Rolex Volcano Race 2011 (May 24-28) – Playing with fire

This afternoon, Tuesday May 24, the first ever Rolex Volcano Race, part of Rolex Capri Sailing Week, will start just outside the picturesque medieval town of Gaeta, Italy. The fleet, composed entirely of Maxi and Mini Maxi yachts, will start a 400-mile odyssey and witness some of the most stunning scenery in the hauntingly beautiful Tyrrhenian Sea. Thirteen boats representing 6 Nations will race past the Pontine Islands, before turning east to round Capri, for the first time, on this new offshore race. The yachts will then head south, to the Aeolian Islands, a volcanic archipelago just north of Sicily, before heading north to finish the race in Capri, the small and unique island that overlooks the blue water of the Mediterranean, with Naples and Vesuvius looming in the distance.This dramatic new race is called the “Rolex Volcano Race” for good reason. Stromboli and Vulcano are both marks of the course and are both active volcanoes; their mesmeric beauty is honoured by UNESCO, who has listed both of these awe-inspiring islands as World Heritage sites. Stromboli in particular, is well known to participants of the Rolex Middle Sea Race and many have witnessed its explosive power, as flames of blazing orange shoot skyward.

Alegre (GBR), Armeigin III (POR), aRObas (FRA), DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA), Edimetra (ITA), Good Job Guys (ITA), Grande Orazio (ITA), H2O (ITA), Skagerrak (ITA), STIG (ITA), Vertical Smile (DEN), Viking IV (ITA) and Wild Joe (HUN) are participating in this new challenge.

Live tracking on IMAweb site.