Rolex IMS Offshore World Championships Preview

OLYMPIC TALENT COMING TO VALENCIA IN A BID TO BEAT THE 'INVINCIBLE' KING

At least 80 boats will contest the Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship in Valencia this July, following the Spanish port's successful hosting of the IMS 50-foot World Championship last year. That is the prediction of Anaki Castaner, the America's Cup veteran who works at North Sails Spain.

"There are at least 50 or 60 Spanish boats that will race in the Championship," said Castaner. "And there is a lot of interest from overseas."

The Rolex IMS Offshore Worlds is set to attract one of the greatest gatherings of sailing talent since the Olympic Games in Sydney, with a number of Olympic medallists due to compete.

Jose Luis Doreste, a double Olympic champion, will be steering a new 46-footer (14m), Banco Spirito di Santo, being constructed in South Africa. It comes from the drawing board of Botin & Carkeek, two young South African designers who some say are the new face of IMS design. Another Olympic champion, Jose van der Ploeg, will also be competing, as will America's Cup helmsman Pedro Campos.

Castaner, who spent a number of years racing with King Juan Carlos of Spain aboard a succession of IMS racers called Bribon, is currently having his own boat constructed, a 42-footer (13m) designed by Manuel Ruiz de Elvira, the young up-and-coming Spanish designer who works closely with Rolf Vrolijk. "I think it will be a very fast boat, with many new ideas. But the King will still be difficult to beat."

With a dominant record in 2000 including victory in the prestigious Copa del Rey, the King of Spain and his veteran crew aboard Bribon, are the class act in a quality IMS fleet. Whether his regular tactician, Bouwe Bekking, is able to compete is not clear, as the Danish professional is set to race in the Volvo Ocean Race this September and may not be released from duty.

There is however, plenty of home-grown talent waiting to knock Bribon off her perch. Vincente Tirado is managing a two-boat campaign. He has bought the reigning IMS 50-foot world champion, Innovision 7 (winner of the Rolex IMS World Championship in 1999). Re-named Castellon Costa Azahar, she will be helmed by Santiago Lopez Vasquez, who narrowly missed a medal in the 49er fleet at the Olympics last year.

Tirado is also having a new boat constructed at Neville Hutton's boat yard in Lymington, also designed by Botin and Carkeek. Snipe champion Roberto Vermudez is to steer this new boat, whilst America's Cup sailor Antonio "Talpi" Piris is overseeing construction of the 52-footer (16m) which should be ready for action this May. Neville Hutton said: "The designers have put a lot of really interesting ideas into this boat. There is a lot of America's Cup influence in the design, with steep, vertical top-sides, a knuckle bow and huge foils. I really think these guys are the future of IMS design."

One man who might take exception to that opinion is Germàn Frers, the Argentine designer responsible for the latest Bribon and her baby sistership, the 43-footer (13m) Mascalzone Latino. Mascalzone was built for Italian shipping tycoon Vincenzo Onorato, who swept all before him in the cruising/racing division of the Rolex IMS Offshore Worlds at Newport, R.I. last year.

Now Onorato - who is also mounting a challenge for the America's Cup - is back with a new boat for this Championship - a 51-footer (16m) designed by Bruce Farr. Onorato's professional tactician, who helped him win in Newport and at the Mumm 30 Worlds last year, is Vasco Vascotto. "It is a very different boat, with many new ideas," he said. "It is designed for the upgraded IMS rule and will have an overlapping jib. I think it will be very fast."

Vascotto said Pasquale Landolfi's Brava Q8 would be back with Flavio Favini running the famous 50-footer. Judging by their performances in the last two Rolex IMS Offshore Worlds, in Sardinia and Newport, and looking at the calibre of their sailors this time around, the Italians will again be one of the toughest nations at the event.

But do not count out the Americans, the Scandinavians or the Austrian team headed by Rainer Wilhelm. His IMS 47 Team Astrok 99 has been optimised by designers Judel/Vrolijk and he has got a crack squad lined up for the event. "Soling European Champion Christian Binder will be steering, and I plan to have Roman Hagara racing too," he said. Hagara is best known for having won the Tornado World Championships and for a bronze medal at the Olympics last year.

The Dutch too, are fielding a strong team on a new IMX40, one of 12 that are believed to be coming. The Xiphias Racing team includes Olympic talent like former Europe world champion Carolijn Brouwer and former Whitbread skipper Arend van Bergyk in its squad.

With all this Olympic and America's Cup talent converging on Valencia, the King will have his work cut out to maintain his almost perfect record aboard Bribon. The Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship takes place from 2nd - 8th July 2001.

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