Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Day 3. Smooth comeback

Following yesterday’s abandonment, racing resumed on schedule for the third day of the 2012 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Gusts of 15-16 knots heralded the start of racing as the 12-strong Mini Maxi fleet tackled two windward/leeward races of approximately 10-nautical miles. The remaining 22 boats spread across four classes negotiated a 38-nm coastal course, which took them into the Maddalena Archipelago at Capo Ferro before a reach up to Monaci and long leg to windward outside the islands to Barrettinelli. En route back to the finish off Porto Cervo, the fleet headed downwind through Bomb Alley.

Today’s winners were: Bella Mente (USA), with victory in both races in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship; Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) in Maxi Racing; Altair (ITA) in Maxi Racing/Cruising; Nilaya (GBR) in Supermaxi and Open Season (GBR) in Wally. Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) again completed the course in the fastest time, finishing in three hours, 23 minutes.

The competition leaders after two days of racing are: Bella Mente (USA) in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship; Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) in Maxi Racing; Aegir (GBR) in Maxi Racing/Cruising; Nilaya (GBR) in Supermaxi and Magic Carpet 2 (GBR) in Wally.

regattanews.com will profile action from a different class each day as the 23rd edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup develops. Today’s focus is the Wally fleet.

Open Season in Wally fleet
An absorbing Wally competition is developing. The first day’s racing saw Sir Lindsay Owen Jones’ 28.53m Magic Carpet 2 (GBR) – winners in 2008 – prevail over the 2007 champion J-One (GBR), owned by Jean-Charles Decaux. Without four-time winner Y3K (GER), the eight-strong Wally class looks an open contest, gaining further appeal by virtue of the appearance of Charles Dunstone’s Hamilton (GBR), the first example of a Wally Cento.

Today Magic Carpet 2 lost out following a tussle with Thomas Bscher’s 28.6m Open Season (GBR). “Ironically, we didn’t sail as well on the first day as we did today,” commented Tom Whidden, Magic Carpet 2’s tactical advisor. “We gained quite a bit going up to the top mark in the northeast corner and had a large lead on the rest of the class. When we went inside the islands it got quite tricky as the wind in some areas went to nothing.” It was here that the remainder of the fleet compressed and Open Season proved more able to navigate smoothly through the light spots.

“Conditions were much better than yesterday although it remained difficult to read what was going to happen,” explained Nacho Postigo, navigator on Open Season. “We had an even match race with Magic Carpet. They are generally a little bit faster than us, but today we managed to come back and gain downwind.” While Magic Carpet starts as one of the favourites for the Wally crown, Open Season is a dark horse contender. “Provided we sail the best we can, the owner is very relaxed,” continued Postigo. “His goal is to come back home and feel proud, and today he is very happy.”

Both Whidden and Postigo are closely observing the performance of Hamilton, which today finished in fourth place following a seventh place in race one. “People shouldn’t be fooled by [their] times as it is the very first time they race,” warned Postigo. “They have a lot of great sailors and the learning curve is very steep.”

Owen-Jones has commissioned a Wally Cento, scheduled for launch in 2013. Whidden is keen to discover the new boat: “Hamilton looks exciting and we are looking forward to the new Magic Carpet. The new boat is almost identical in size to Hamilton with a few differences. She will probably perform a bit different depending on the wind.” The move from a 94-ft to a 100-ft boat is a response to prevailing trends, as Whidden continues: “The sterns are a little wider, the bows finer, the sails are more exotic and faster, so the boats really get up and go. The older style boats may go on a reach between 11 and 15 knots in a good breeze, these new boats can go 20 knots.”

Going into tomorrow’s Day 4, Magic Carpet leads the Wally class ahead of Open Season and J-One. Windward/leeward courses await both the Wally and Mini Maxi classes tomorrow; coastal courses are scheduled for the remainder of the fleet.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the International Msaxi Association, prestigious organizations with close ties to Rolex. A first-class social programme is in store, including the Rolex Crew Party and the final Prize-Giving Ceremony, where the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cups and Rolex timepieces will be presented to the winners.