Rolex Giraglia offshore race: Line Honours to Tango

The Wally 100 Tango at 13:19 this afternoon took line honours in the 66th edition of the Rolex Giraglia with a real-time of 23h48m55s.Thanks to the tactical talent of a French-led crew, with Marc Pajot and Thierry Peponnet taking turns at the helm of the black Maxi. It’s still difficult to get an idea of the classification in compensated time with the fleet still very stretched out between Corsica and Genoa.
‘I think it’s a race that will last about 24 hours’  Thierry Peponnet, the French champion and tactician of the Wally 100 Tango had said before the race, and his estimate was barely 12 minutes out. But he certainly hadn’t expected to win with an overall time of 23h48m55s and a pretty demanding race.

‘I’m not a great fan of offshore races, said Marc Pajot, a veteran of the America’s Cup and helmsman on board the very fast Maxi designed by Mark Mills, ‘but the Giraglia is always special. I’ve sailed a lot of them, but it’s the first time I’ve won’. 
 
The first three positions in real-time were a private affair among the three Wally 100s. Behind Tango, a sprint finish for Galateia in front of Magic Carpet Cubed, who sail the race that sometimes brought to mind the three-way fight at the end of the Sergio Leone’s The good, the bad and the ugly. They sailed the final miles in sight of each other, and the failing wind shuffled the pack, giving the final sprint to Tango.
 
Currently the fleet is well stretched out over the 80 miles from the Giraglia to Genoa. Several yachts, especially the smaller ones, should round the rock tonight with most expected to arrive from early tomorrow morning.

The Rolex Giraglia 2018 is live on www.rolexgiraglia.com where you can track the entire fleet online – photo gallery and videos on the YCI Facebook and Instagram pages.

THE ROLEX GIRAGLIA
The Giraglia was conceived in 1953 as a 241 mile offshore race. Since then it has grown and today it includes a race from Sanremo and three days of coastal races in the gulf of Saint Tropez. In 2018 this classic race celebrates its 66th anniversary. The Rolex Giraglia is organised by the Yacht Club Italiano with the collaboration of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the Yacht Club Sanremo and the Yacht Club de France. Rolex has been a partner of the Rolex Giraglia since 1998 and this year celebrates 20 years of collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano.

THE YACHT CLUB ITALIANO
Founded in Genoa in 1879, the Yacht Club Italiano is the oldest yacht club in the Mediterranean. Based in the Porticciolo Duca degli Abruzzi, the YCI’s objectives have always been popularising yachting and organising races. The Rolex Capri Sailing Week, the Giraglia Rolex Cup and the MBA’s Conference & Regatta, the Italian Olympic Classes Championships and the World Series, the latest to arrive in chronological order, are just some of the international regattas organised by the YCI. The Coppa Carlo Negri, the Trofeo SIAD Bombola d’oro and the Millevele and many other events distinguish the present and future of the Club, which is always open to new challenges.

In line with tradition, YCI partner BMW will be there to help also in this regatta with its much-appreciated shuttle service for guests, journalists and yacht owners.
 

(Race Report: YCI press officer)


Media Contacts:

YACHT CLUB ITALIANO
Luigi Magliari Galante
luigi.magliari@yci.it
+39 339 38 60 730

ROLEX ITALIA
Antonella Asnaghi
antonella@asnaghiassociati.it
+39 348 33 30 134

ROLEX
Giles Pearman
giles@quinagcommunication.com
+41 79 763 37 34