34th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda – Overall
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 14 Sep 12:27 PDT
8-14 September 2024
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship © ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi
The concluding day of the 34th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the inaugural Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship was outstanding.
This event, organized by YCCS with support from title sponsor Rolex, celebrating 40 years of partnership, along with the International Maxi Association (IMA), saw the fleet complete a coastal race due to Mistral winds varying from 16 to 24 knots—ideal conditions that highlight Porto Cervo’s international reputation. Among the spectators were Quanhai Li, President of World Sailing, and Francesco Ettorre, President of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV).
Joost Schuijff’s Leopard 3, with Ed Baird—winner of the 32nd America’s Cup as Alinghi’s tactician—secured the first victory in the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship.
Also taking home top honors in their respective divisions at the 34th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup included: George Sakellaris’ Proteus in the Maxi 2 class, the J Class yacht Svea in the Supermaxi category, Aldo Parisotto’s Oscar 3 in Maxi 3, Riccardo de Michele’s H2O in Maxi 4, and Riccardo Pavoncelli’s Gaetana in the Multihull class.
To optimize this final competition day, the Race Committee advanced the start time to 10 a.m. CEST, and racing commenced promptly under excellent conditions, with Mistral winds of 16 to 18 knots. The Maxi 1 and 2 classes competed on a roughly 43-mile course that initially directed both divisions south to round Mortorio and Soffi islands, progressing to an upwind leg through Passo delle Bisce strait into La Maddalena channel, before making a clockwise circuit around La Maddalena and Caprera islands and returning to Porto Cervo, leaving the Monaci islet on the right and the Secca di Tre Monti shoal on the left.
All other classes completed a roughly 31-mile course: the fleet rounded Monaci islet to port and sailed a close-reaching upwind leg toward Secca di Tre Monti shoal, subsequently completing the clockwise circumnavigation of La Maddalena and Caprera islands before heading back to Porto Cervo on a downwind leg.
The newly-crowned world champion, the 100-foot Leopard 3, triumphed with today’s victory, alongside two fourth-place finishes in earlier windward-leeward races this week, culminating in a total of 9 points. Django HF followed with 12 points, and the WallyCento V secured 14 points. In the competitive Maxi 1 class, both Deep Blue and Bullitt also concluded with 14 points but were placed lower due to countback.
A similar scenario unfolded in the Maxi 2 and Supermaxi classes. In the Maxi 2 category, Proteus shared equal points (8) with Jolt, but secured the top spot due to its victory in the final race. Northstar of London finished in third. Meanwhile, among the Supermaxi class, the J Class yacht Svea won today’s race, overtaking Moat, the first coastal race winner. Velsheda, the other competing J Class yacht, took third.
In the Maxi 3 class, Aldo Parisotto’s Oscar 3 finished first, followed by today’s race winner, Spirit of Lorina, and Grande Orazio, who shared equal points for third place. Likewise in the Maxi 4 class, H2O clinched victory, followed by Wallyño in second and Shirlaf in third, also tied on points.
The 66-footer Gaetana enjoyed two wins, securing the Multihull class title, with Allegra in second and Highland Fling XVIII in third.
Throughout today’s race, spectators enjoyed thrilling duels between boats with similar performance characteristics, such as the four competing Maxi 2 boats, multihulls Allegra and Highland Fling XVIII, and J Class yachts Svea and Velsheda. The competition was also intensely close between 100-footers Galateia and SHK Scallywag, as well as between Oscar 3 and Grande Orazio in the Maxi 3 class, and the 60-footers Wallyño, owned by IMA President Benoît de Froidmont, and Manticore.
Today, three young athletes from the Young Azzurra sports program had the chance to race on three distinct maxi yachts owned by YCCS members. Maddalena Spanu (current Wingfoil world champion), Federico Pilloni (iQFOiL world youth champion), and Cesare Barabino, an ILCA 7 athlete, enjoyed this enlightening experience.
Andrea Recordati, YCCS Commodore, stated: “This 34th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was undeniably challenging due to weather conditions that limited our racing opportunities. However, credit must go to the Race Committee and the entire Yacht Club Costa Smeralda organization for their efforts. Today truly met expectations, providing the brisk, consistent winds characteristic of Costa Smeralda and a stunning coastal course through the La Maddalena archipelago. Congratulations to all the winners in their classes, and thanks to all participants for making the event extraordinary once again. I also wish to express gratitude to World Sailing President Quanhai Li for his vital support and attendance here in Porto Cervo, as well as a big thank you to our partner Rolex, with whom we’re celebrating 40 years of collaboration.”
During the well-attended award ceremony at Piazza Azzurra, Rolex timepieces were presented to owners of the first-place yachts, alongside two perpetual trophies honoring Commodore Alberini, awarded to Adrian Keller of Allegra, and the Paolo Massarini ORC Challenge Trophy for the Supermaxi class winner, Svea. Additionally, Riccardo de Michele, owner of H2O, was awarded for being the top-ranking YCCS member.
During this year’s 34th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, electric buoys featuring GPS positioning were employed for race starts and windward-leeward courses, eliminating anchoring and preserving seabed integrity.
The YCCS is now preparing for the upcoming 22nd Rolex Swan Cup, set to commence on Monday, 16th September.
Further details can be found at www.yccs.it
