Giraglia Offshore

The 159 Giraglia Rolex Cup Race participants left for Genoa today at 13.00, with a south-easterly wind of two knots. The energy at the starting line was electric and there were a few collisions although the race committee did not call back the boats. With three different starts, the race committee had a difficult time pushing back the numerous spectator boats who wanted to be as close to the action as possible. The spectators along the shoreline were in the best position to catch the first tacks and jibes of the race. Even though they left St. Tropez last, the Maxis and the Super-Maxis quickly caught up to Groups A and B of the IMS Class. After only a couple of minutes on the course, Alfa Romeo took the lead and seemed to fly on her way to Genoa. Wild Oats did not participate in the offshore race so that they could be sure to arrive in Palma de Mallorca on Saturday for the start of the Super Yacht Cup, leaving Neville Crichton to concentrate on breaking the current Giraglia record. Alfa Romeo holds the current race record, set in 2003, of 22h 13mn and 48s. In the next few hours, the winds must favour the long strides of the giant New Zealand boat in order for her to keep her current pace until the finish. Alfa Romeo must cross the finish line tomorrow morning, Thursday to break her four-year old current record, but only the weather decides if she will make it. The teams are well on their way now and will spend their first night in calm conditions, navigating with winds between 15 and 5 knots.

The Farr40 Class

Ten years ago, the world’s first Farr40 One Design was launched at Carroll Marine in Newport, R.I. with the hope of creating an exciting new one-design class that could compete on the international stage. Fast forward to 2007 and the Class is about to celebrate the 156th boat built. With owners in 19 countries and a recent surge in boat construction there will be a lot to celebrate at the upcoming 2007 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Copenhagen. Since being granted recognized one-design class status in 1998 by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), the Class has continued to grow, attracting new owners to the helm and impressing every level of sailor along the way. “Outside of the America’s Cup, without a doubt, the Farr 40 Class is the most successful big boat racing today. The caliber of amateur owners driving their own boats never ceases to amaze me” said Geoff Stagg, president of Stagg Yachts, the management company behind the Farr 40 Class. The Farr 40 Class maintains an extensive international schedule that revolves around regional fleets in the U.S., Australia, Southern Europe and the Nordic region.

Giraglia Inshore Completed

The third day of inshore races drew to a close here today in St. Tropez with very light winds and a race that reaffirmed the positions of yesterday's leaders. In the IRC class, Alfa Romeo's lead never faltered as she finished the race in 1st position, 12 minutes ahead of Wild Oats XI who ended up finishing 3rd in the race after Magic Carpet Squared took 2nd place on corrected time. The Overall standings see Alfa Romeo in the top position, followed by Magic Carpet Squared in 2nd and Wild Oats XI in 3rd. In the IMS Class Group A, Edimetra VI came 1st overall, followed by Atalanta II and Nikimar who took 2nd and 3rd overall respectively. Group B saw Calima take 1st overall, followed by Citta' Di Genova in 2nd and Lima Golf 3 in 3rd.

It was the last day of the 2007 Giraglia Rolex Cup inshore races here in Saint Tropez and tensions were high as the leaders of each class set out on the water. The start for the IRC class and the IMS Class Group A was at 11:15 due to favourable weather conditions early in the day. As the Maxi's rapidly left the bay, Alfa Romeo was at the head of the group, leading the fleet into the 30-mile course along the coast which was later shortened due to a complete lack of wind. This lead never faltered, as Alfa Romeo was also the first of the IRC class to return to St. Tropez.

Today's races saw the first part of this weeklong regatta come to a close as the focus now shifts towards the second part of the Giraglia Rolex Cup. Tomorrow will see the start of the offshore race that is known as the "The Fastnet of the Mediterranean", a race that is well into her 55th year and that is one of the most popular regattas in Southern Europe. The Giraglia Race is a famous 243-mile course that takes the boats from the Gulf of St Tropez, South West along the French coast, around the island of Levant, across the Ligurian Sea and to the Giraglia Rock just North of Corsica before finishing in front of the Italian Port of Genoa. The Giraglia Rock is one of yacht racing's most famous landmarks, lending her name and serving as the turn mark for this now classic regatta.

