Two top performing Australian boats competing in Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

by Sail-World and YCCS on 8 Sep 2003 The next six days promise good winds for the annual gathering of the world’s largest racing yachts with John Kalbetzer's Custom Sydney 62 Bumblebee and Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo Shockwave leading the Southern Hemisphere challenge.

The first race of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda-organised Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup starts at noon on Monday 8th September.

he forecast is for 10-15 knots from the West with flat seas. Thirty-four boats, ranging in size from 18 to 44 metres overall, have made the voyage to the famous Sardinian port of Porto Cervo to compete in four different divisions for an array of honours.

The YCCS Race Committee reserves the option to set whatever course it wants from a list of options. Within the race instructions the 34 crews will find 12 different possible race courses ranging from just eight miles in length around a windward-leeward course, to 39 miles of coastal racing around the islands, rocks and headlands of the Costa Smeralda. Each day, depending on the conditions expected, the Race Committee will send the fleet off on the most suitable course, with the option of running two races a day.

With stronger winds forecast for later in the week the more sheltered conditions of the Madelena Archipelago and its idyllic backdrops will definitely feature on the dance cards of the most majestic sailing boats afloat today.

The concept of a Maxi yacht, traditionally the largest custom built racing machine afloat, has grown to include several different and distinct groups of yachts. The pure racing class of old, the IMS-Maxis, now share the start line and the race course with the IRC class that includes performance boats of all shapes and sizes up to and including Vittorio Moretti’s 36-metre long Viriella and line honours candidate Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo. The Wally Class, which includes 11 boats from the famous Wally Yachts stable will have their own start eight minutes later. And last but not least, another eight minutes on, a mixture of Jongert-built yachts and three Spirit of Tradition Super Yachts will bring the overall fleet size to 34.

Racing is scheduled for every day this week including Saturday, with Thursday kept as a reserve day. The first start each day will be at noon.

The full entry list is as follows


1 ALEXIA ARG Alberto Roemmers 24 5,4 4 IMS

2 EDIMETRA ITA Ernesto Gismondi 20 5,1 3,6 IMS

3 IDEA ITA Raffaele Raiola 25,7 5,3 4,5 IMS

4 MY SONG ITA Pierluigi Loro Piana 22,5 5,85 4 IMS

5 SOTTO VOCE NED Arien van Vemde 20 4,5 3,6 IMS

6 BUMBLEBEE AUS John Kahlbetzer 19 4,7 4 IMS

7 ALFA ROMEO NZL Neville Crichton 27,43 5,67 4,4 IRC

8 FARNIENTE POR Antonio Figueiredo 24,5 5,8 3,8 IRC

9 LEOPARD OF LONDON GBR Mike Slade 29,49 6,56 4,64 IRC

10 P&B 821 ITA Marco Profili 20,1 4,1 3,2 IRC

11 UNFURLED USA Harry Macklowe 34 7,8 3,8 IRC

12 VIRIELLA ITA Vittorio Moretti 36 8 5,5 IRC

13 VIRTUELLE ITA Carlo Perrone 24 6,2 4 IRC

14 ANAMCARA ITA Salvatore Trifirò 31 6,8 3,3 JONGERT

15 BLUE QUETZAL USA Hervé Le Bayon 20,2 5,35 2,6 JONGERT

16 CUTTY SARK AUT Leopold Wedl 20,5 4,85 2,5 JONGERT

17 DANUBIO III ESP D. José Figueras Mitjans 28,4 5,9 2,9 JONGERT

18 INSPIRATION GER Herbert Dahm 22,1 5,77 3,65 JONGERT

19 SEA ROSE STAR GER Gustav Stabernack 26,7 6,58 3,05 JONGERT

20 WHITE GARUDA GBR Colin M. Serlin 22,5 5,26 2,85 JONGERT

21 ADELA USA George Lindemann 55 7 5 SPIRIT OF TRADITION

22 CYRANO DE BERGERAC BER Luca Bassani Antivari 39 8,6 3,6 SPIRIT OF TRADITION

23 WHITEFIN ITA Alfredo Canessa 27,43 6,2 3,2 SPIRIT OF TRADITION

24 CARRERA LUX Alex Jackson 24 5,95 4,5 WALLY

25 GENIE OF THE LAMP LUX Genie S.A 24 5,8 4 WALLY

26 GIBIAN BVI Armando Grandi 30,4 6,8 4,2 WALLY

27 KAURIS III ITA Marco Tronchetti Provera 32,8 7 4,3 WALLY

28 MAGIC CARPET SQUARED GBR Lindsay Owen Jones 28,8 6,1 5 WALLY

29 NARIIDA NOR Morten Bergsen 32 7,9 5 WALLY

30 TIKETITAN GER Thomas Bscher 27 6,4 3,95 WALLY

31 TUAMATA GBR Claudio Luti 24 5,85 3,5 WALLY

32 WALLY B LUX Maritime Charter Corporat

33 7,92 5 WALLY 33 WALLYÑO GBR Luca Bassani Antivari 18,46 4,95 4 WALLY

34 Y3K GER Claus Peter Offen 28,55 6,4 4,7 WALLY