Rolex IMS worlds at Capri, Italy - Day 1
by Rolex IMS worlds media 18 May 2004 00:16 PDT
The Rolex IMS Worlds, scheduled to start today in the waters of the Gulf of Naples, had to be postponed due to a lack of wind. The day had begun with a good north-easterly breeze that unfortunately died by mid-morning. With the variable wind dropping to only five knots, the Jury was initially forced to push back the start of the races that had been set for midday, then finally to cancel them completely.
The sixth Rolex IMS Offshore World Championships in Capri, sponsored by Rolex, has been organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, in collaboration with the Capri Yacht Club.
The IMS yachts that have arrived in Capri hail from ten different nations – in addition to Italy, they come from Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Norway, U.S.A, Uruguay, Croatia, Spain and Great Britain. Among these beautiful yachts is one with an all female crew, that of “La Veneta”, a First 36.7, classified as “corinthian”, therefore with only one professional crew member aboard (as stipulated by the new ISAF classification code). The crew is made up of a group of friends hailing from Rome, with the exception of Daniela Magistro at the helm who has been loaned to the crew by the Italian Navy. The skipper is Patrizia De Rose. “La Veneta” has already proved itself with good performances at the recent Gaeta regatta and “Riva di Traiano”.
The main event in tomorrow’s program, weather permitting, is the start of the distance race, which is to be concluded no later than Wednesday, May 19.
To brighten the spirits of the crews and owners, tonight there is the “Sardinian Crew Party”. For this occasion, the docks of the Marina Grande play host to the fabulous food offerings of the Monte Acuto region of Sardinia.