Rolex Middle Sea Race

ICAP Leopard (GBR) was first home at the 2009 Rolex Middle Sea Race taking the award for line honours. Try as they might, Mike Slade's all-star crew were unable to crack the nut that is Rambler's course record. Arriving just before midday at the Royal Malta Yacht Club line in Marsamxett Harbour, the 100-foot Farr designed supermaxi was just over half an hour outside the mark set by George David and Ken Read two years ago. She had made a tremendous effort never straying far from the pace required despite less than perfect conditions.Slade made no excuses on the dock after stepping ashore. He believes they raced as well as they could. ICAP Leopard's record attempt was always in the balance the moment they crossed the start line. They gave it a good go though, relishing a promising forecast. Slade was quick to compliment his crew on a job well done. Even if one sails the boat to its full potential and suffer no breakages, success is still dependent upon the weather. Completing the 606 nautical mile Rolex Middle Sea Race in less than 48 hours is well within the capability of a canting keeled, water ballasted flying machine staffed by some of the world's top inshore and offshore yacht racing specialists. The wait for the next boat home was a short one. Just as during the Rolex Fastnet, Karl Kwok'sBeau Geste (HKG) had been shadowing her bigger rival for the whole course, waiting for a chink in the armour that might let her snatch the lead. Skipper Gavin Brady, tactician Francesco de Angelis and navigator Andrew Cape are a deep-filled talent pool, but even they found the conditions testing. Brady is a tough customer, but even he acknowledged the severity of the situation after Stromboli on Saturday night/Sunday morning. With two boats tied up in the harbour we have a yacht race. When Beau Geste crossed the line at 15.28 she moved into pole position on handicap. Her moment in the spotlight was short lived. Alegre (GBR) finished at 18.33 and moved back into a lead that she has held since Stromboli. Neither Ran (GBR) nor Luna Rossa (ITA) were in a position to dislodge her when they finished. Intermatica VO70 (ITA) won the battle of the two Volvo boats, beating Ericsson (SWE) on handicap although not on the water. The bulk of the fleet is still racing. 23 yachts have now retired citing various reasons, mostly sail and equipment damage resulting from the vicious squalls that persisted until Monday midday.

Roma Wins The War

Coming into the final day of racing, Roma enjoyed a nine-point margin over nearest rival, Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP), and with excellent teamwork, good boatspeed, and consistent results the Italian team lead by helmsman Paolo Cian (ITA) needed only to finish within three points of the local-based team to claim the overall GP42 Global Cup crown. On paper, this looked easily achievable, but the highly-competitive nature of this class means nothing is predictable, especially in the perfect 14-17 knot conditions of today's racing.

In the first race, for example, the two front-runners found themselves tangled up with each other and Team Nordic, all fighting for a pin-end start as the fasted path to the favored left side of the course. Aggressive maneuvers between the three resulted in flags, shouting from the teams, and a whistle from the on-water jury before the three disentangled and set off for the left corner. Keeping clear of the fight with an perfectly-timed start in the middle of the line, Javier Goizueta’s (ESP) Caser-Endesa (ESP) took and held the lead for their second win of the series. Roma’s (ITA) third place and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero’s (ESP) second place in this race closed the point gap down to eight, but there were still two races left.In the second race, Team Nordic (SWE) was this time nowhere to be found, having dropped out for an unrepairable gear failure on their deckhouse, yet somehow Roma and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero got tangled up, fighting yet again for the pin. The Italian team won the fight this time, forcing the Canarians to tack away and duck the rest of the fleet coming off the line on starboard tack, but Roma paid the price of being slow and barely able to clear the pin end.Yet this power of the pin kicked in further up the leg, allowing Roma to stay close and hang on as the breeze built and Islas Canarias Puerto Calero found a favorable lane on the right side and put her awesome boatspeed in these conditions to work and take the lead. With Caser-Endesa having to fight off a late charge made by Jose Maria van der Ploeg’s (ESP) Turismo Madrid (ESP), and the two finishing overlapped with Caser-Endesa in the lead by a mere metre, Roma was able to go into the final race with a strong position: a 7-point gap now with the local Canarias team and only one race left.

In this race Caser-Endesa this time took the pin for themselves, and in a playbook now very familiar after four days of racing, they led to the left corner, crossed everyone close to the layline, led around the top mark and offset, and simply continued to lead around the track to extend to victory. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero had tried repeatedly to get into a passing lane, and for a while Caser-Endesa would make aggressive covering manouevers to prevent this, but the 3-point gap needed to fill with other boats to take the runner-up position from the local favorites just couldn’t be overcome, so Caser-Endesa, with owner Javier Goizueta (ESP) on board as a guest, had to settle for being third overall but satisfied as winner of the day on scores of 1-3-1, their best day of the series and second time being champions for the day.

This is the final event of the GP42 season, after an impressive debut in this year’s Audi MedCup’s five stages, an Owner-Driver Championship in Cascais, and this spectacular Global Cup finale in Lanzarote.

The next event for the GP42 class will be at next year’s Audi MedCup Circuit Stage One in May, 2010 in Portugal.

