PHOTO GALLERY September 16, 2019

More than just a regatta

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup concluded in Porto Cervo

Summing up the competition, YCCS Commander Riccardo Bonadeo described the current Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup as follows: «Costa Smeralda has decided to give us the perfect weather for the 30th anniversary of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: sun and wind, thanks to which all the races went exactly as planned. This competition is much more than just a regatta, it is a combination of many factors: the sea, the wind, the surrounding scenery, the organisation, the spirit of the participants - boat owners and crew».

The winner of the Mini Maxi Racer 1 fleet was the Italian Maxi 72 Cannonball team. «It's a win we've been looking forward to and wishing for, having won second place twice at the last Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. We won in a class where the competition is very strong. All thanks to an exceptional team that really worked like Swiss watches!» - says Cannonball owner and helmsman Dario Ferrari. Second place went to the crew of IRC 72 Vesper under the flag of the Cayman Islands. The team was 3 points behind the winners. «American Maxi 72 Bella Mente won bronze» in this division.

This year, even as if summoning ancient sea monsters octopus on a British PD60 SPECTRE genaker did not help the team to become the first in the division Mini Maxi Racer 2 class. With 4 out of 5 possible victories British Vismara 62 RC SuperNikka is expected to be the best. «We have been in the same line-up for five years now and have prepared the boat perfectly. When the boat is fast, we are free to choose the best tactics and can protect ourselves when needed. All thanks to a crew that does a fantastic job. Our immediate rivals are spectacular. Wild Joe and Spectre have excellent professionals on board, our races are always very intense, the boats are close together, mistakes are unacceptable. Of course, with a boat like ours, racing in this mode is much easier», - says SuperNikka owner and helmsman Roberto Lacorte.

The fleet of Mini Maxi RC turned out to be one of those in which a simple calculation of points was not enough to determine the winner. As a result, the first place went to the Swan 601 Flow team under the flag of the Cayman Islands. Unlike its closest rival, the Italian Mylius 60 Fra Diavolo, Flow had 3 out of 6 racing wins in its piggy bank. The Italians had never had a smile of luck.

Similarly, the parishes decided the fate of the Italian Vallicelli 80 H2O and the Austrian Swan 651 Lunz Am Meer in the Mini Maxi CR division. With three victories at H2O against one at Lunz Am Meer, the Italians were voted the best team.

The situation was repeated in the Maxi Racers fleet. Three victories against two, and «gold» goes to the RP 82 Custom Highland Fling XI from the British Isles of Maine, not the American Maxi Canting Rambler.

But in Maxi RC class the situation was difficult: the greatest number of first arrivals, and in general the result in the first three days of the regatta was the Maltese Cookson 85 Vera. However, because of a broken rudder axis the boat did not finish in the fourth race and missed the last, fifth. As a result, the team took only third place at the end of the race. The British Swan 90 Nefertiti and the Maltese SW-RP90 All Smoke, which were 3 points ahead of Vera, could boast only one first arrival, so the winner was determined by the number of second arrivals. As a result, the «gold» went to the British.

«The old» Velsheda is a classic J-class yacht that was built in 1933. However, this does not prevent her crew from winning races in the fleet with more modern yachts such as the J-Class relative Topaz (2015) or Maxi Dolphin 118 Viriella (2001). «These boats, which were invented for the America's Cup in the 30's, are incredibly fast but very well balanced and simply beautiful. That's how you turn around to see another J-Class boat, and then you realize that you are part of the same spectacle. In the end, it's not the top speed that counts, but a worthy opponent, especially one so good»,

The Maltese flag team Terry Hui, who passed through the crucible of the «America»'s Cup and round the world Ocean Race, won the Wally fleet. «The boat is fantastic, the owner, Terry, learns very quickly. He always focuses on the numbers when he leads the boat and tries to make sure everything is perfect»,

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Beauties of the Costa Smeralda

Summing up the competition, YCCS Commander Riccardo Bonadeo described the current Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup as follows: «Costa Smeralda has decided to give us the perfect weather for the 30th anniversary of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: sun and wind, thanks to which all the races went exactly as planned. This competition is much more than just a regatta, it is a combination of many factors: the sea, the wind, the surrounding scenery, the organisation, the spirit of the participants - boat owners and crew».

