Yacht Club Monaco leads at Invitational Smeralda 888

by Jill Campbell on 18 Jul 2009
The Smeralda 888 fleet has returned to Porto Cervo for the third event of the season: following the success of the Vela & Golf and Coppa Europa events in May, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is hosting the Invitational Smeralda 888 from 17th to 19th July.

Ten Smeralda 888 sloops are participating, representing Gstaad Yacht Club of Switzerland, the Royal Ocean Racing Club of Great Britain, Italy’s Yacht Club Lignano and the Yacht Club de Monaco. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is represented by Vittorio Codecasa on his Giada. After two windward leeward races held in today’s first day of competition, Adalberto Miani’s Botta Dritta lead’s the fleet ahead of Vamos Mi Amor, owned by Prince Charles De Bourbon. Ian Isley’s Bear Essential sits in third place overall, leaving the Yacht Club de Monaco holding all three top places with each of the teams on four points.

Race One, which started on schedule at 2.30 pm in approximately 12 knots of wind from 120°, saw a hard-fought battle between Vamos Mi Amor and Bear Essential with Vamos Mi Amor leading around the first windward mark only to be overtaken by Bear Essential at the leeward mark. Vamos regained the lead by the second windward mark and just managed to lead Isley across the finish line. Botta Dritta took third place.

The breeze held for Race Two and Bear Essential took the start. At the first windward mark Botta Dritta had moved up to take the lead ahead of Bear Essential and Alderico Paganini’s Adsglen. Botta Dritta and Bear Essential held their respective positions to cross the finish line ahead of Vamos Mi Amor with Adsgeln in fourth.

The course was adjusted to 135° for the start of race three which, however, the Race Committee was forced to abandon at 4.30 pm as the breeze died almost completely and left the fleet practically motionless.

Racing is scheduled to continue tomorrow Saturday 18th June with the first starting signal at 12 midday. Racing will conclude on Sunday 19th June and will be followed by the prize giving at the YCCS Clubhouse.

Overall Classification
Position, Boat, Captain, Yacht Club. R1, R2. Total points

Botta Dritta, Adalberto Miani, Yacht Club de Monaco. 3,1. 4
Vamos Mi Amor, Prince Charles de Bourbon, Yacht Club de Monaco. 1, 3. 4
Bear Essential, Ian Isley, Yacht Club de Monaco. 2, 2. 4

For further information on the event please visit www.yccs.it or contact the press office.