Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010 - Crunch time

by Jill Campbell on 11 Sep 2010 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010 - The penultimate day brought a whole new set of challenges to the 47 competing yachts as they got to grips with their first day of light air. Heading into the final race day Esimit Europa 2 (Racing & Racing/Cruising), Y3K (Wally) and Ranger (J Boats) retain the lead in their respective divisions while Hetairos moves to the top of the Super Maxi division. Alegre continues her domination of the Mini Maxi fleet competing in their inaugural World Championship.

The yachts sailed a 38 nautical mile coastal course with the exception of the Wally division which sailed two windward-leewards just off Porto Cervo. In 8 to 10 knots of northerly breeze the coastal course took the Maxis west through the strait between Capo Ferro and the Isola delle Bisce island to round the Secca Tre Monti rock before circling out around the Monaci island and north to leave Barrattinelli di Fuori and Spargi to port. From here they embarked on a downwind run to the Secca Tre Monti and the finish line.

Among the Mini Maxis Neville Crichton’s Shockwave (NZL) led the fleet across the line in real time but today it was the turn of Ops 5 (ITA), the smallest boat in the fleet owned by Massimo Violati to take victory in corrected time ahead of Alegre (GBR) and Brian Benjamin’s Aegir (GBR). The 24 boats which make up the fleet are scheduled to run two windward-leewards tomorrow to bring them to the maximum nine races foreseen in the rules of the event. Alegre, owned by Andy Soriano, continues to hold the lead in the overall classification as she has done since day one. In second place, despite hitting a rock at the top of the course and having to withdraw is Niklas Zennstrom’s Ran.

Thanks to the discard coming into play she still sits four points ahead of Shockwave however, and is still hoping to race tomorrow according to her tactician Tommaso Chieffi: 'We were well up the fleet, fourth and the race was still wide open. At Spargiotti there is a rock that sticks out a long way from the coast. I know about this rock but usually I come round in a clockwise direction and we were changing sails and concentrating on getting back in the race and suddenly we came to a halt and it was the rock. Although there was a big swell we couldn’t get over the rock and had to retire. I don’t think the damage is too bad. I’m hoping it can be fixed overnight and we can go sailing tomorrow.

In the Super Maxi division the 38 metre classic ketch Hetairos (CAY) came in first in corrected time followed by Marco Vogele’s Gliss (SUI) and Hasso Plattner’s Visione (GER). Hetairos now moves up to first place overall with Visione just one point behind. Hamilton II is in third. Depsite Velsheda (GBR) gaining her first win over the other J Class Ranger (CAY) in today’s race she remains eight points behind her rival.

In the Racing & Racing Cruising division Esimit Europa 2 (SLO), owned by Igor Simcic, continued to dominate. The light winds obviously favoured this 30-metre racer which took line honours 43 minutes ahead of second-placed Highland Fling (GBR). Both retained their places in corrected time with Danilo Salsi’s DSK Pioneer Investments in third. The overall classification has Esimit in the lead with a 1,2,1,1 scoreline with Highland Fling in second.

It was a good day for Germany in the Wally division as Claus Peter Offen’s Y3K (GER) took her first bullet of the series in the first windward-leeward race ahead of Andrea Recordati’s Indio (ITA). The second race saw Peter Bscher’s Open Season (GER) claim the top spot ahead of Magic Carpet 2 owned by former L’Oreal CEO Lindsay Owen-Jones. Today’s win allowed Y3K to widen her lead slightly in the overall classification however she is by no means in a comfortable position heading into tomorrow’s final race: she sits three points ahead of Magic Carpet while Indio is a further two points down in third.

Competitors will be able to kick back and relax before tomorrow’s grand finale at the Rolex Party to be held this evening at the Colonna Park Hotel.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010 will conclude tomorrow, Saturday September 11th, with racing scheduled to start at 11.30 and the final prize giving in programme for 5.30 p.m. in the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Piazza Azzurra.