2 / 9

Cannoball и Vesper

The winner of the Mini Maxi Racer 1 fleet was the Italian Maxi 72 Cannonball team. «It's a win we've been looking forward to and wishing for, having won second place twice at the last Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. We won in a class where the competition is very strong. All thanks to an exceptional team that really worked like Swiss watches!» - says Cannonball owner and helmsman Dario Ferrari. Second place went to the crew of IRC 72 Vesper under the flag of the Cayman Islands. The team was 3 points behind the winners. «American Maxi 72 Bella Mente won bronze» in this division.

3 / 9

This is no time to relax!

This year, even as if summoning ancient sea monsters octopus on a British PD60 SPECTRE genaker did not help the team to become the first in the division Mini Maxi Racer 2 class. With 4 out of 5 possible victories British Vismara 62 RC SuperNikka is expected to be the best. «We have been in the same line-up for five years now and have prepared the boat perfectly. When the boat is fast, we are free to choose the best tactics and can protect ourselves when needed. All thanks to a crew that does a fantastic job. Our immediate rivals are spectacular. Wild Joe and Spectre have excellent professionals on board, our races are always very intense, the boats are close together, mistakes are unacceptable. Of course, with a boat like ours, racing in this mode is much easier», - says SuperNikka owner and helmsman Roberto Lacorte.

4 / 9

Flow

The fleet of Mini Maxi RC turned out to be one of those in which a simple calculation of points was not enough to determine the winner. As a result, the first place went to the Swan 601 Flow team under the flag of the Cayman Islands. Unlike its closest rival, the Italian Mylius 60 Fra Diavolo, Flow had 3 out of 6 racing wins in its piggy bank. The Italians had never had a smile of luck.

5 / 9

H2O

Similarly, the parishes decided the fate of the Italian Vallicelli 80 H2O and the Austrian Swan 651 Lunz Am Meer in the Mini Maxi CR division. With three victories at H2O against one at Lunz Am Meer, the Italians were voted the best team.

6 / 9

Highland Fling XI

The situation was repeated in the Maxi Racers fleet. Three victories against two, and «gold» goes to the RP 82 Custom Highland Fling XI from the British Isles of Maine, not the American Maxi Canting Rambler.

7 / 9

All Smoke

But in Maxi RC class the situation was difficult: the greatest number of first arrivals, and in general the result in the first three days of the regatta was the Maltese Cookson 85 Vera. However, because of a broken rudder axis the boat did not finish in the fourth race and missed the last, fifth. As a result, the team took only third place at the end of the race. The British Swan 90 Nefertiti and the Maltese SW-RP90 All Smoke, which were 3 points ahead of Vera, could boast only one first arrival, so the winner was determined by the number of second arrivals. As a result, the «gold» went to the British.

8 / 9

The Velsheda and Topaz duel

«The old» Velsheda is a classic J-class yacht that was built in 1933. However, this does not prevent her crew from winning races in the fleet with more modern yachts such as the J-Class relative Topaz (2015) or Maxi Dolphin 118 Viriella (2001). «These boats, which were invented for the America's Cup in the 30's, are incredibly fast but very well balanced and simply beautiful. That's how you turn around to see another J-Class boat, and then you realize that you are part of the same spectacle. In the end, it's not the top speed that counts, but a worthy opponent, especially one so good»," said Nacho Postigo, Topaz's second best navigator.

9 / 9

Lyra

The Maltese flag team Terry Hui, who passed through the crucible of the «America»'s Cup and round the world Ocean Race, won the Wally fleet. «The boat is fantastic, the owner, Terry, learns very quickly. He always focuses on the numbers when he leads the boat and tries to make sure everything is perfect»," said the tactician aboard the Wally 78 Lyra Hamish Pepper.

Text by: Anastasiya Nosova

Image courtesy of: Max Ranchi, StudioBorlenghi

The 30th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was held at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) in Porto Cervo, northern Sardinia, from 1-7 September. This year, divided into 8 fleets, 53 teams took part in the event.

During the regatta, there were between 5 and 7 races for them, depending on the fleet. The fight for first place in the overall standings in each group was so fierce that in half of them which of the teams with equal points will get«gold», and who - «silver», had to be determined by parishes.