Decaux FRA, 4-2-6.0
3. OPEN SEASON, Thomas Bscher GER, 6-1-7.0
by Event media
8:25 PM Wed 3 Sep 2008 GMT
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