Seconds away, J Class Svea secures hat trick title at Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
by J Class Association 16 Sep 03:35 PDT
8-14 September 2024
J Class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup © ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi
Winning the second and final coastal race of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup by mere seconds, the skilled crew of the Swedish J Class yacht Svea earned the overall title in the Super Maxi division.
After finishing second in the first coastal race behind the dominant Swan 115 Moat—who won last year’s regatta and also claimed victory at the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta earlier in the summer on the same Costa Smeralda waters—Svea secured the overall title on a count back. Their overall victory hinged on a narrow winning margin of just 28 seconds achieved over the 31-nautical mile course that circled La Maddalena and Cabrera islands.
Svea ended up second in the first coastal race, won by the large NautorSwan, managing to beat the tenacious Velsheda by just 17 seconds after an exhilarating head-to-head battle throughout the scenic La Maddalena Islands archipelago. Unfortunately, the flagship regatta was hindered by strong Mistral winds that dominated most of the week, allowing only these two races to be held.
After two days of waiting, the first coastal race took place on Wednesday morning in optimal conditions—starting with 11 knots and peaking at 13 knots but fading to seven—while Saturday’s conclusion tested the crew’s agility and speed in brisk conditions, with winds between 13-24 knots from the west, requiring a beat through the so-called ‘bomb alley’ and a broad reach down the islands’ outer side to finish off Porto Cervo at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s finish line.
With two consecutive wins in the J Class in 2022 and 2023, this victory marks Svea’s third consecutive triumph at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.
Paul Kelly, Svea’s boat captain, expressed excitement: “Today [Saturday] we were able to extend our lead on Velsheda all the way up and around the top, but downwind they had incredible boat speed. We feared they might catch us at the finish but we managed to fend them off. It was enough for the overall win—three years in a row and we are absolutely thrilled. Time on the water is crucial for us, and having a game plan and adhering to it is our approach. Moat sped ahead on the reach, but we gained on her with adjusted time.”
Tom Dodson, tactician for Velsheda, stated, “We had a clean day today [Saturday] but miscalculated our timing before the start, allowing Svea a much better start than us. We caught a glimpse of Svea during the first short beat—at 1.8 miles it was pretty brief, so it was just a glimpse; we reached the lay line too quickly and then focused on keeping close and waiting for them to make a mistake. We gained a little on the downwind. Once our boat speed exceeds 11 knots, Velsheda thrives, but this course required finding a way to catch up, and there was always a corner where they might push us back.”
“It’s unfortunate, but I believe the race committee did the best they could. It was always going to be challenging to manage more than a couple of races. They succeeded, and taking care of these boats is vital as we don’t want to risk breaking equipment or injuring anyone.”
All eyes are now on the J Class Barcelona Regatta 2024, scheduled from 5-11 October.
