IMA Annual General Meeting: new Maxi 72 Class

The International Maxi Association (IMA) and the owners of the Mini Maxi Racers announced today - during the Annual General Meeting of the Association -  the founding of the Maxi 72 Class, the appointment of Rob Weiland as Class Manager and the programme of races for 2015.

Maxi 72 Class

The new class, a former subdivision of the IMA Mini Maxi Fleet, continues to be affiliated with IMA, which is underlined by the unanimous wish of its members to require dual membership for both entities. The term "Mini Maxi" is sometimes confusing to those admiring the sheer size of the boats: the old description is now traded in for "Maxi 72", referring to both its heritage as well as the maximum length. Maxis 72 are for example Alegre, Bella Mente, Caol Ila R, Jethou, Robertissima, Ràn 5 - all of them now competing in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship in Porto Cervo.

Founding the class underlines the wish to create a platform that matches the quality of the boats and crews in organisation, class rules, measurement, measurement checks and rule enforcement, as well as more specifically to cater for the needs of the owners and teams for event scheduling, logistics and rule maintenance. Overall this is an exciting development for the new class and the IMA. As all have seen over the past few days in Porto Cervo, racing in the Maxi 72's is close and exciting, the ultimate step in owner driver monohull racing.

2015 Programme of Races

The IMA future schedule for the Maxi 72 Class will be worldwide, at existing events, as well as new events. The full 2015 programme is: Key West Race Week, RORC Caribbean 600, Voile de St Barth, Palma Vela, Menorca Maxi Regatta, Rolex Giraglia, RYS Bi-Centennial, Copa del Rey, AAM Cowes Week, Rolex Fastnet, the Maxi 72 World Championship, Rolex Middle Sea Race and RORC Transatlantic Race.

The IMA will maintain a close association with organisations running these events, as well as developing new contacts, in particular with Caribbean regattas and the New York Yacht Club, including a Maxi regatta in Newport, Rhode Island in 2016, prior to the 50th Anniversary Newport Bermuda Race.

The next IMA event will be the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race organised in association with the IMA, which will start from Lanzarote bound for Grenada on the 29th November. At least four Maxis are expected to take part in the first race and the IMA is confident that this event will grow in stature in years to come.