Puerto Calero GP42 Global Cup Final Results

1. Roma (ITA, Paolo Cian), 27 points

2. Islas Canarias Puerto Calero (ESP, José María Ponce), 33 points

3. Caser-Endesa (ESP, Juan Luis Páez), 34 points

4. Turismo Madrid (ESP, José María Van der Ploeg), 48 points

5. Quebramar Xacobeo 2010 (POR, Felipe Regojo), 55 points

6. Airis (ITA, Roberto Monti), 58 points

7. Península Petroleum (GBR, John Bassadone), 84 points

8. Nordic Team (SWE, Magnus Olsson), 97 points

Platu25 Worlds

Vilagarcia, Tuypan and Central Lechera Asturiana: the first, second and third step of the provisional podium are all Spanish, the first two tied for points at 30 and the third closely following at 34. The crews coming form the Iberian Peninsula are dominating the Platu25 Worlds, underway in Punta Ala, on the Tuscan coast. And, if it is Spanish the most spoken language on the top part of the scoreboard, you have to go down to the sixth place to find a “foreign” opponent. It’s the Greek crew, and 2008 champions, on Modus Vivendi, who is steadily climbing back to the top after an unlucky first part of the series. If the Greeks dream to bring the Trophy back home to Athens the Italian champion Nanuk is also showing a strong determination not to give up, tied at 70 points with the German team on Flexi. Today Punta Ala offered excellent sailing conditions to the Gold and Silver fleets with a good 20 plus knots breeze and a stunning view for the spectators, especially in the downwind legs with the 25 footers fast surfing down the waves, putting to a test the crews’ manoeuvring abilities. Three more races were sailed, the scoreboard now being calculated out of ten results, on the fourth day of the series the top spots went to Central Lechera Asturiana, skippered by Natalia Via Dufresne, Vilagarcia and La Revoltosa, all from Spain. In the second race it was La Revoltosa to leave all the competitors behind, followed by Bribon and by the Danish crew on Seklklub who profited from this good result to get a better position in the overall results. The third daily podium was made of the Greeks on Modus Vivendi followed by Central Lechera Asturiana and by the Italians on Brera Hotel, who are still fighting in the Gold fleet despite a disqualification that obliterated the points they obtained on the second day. In the same Gold fleet we also find one of the two Japanese crews Bross, 20th, the Kiwis from Ocean Bridge, 21st and the Swiss on Aramis, currently 29th. While there are still some protests pending- the Jury is expected to go on with the hearings until late at night- the 92 crews are preparing their best strategy for tomorrow, the final racing day that will decide the 2009 Platu25 World best sailors.

Azzurra

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) is to launch a new challenge which will bring the Italian flag to international waters under the name Azzurra. YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo announced the participation of team Azzurra in the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta, scheduled to be held in Nice from 7th to 22nd November 2009, to an audience of national and international press at the Genoa Boat Show this afternoon. The new Azzurra team will be led by YCCS member Giovanni Maspero of Joe Fly, under the responsibility of skipper and helmsman Francesco Bruni, supported by tactician Tommaso Chieffi and team manager Alessandra Sensini among others.

“The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is delighted to be embarking on this new adventure together with Giovanni Maspero,” said Commodore Bonadeo. “The YCCS firmly believes in the values which drive this young Italian team: first and foremost a passion for sailing combined with a constant search for improvement and a desire to seek out new challenges.

“The YCCS brought Azzurra to the America’s Cup in Newport in 1983, where we were total newcomers and certainly not among the favourites, but we competed well and our passion captured the collective imagination of the Italian public. I believe that Italian sailing now needs a team like this one, made up of young, enthusiastic and highly dedicated sailors.”

Giovanni Maspero has won several European titles in the Farr 40 and Melges 24 one-design classes as well as finished second in the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in 2008 and in the Audi Melges 32 World Championship in September of this year. Francesco Bruni and Tommaso Chieffi are accomplished America’s Cup sailors having amassed a total of six campaigns between them, while the rest of the crew has a range of match race and one-design sailing experience.
“Our common objectives and the faith placed in our team by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Commodore Bonadeo is extremely rewarding for our entire sporting group,” declared Giovanni Maspero. “We feel an enormous responsibility, but I am firmly convinced that our sailing team’s merit, coupled with the experience of the YCCS staff, which will join us in this exciting adventure, will provide excellent conditions to compete at the highest level.”

At the first event in Nice, racing will take place on equalized version 5 ACC boats supplied by the organization, and Azzurra will be competing against BMW Oracle Racing (USA), Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), K-Challenge (FRA), Swedish Challenge Artemis (SWE), Synergy Russian Sailing Team (RUS), Team Origin (GBR) and Team French Spirit (FRA). The team will also evaluate participating in future World Sailing Team Association events co-organised by Louis Vuitton in 2010. All events will be similar to the successful Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, held in Auckland in February of this year, which generated over 360 hours of television content and reached over 500 million viewers worldwide.

