Glynn Williams wins Swan 45s at Rolex Capri

by Event media on 25 May 2008
Rolex Capri Sailing Week ended today in a fading breeze, but with no reduction in the entertainment value or the intensity on the water. The final class winners were: Neville Crichton's 30.5 metre Reichel-Pugh designed Alfa Romeo in the Maxi Class, Maurizio Biscardi's Comet 45S Libertine in the Comet Class and Glynn Williams' WISC in the Swan 45s

Clearly those who favoured light airs had prayed harder to the wind gods overnight and were rewarded with flat water and a breeze that hardly strayed into double figures. Only one overnight leader managed to hang onto their lead, the two others tripping at the last fence. All classes sailed on a windward/leeward course; the Maxi Class sailed one 8.2-mile race, the Comets sailed one 6.5-mile race whilst the Swan 45s sailed that distance twice.

The best action was in the nineteen-boat Swan 45 owner-driver, one-design class. In the end, it was the British crew of WISC that came out on top. The Germans on Earlybird were not able to reignite the spark that had secured them two wins yesterday. The Italians on Vertigo, however, were doing even more and Vasco Vascotto showed once again why he is such a sought after tactician.

Outfoxing all the frontrunners, except race winner Lanfranco Grilla's Fantasikinaa, Vertigo shot home in second passing WISC en route. This was not enough. Despite some last-minute tribulations on the downwind leg, Williams brought his team home in fourth to win by four points from Salvi.

In the Maxi Class, the absence of Neville Crichton was not so obvious today. Alfa Romeo scorched around the course in just under the hour to finish a good twelve minutes ahead of Favonius on corrected time.

Unfortunately, for Roel Pieper and tactician, Roy Heiner, Leonardo Ferragamo's Cuordileone and the other Swan 601, Spirit of Jethou, also corrected out ahead of her. Fourth place was the worst of results for the Dutch crew, tying them on points with the longer, faster New Zealand supermaxi. Alfa had a considerable edge in countback with four first places, to Favonius' one.

Roel Pieper has the consolation of winning the Swan Maxi Class this week, leg two of the Circuit that finishes in Sardinia in September. Next up for this inaugural circuit is the Giraglia Rolex Cup in Saint-Tropez at the beginning of June. Sir Peter Ogden and Spirit of Jethou, who finished second in the Swan Maxi Class (and third in the overall Maxi classification), go into that event leading the Circuit.

In the Comet class, the defending champion Libertine held its nerve to win the final race of its series at Rolex Capri Sailing Week and therefore hold on to first place overall. Fra Diavolo could only finish fourth today and whilst Agora, the early event pacesetter, finished third, Libertine's fourth bullet of the week was more than enough to secure the prize.


Final leading positions

MAXI
1. ALFA ROMEO Neville Crichton NZL, 1-1-1-9-2-3-1-18.00
2. FAVONIUS Roel Pieper BVI, 2-2-4-3-1-2-4-18.00
3. SPIRIT OF JETHOU Sir Peter Ogden GBR, 3-4-2-1-3-4-3-20.00

SWAN 45
1. WISC Glynn Williams GBR, 6-1-3-9-7-7-4-5-4-46.00
2. VERTIGO Marco Salvi ITA, 1-2-12-1-8-11-11-2-2-50.00
3. EARLYBIRD Hendrick Brandis GBR, 2-17-5-3-2-1-1-15-10-56.00

COMET
1. LIBERTINE Maurizio Biscardi ITA, 1-3-1-3-1-5-1-15.00
2. FRA DIAVOLO Vincenzo Addessi ITA, 4-2-4-1-4-3-4-22.00
3. AGORA Marco Franco c/o Emmeffe Sail Srl ITA, 2-1-2-2-6-7-3-23.00

Event website - www.yccapri.com