Giraglia Rolex Cup

It's Bob Oatley's 79th birthday, and he could not have celebrated better than he did on the water today during the second inshore race of the 2007 Giraglia Rolex Cup. Taking first place on Monday 11 in both real and corrected time, the Australians move into the top 3 below Favonius and Magic Carpet after two days of inshore races. In the much disputed IMS Class Group A, Atalanta II lost her first place position to Edimetra VI, who came in 7th in the second race and who is now leading the overall ranking. The lack of wind on the course made navigation difficult for the leaders of Group B. By 17.00 the results were still unknown. The race committee once again announced delays for the start for the Super Maxis and the IMS Class A, after a few moments of hesitation. The first race mark faced the port of Saint-Tropez, a unique set-up which allowed for direct speed comparisons between the maxis and which could not have made the tourists any happier. Magic Carpet Squared welcomed Maud Fontenoy on board, and finished in 3rd place after the day's race and 2nd place overall in the IRC class. Alfa Romeo had a poor start and had to sail perfectly in order to join back up with the leaders finally finishing 2nd for a 4th place overall ranking. Wild Oats almost lost their comfortable advantage when they had a mishap. In the IMS Class Group A, the top three finishers were all French. Unfortunately for Group B, the once strong wind died out after a couple of hours. The provisional leaders of the class find themselves in a delicate situation as the conditions put their top positions in jeopardy.

Giraglia Rolex Cup

The first day of the Giraglia Rolex Cup finished with a beautiful real time victory for Alfa Romeo. Wild Oats tried but could not compete with the Kiwi boat's supremacy on the course. It was Pieper Roel's Swann 80, Favonius (ITA), that moved in to take the lead on corrected time in the IRC Class just ahead of Magic Carpet Squared and K2 Wind.

It may have been the first time that Wild Oats XI has appeared here in the waters of St. Tropez, but she did not disappoint. Wild Oats, face-to-face with all of her challengers, headed for the start line out of the harbour, no easy task with a draft of 4m50. In 2006, Alfa Romeo attempted this exact same manoeuvre and found herself stuck in the channel when the hull scraped ground.

After an initial delay, the wind finally stabilized in a south south-easterly direction and the race committee could go ahead with the two first starts of the 2007 Giraglia Rolex Cup just after 12:00 noon. Situated at the entrance of the Pointe des Sardinaux and west of Saint-Raphaël and Sainte-Maxime, the start line was the site of the first duel between the two super maxis, a confrontation that quickly turned to favour Alfa Romeo. The New Zealanders set the rhythm from the start, a rhythm that was only accentuated with every advancing meter. Only with the last few tacks was Wild Oats able to catch up to the leader and finally finish 46 seconds behind in real time. It was Favonius who finished this 29.5 mile course in first place for the IRC Class, just 2 minutes and 11 seconds ahead of Lindsay Owen Jones and his Magic Carpet Squared. Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats XI finished in 4th and 5th place respectively on corrected time. This year's edition of the Giraglia Rolex Cup is said to be characterized by the battle between the two super maxis Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats

Farr 40 Europeans

Two more races, two more winners and one final change in the overall standings. The 2007 Rolex Farr 40 Europeans have been nothing if not consistent in painting a totally new picture every race and every day. In the end there was no doubt about the winners, Massimo Mezzaroma & Nerone stole the show on the final day to post a fourth and a first, winning by six points from overnight leaders Mascalzone Latino, with Kokomo from Australia a further eight points back in third. From the off all eyes were on Mascalzone and Nerone. The first mark of the first race proved to be the real turning point. Nerone, in sixth place at this point, approached the mark confidently and found plenty of room to round cleanly. By contrast, Mascalzone found themselves in trouble. On port tack and no gaps in the line-up to the mark they eventually rounded in last place. The eight-point cushion from the previous day had evaporated in the Sardinian heat. Mezzaroma and his experienced crew were not about to be upstaged by the class newcomers, overtaking the Finns on the first downwind run to minimise any problems from that quarter.

