Sail-World.com : Treleavens' Travels
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'The brains trust on Maximus'
Ian & Andrea Treleaven
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I have had the privilege to be invited by Charles St Clair Brown and Bill Buckley to sail on their 98 footer Maximus on a training day - and what an experience.
The wind was 12 knots and we sailed at 17 knots; it felt like a low flying aircraft. It was so smooth and effortless. As for the canting keel out to the side, that is an amazing sight, I wonder what the dolphins think of that. Along for the ride also, is great supporter of New Zealand Yachting, Peter Cornes.
In port there is the biggest gathering of maxis in the world shaping up for a great week of racing. There are 40 boats in three classes, Wally fleet, Maxi Cruisers and Maxi Racers.
Skandia Wild Thing and Maximus (on which Ian is sailing), line up with the very best racers in their seven boat division. For those who don’t know, this is the Skandia that had to be rescued from sinking in Bass Strait in the last Rolex Sydney to Hobart. Quite amazing to see her racing again so soon and even faster than before.
Dinner at the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club, a BBQ aboard Peter Cornes luxury motor yacht and swimming in the yacht club pool, we are having a very nice time.
The sponsor for Maximus is Slam and we are all given a great crew uniform to compete with the other million dollar campaigns. The fleet of Wally boats is the biggest division, ranging from 70 feet to 107 feet, and worth millions of dollars.
The crew of Maximus is awesome with Mike Quilter, Harold Cudmore, Richard Bouzaid, Geoff ‘Scotty’ Scott, and of course, all the famous workers.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2005
5th September - Race One:
Following for half the race in the inflatable tender, Maximus leads at the finish, but the race is withdrawn due to the committee boat forgetting to put down a mark of the course. At this standard of racing, it should never happen.
6th September - Race Two:
The wind is blowing 23 knots and it doesn’t take long for Maximus to take the lead. According to the skipper of Nariida, a Norwegian 105 footer, Maximus sailed past them looking like a trimaran and couldn’t believe their speed - which was 19 knots.
Leading by miles and looking famous at her last mark, the sky fell in as they gybed. Everything came down and into the water, as millions of dollars are quickly cut away to protect the hull.
In Ian’s words ‘there was an airy silence and then an enormous cracking sound as splinters of carbon fibre flew through the air.’ No one was injured and for whatever reason, these things happen, but it still comes as an enormous shock.
Without a doubt Maximus is the fastest maxi yacht on the water in the world. Reaching, she left Skandia for dead, and before her mishap, was miles ahead of her.
That’s the end of the regatta for us. The mast’s in two pieces, boom and sails have been salvaged from 40 metres of water and she will now be shipped home and made ready for the Sydney-Hobart race.
This may be the most expensive marina in the Mediterranean, but we have been disappointed. The most unbelievable thing happened when Maximus returned to shore. Her owners were told that as she was no longer in the regatta, she couldn’t return to her berth where all her equipment was.
After a lot of talking by rude arrogant staff, this was rectified. It’s also been the most uncomfortable for us, as they have put us on a floating pontoon, but the yacht club and surrounds are magnificent and the quality of yachts and crew competing is mind blowing.
We have been very fortunate while in Sardinia to enjoy the hospitality of our Italian friend, Luca, who we met during the Sydney Olympic Games. His family owns a holiday house just north of Porto Cervo and his mother and sister were very kind in offering us every assistance, especially with washing, which is difficult, living on a yacht.
Staying till Sunday when Gail Ferguson from Auckland is to join us for 10 days. We would like to sail the west coast of Corsica around Elba and back to Rome. We are leaving Cadiz up in the Fumicino Canal at the end of September.
Janey will also be joining us again, as Maximus is going on a ship back to New Zealand in two weeks, before Janey flies back to Australia to join the real world.
All good things come to an end.
Cheers Andrea and Ian
by Andrea Treleaven Share
9:59 PM Thu 8 Sep 2005 GMT
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