There was great enthusiasm and competitive spirit on the second day of the 35th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the renowned and highly-watched global competition organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of the International Maxi Association and Rolex.
After the first race was cancelled due to calm seas, the race on Tuesday 9 September offered the fleet gathered in Porto Cervo excellent north-westerly wind conditions, averaging 16 knots.
The 18 knots of the initial phases were followed by a slight drop, more marked in the final phases, around 10-12 knots depending on the class.
The Race Committee's decision to bring the start forward to 11 a.m., compared to the traditional time of noon, therefore proved to be the right one.
The fleet of eight boats competing in the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship ran two windward-leeward races, with Peter Harrison’s Jolt dominating with a first and second place finish.
Second place for Bella Mente, third place for Django 7X at 2 and 3 points respectively from the first.
For all other classes, including the Maxi 1s competing for their class world championship, the Race Committee planned a coastal course of approximately 30 miles, which took the fleet clockwise around the La Maddalena Archipelago before returning to Porto Cervo.
In the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship the first provisional leader of the standings is the brand new Magic Carpet E which completed the entire course in just over two hours at an average speed of almost 14 knots with peak speeds that touched 30 knots.
In second place was Bullitt, the Wally 93 owned by YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati, with the WallyCento V third.
In the Maxi 3 class, the RP79 Nice yacht prevailed over the Botin 65 Spirit of Lorina and the Southern Wind 82 Grande Orazio.
The Vallicelli 78 H2O leads the Maxi 4 class, ahead of Yoru and Manticore.
In the Supermaxi class, the Swan 115 Moat is in the lead ahead of the Wally 94 Inti and the Frers 118' Viriella.
Racing resumes on the third day of racing scheduled for Wednesday 10 September at 12pm with mistral winds forecast between 15 and 20 knots.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, now in its 35th year, is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of the International Maxi Association and Title Sponsor Rolex. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the sponsorship, having first associated its name with the race in 1985.
LP