Maxi Rolex Cup 2001...Olympic Champions line up for battle

by Sussanah Bourne on 5 Apr 2001 Sailing in tough conditions with yachts built at the very edges of technological advancement, means tiny errors can potentially result in huge - and expensive - disaster.

It is no wonder that the owners of these multimillion dollar yachts choose to employ the best to call tactics and steer. America’s Cup sailors and Olympic Champions are signed up for the key positions - not just because the owners will stop at nothing to win - but more because it would be false economy to employ second best.

One wrong move and you could be caught in an expensive and highly embarrassing collision with a rival. One late haul on the runners and your custom built carbon rig might come crashing down.

Mauro Pelaschier, the Italian America’s Cup helmsman, is a regular figure on board Riccardo Bonadeo’s IMS Maxi yacht Rrose Selavy. Olympic Champion Thierry Peponnet will take the glittering twin-wheels of Carlo Perrone’s Virtuelle, a marvel of ultra sleek yacht design combined with interior chic conjured up by Philippe Starck.

Luca Bassani, 1998 Mumm 30 World Champion and founder of Wally, the luxury yacht builder, may have sold his beloved Tiketitan, but he is in the process of completing a sister ship, Tiketitoo - expected to be significantly quicker on all points of sailing. He too will have professional support in the person of multi - World Champion Vasco Vascotto.

The new owner of Tiketitan, a German motor racing magnate has lined up Jochen Schumann, a three time Olympic Champion to get the best out of this complex, swing keeled, 88’ flying machine.

Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of cosmetic giant L’Oréal when not racing yachts, will doubtless call on the services of America’s Cup legend Bruno Troublé in a bid to defend his Light Crusing Division title, clinched last year aboard his 77’ Wally Magic Carpet.

Paolo Massarini, Racing Director of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, commented “We see these yachts and their super star afterguards come to Porto Cervo every year, but the novelty of watching some of the best sailors in the world race these hi-tech machines within inches of each other never disappears. It is an experience that lives with you forever.”

As to who will take the honours this year, the trophies and the Rolex timepieces, as ever it is hard to predict. These maxi yachts are as temperamental as Formula One cars.

Jim Dolan’s Maxi racer Sagamore has been cleaning up in early season regattas on the east coast of U.S.A. Whether she will carry that form over to the Mediterranean is another matter - she will certainly have her work cut out against the likes of Alexia and other IMS Maxi’s.

Other title contenders in the fleet include Edimetra, My Song, Solleone and Maligaya. Rest assured that between now and September, all these Maxi yacht owners and their crew will be doing everything in their power, to hit the start line at maximum speed when they gather for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup this summer.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and takes place from 2nd-8th September 2001.