The YCCS is renowned for organizing international sailing events such as the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the Sardinia Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup and this year completed one of its busiest seasons. The Club hosted twelve regattas in 2009 including two ISAF world championships, the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, the Audi Melges 32 World Championship and three events for superyachts – the Dubois Cup, the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta and the Perini Navi Cup -- in addition to the 20th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. In the past, the Club has also promoted international challenges such as Azzurra, the first Italian Challenger for the America’s Cup (1983) and the motor yacht Destriero, which to this day holds the transatlantic crossing record set in 1992. The Club’s members currently number more than 500 and bring the YCCS colours to the most important sailing events across the globe.

The participation in the Louis Vuitton Trophy is the first step in a programme which intends to return the YCCS and the brand Azzurra to the forefront of international yachting as a protagonist in global sailing events in addition to its established role as an organiser of world class regattas.

Platu25 Worlds

Thursday was the “Spanish armada” day, with the crews coming from the Iberian peninsula showing strength and consistency, keeping up against the Italian, Danish and German teams and consolidating their position on the general scoreboard. It is now Real Club Nautico de Palma’s Iberdrola (4,3 and 1 today); Caixanova Men skippered by Marcus Perez from Vigo (4, 2 and 7 their partial results) and Vilagarcia (with an excellent 1,2, 3) to occupy the three steps of the podium. The first Italian crew is still Brera Hotels, helmsman Sandro Montefusco, fourth, followed by Antonello Ciabatti’s VIS. The Germans from Kyra, scored a victory today but also a 17th and a 11th place, which put them in eighth position. They are followed by Central Lechera Asturiana, with Spanish top sailor Natalia Via Dufresne at the helm, that is to say the first female skipper of the fleet. It was a good day for some but a very unlucky day for others, like the Greeks on Modus Vivendi, world reigning champions and one of the most serious pretenders to the podium. Despite all their efforts their championship has been plagued by a series of troubles: a black flag yesterday, a technical issue to a spreader today that forced them to go back ashore and not start in the second and third race, and making them loose precious points in the overall results table. The Japanese Yuki Koike and Noafumi Kamei on Bros made a big jump ahead today, passing from 47th to 17th and still having some chance to do well on the next days. Same as the team from New Zealand, Ocean Bridge Sailing, who follows closely, distanced only by a mere point.

As defined by the class rules, having sailed seven races, the crews could discard the worst result. The provisional overall results is then already calculated with a discard but does not consider any possible pending protest still to be discussed in front of the Jury. The points scored up to now will not be cancelled as the teams can have a second discard after the ninth race.

Platu25 Worlds

Today, the competition entered the second day of the Platu 25 World Championship. Ninety three crews run three regattas off with a weak and very unsettled wind – no more then 6-8 knots – that forced the crew to continuous sail regulations and complex tactical strategies.
After three regattas, today for many crews was the occasion to show their real talent, gaining positions and points in the general ranking list. So, there were many surprises that changed deeply the partial results of yesterday.

The only confirmation was for the Spanish “Tuypan Caixanova Men” of Marcos Perez and Roy Alonso (Rcn Vigo) who – after a 5-3-2 in the three regattas of today, conquered the top of the general ranking list. Today “Tuypan” was in the Group B, the Blue one; yesterday in the yellow one it arrived third.

The division between Group A and B was maintained but, calculating every day different scores, all the crews will change group and will be able to confront with all the adversaries until next Saturday.

The Italian “Vis” of Francesco Vallicelli is second in the general ranking list followed by an other Italian crew, “Brera Hotels” of Emanuele Vitrano, with Alberto Wolleb at the helm and Sandro Montefusco as a tactitian.

The German team “Kyra” di Herman Muller, that yesterday dominated in the Yellow Fleet - is now 4th in the general ranking list. The Spanish of the “Invincible Armada” confirmed their talent with “La Revoltosa” of Jaime Pont and “Iberconsa” of Fernando Morillo, 5 e 6 in the general ranking list. A very good position also for “Menef 8” of Marco Gambardella with Pablo Soldano on board; they are 7th in the general ranking list.

As every body expected, “Central Lechera Asturiana” of Natalia Via Dufresne emerged with a very good performance; she gained a first place in the Yellow fleet and now she is 8th in the general ranking list. “Profumo” of Michele Valiante is 9th and “Niente Paura” of Gino Angelini is 10th in the general ranking list.

In the Yellow group, big return for the Japanese “Bros” of Nafumi Kamei (3th in the second and in the third regattas) and for the German “Flexi” of Bogdhan (4 in the first regatta). Great confirm for the Italians too, with “Parco Cinque Terre – Breakwind” of Giovanni Bocelli, with Ugo Giordano at the helm (Lni Procida) who, in the third regattas of today, arrived first.
In the Group B of the Blue Fleet, very good performance for the Spanish Bribon- Movistar” of José Cusì and “Iberconsa” of Fernando Lago, the President of the Spanish class who yesterday managed very well. In the second regatta, good result for “Iberdrola” of Manuel Weiler, World Champion in Vigo in 2006.

Protagonist in the third regatta, in the Group B, is the Italian crew “Amici Miei” of Giacomo Bufalini who conquered the first place followed by “Tuypan CAixanova Men” of Marcos Perez and Roy Alonso.