Sardinia Rolex Cup

The Sardinia Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, came to a close today after a long wait for a breeze which did not materialize. The Race Committee waited until the final time limit of 3 p.m. before admitting defeat while Team Spain breathed a sigh of relief as the overall results after eight races became definitive and Spain claimed the title of ISAF Offshore Team World Champion for the third time (2000, 2004).

Pedro Campos, helmsman of the Spanish TP52 Bribon Telefonica was understandably pleased on his return to port: "We are delighted with this victory: it was hard-fought with the Italian Team but in the end we did it. Yesterday we sealed things with three straight victories on the TP52. What a fantastic job from the whole team. This is my third victory in the Sardinia and my twelfth World Championship."

Each of Spain's boats - Massimo Mezzaroma's Farr 40 San Miguel telefonica Nerone helmed by Antonio Sodo Milgliori with Vasco Vascotto on tactics; Marco Salvi's Swan 45 Telefonica Vertigo with Francesco Bruni on tactics; and Jose Cusi's Bribon Telefonica with Campos at the helm and tactician Ray Davies - took four victories over eight races. Aside from Team Germany's brief spell at the top of the classification on day one prior to the results of protests, Spain led for the duration of the event.

"It has been a challenging week in which teamwork has been fundamental. We spent a lot of fun evenings together and created a team 24 hours a day and the results speak for themselves!" commented Vascotto of Nerone.

Team Italy placed second, eleven points behind Spain. All three of the Italian owners are YCCS members and both Riccardo Simoneschi's TP52 Audi powered by Q8 and Danilo Salsi's Swan 45 DSK placed well but it was Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino that really shone collecting two victories, five seconds and one third place leaving her top of the Farr 40s.

Team Germany finished in third place despite the best efforts of the United Internet Team Germany sailors on board the TP52 Platoon who tied down three victories in the first three days of sailing. Teams Southern Europe and Russia took fourth and fifth place respectively.

The Sardinia Cup Challenge Trophy was awarded to Team Spain by Princess Zahra Aga Khan, President of the Board of Directors of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, during the prize giving held on the Club's Piazza Azzurra.

Sardinia Rolex Cup

The duel between teams Spain and Italy is heating up as Spain sits in first place just one point ahead of home-team Italy after today’s distance race in the Sardinia Rolex Cup organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The Race Committee set an Island Race today which took the 15-strong fleet (each team is composed of a Farr 40, a Swan 45 and a TP52) north up the stunning Sardinian coastline using the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago as natural buoys and rounding the Barretinelli islands before a final long downwind run for a total of approximately 30 nautical miles. Conditions were impeccable once again with west north-westerly winds of 15 to 20 knots and blazing sunshine providing picture-perfect racing. Team Spain’s best result came from Massimo Mezzaroma’s San Miguel Telefonica Nerone which took first place among the Farr 40s ahead of Vincenzo Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino.

Sardinia Rolex Cup 2008

The Sardinia Rolex Cup 2008, valid as the ISAF Offshore Team World Championship, will take place in Porto Cervo from 14^th to 21^st June. Organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), the regatta has taken place biennially since its inauguration in 1972 and this year reaches it 16^th edition.

With racing due to start in just over four weeks the first official entries to have been accepted include national teams from Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia while a further two team entries are currently being finalized. As always, each team will be comprised of three yachts: a Farr 40, a Swan 45 and a Transpac 52. After four days of windward-leeward racing, with the possibility of an islands race midweek, each boat’s score will be combined to make up the team total. Victory, along with the Sardinia Cup Challenge Trophy and the Rolex Offshore Team World Championship Trophy, will go to the team with the lowest series points score.

The Sardinia Rolex Cup consistently attracts top international owners and crews and this year will be no exception: Vincenzo Onorato, who claimed the Sardinia Rolex Cup as part of Team Sardegna in 2006, has already signed up for Team Italy aboard his Farr 40. He will be joined by Riccardo Simoneschi aboard the TP52 Audi Q8 and Danilo Salsi on his Swan 45 DSK making for an all - YCCS team.

Team Italy is certainly one to watch with Onorato’s Mascalzone Latino recently having achieved the unique feat of winning three Farr 40 World Championships back-to- back. Germany and Spain, however, are also past winners of the Sardinia Rolex Cup. Team Russia, on the other hand, is a newcomer to the event and with everything boiling down to skill, tactics and teamwork, may just provide some surprises.