In the final race a fading wind strength and a huge shift, saw Stratis Andreadis & Atalanti XI start in last place after being caught over the line early and proceed to beat the entire fleet to the first mark after taking a flier and going out to the right-hand side of the course whilst the rest of the boats went left. Of more significance was the sight of Nerone rounding in 5th position followed by Mascalzone in 13th after the two boats had started the race side by side in true gunslinger style. Third by the leeward mark, Mezzaroma and Vascotto had worked themselves into the lead by second windward mark. Onorato and tactician Adrian Stead would not give up until the very end, working their w! ay through the fleet once more to finish the race in 6th. But by then, the Rolex Farr 40 European crown had passed to Mezzaroma and the crew of Nerone, who were celebrating a hard-fought victory with no little sign of relief. Farr 40 Class President, Jim Richardson - a two time Rolex Farr 40 World Champion - also believed the regatta had been one of the best and certainly one of the toughest, but is confident it demonstrates the strength and attractiveness of the class to the Owners and crew.

1) Nerone - Massimo Mezzaroma

2) Mascalzone Latino - Vincenzo Onorato

3) Kokomo - Lang & Sue Walker

Farr 40 Europeans

Three more races, three more winners and more change at the top of the leader board. The 2007 Rolex Farr 40 Europeans are exciting. Friday June 8 saw racing in north-easterly winds reaching 12 -13 knots at times. As the wind increased so did the pressure. Tacticians were much more certain in their aims and were prepared to fight hard for position. At times, mark roundings appeared chaotic with boats seemingly homing in from all angles as crews over stood laylines, unwound penalties and ducked in on port tack at the last moment. Whoever held their nerve the best would come out on top and with an apparently effortless score line of 4, 2, 9, current Rolex Farr 40 European and World Champions Mascalzone Latino have sneaked into a seven point lead. But as tactician Adrian Stead remarked, there are still two races to go and a possible 42 points to be gained if it all goes wrong.

Mascalzone's assault on top spot was by no means as straightforward as it might appear. After a tiring campaign at the America's Cup, Owner/Driver Vincenzo Onorato and crew could be forgiven for being a little off the pace. But if the Cup has taught them anything it is that hard work pays dividends, "coming from the Cup to this makes you realize how important attention to detail is. We're working on things a lot harder to be the best we can here. Maybe also because we are a little rusty we are thinking about what made us good last time and what can make us better. But we are getting the hang of the (new) boat now and Vincenzo's getting back into the swing of things. We're not as confident as we were in the old boat yet, but it is encouraging." On their current form, it is probably anything but encouraging for the rest of the fleet. Mascalzone in the final race of the day they moved from a lowly 17th at the first mark to 9th at the finish. In second place overnight are Massimo Mezzaroma and Nerone who had a day of mixed results posting a 7, 15 & 2. Nerone is in a similar position to Mascalzone, with key personnel having been engaged in the Cup till now.

1/Mascalzone Latino - Vincenzo Onorato
2/Nerone - Massimo Mezzaroma
3/Kokomo - Lang & Sue Walker

Who is Glenn Bourke

Volvo Ocean Race CEO Glenn Bourke could not resist the challenge from new logistics sponsor Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL) to be the helmsman in their boat competing in this weekend’s famous annual Faerder regatta on Oslo’s harbour.

Bourke is not just a “businessperson” controlling people's lives in the oceans from behind a desk, in Volvo Ocean Race headquarters. Bourke is a triple world champion Laser sailor and twice Australian Yachtsman of the Year. He has raced successfully in the Mumm 36 class, finishing third in the 1994 Mumm 36 World Championships in the Solent. Bourke also won the Royal Southern SB3 Grand Prix and Seaview SB3 Grand Prix recently.

Farr 40 Europeans

Three more races, three more winners and all change at the top of the leaderboard after another tough day at the office for the 21 crews competing for the Rolex Farr 40 Europeans. Once again it was all about minimizing risk and loss, trying to get a clean start and playing the shifts - far from easy in the 8 knots of breeze that atypically for a south-easterly in this region was far from warm. Not that the crews would have felt cold. The pressure was on from the first start or the day and did not let up until the finish. Only two boats in the fleet kept all three finishes in the top ten today, while Lang & Sue Walker's Kokomo from Australia stole into the overall lead posting scores of 5, 12 and 1. Kokomo is another crew using the European circuit as preparation for the Rolex Farr 40 Worlds scheduled for August in Copenhagen. Some crews must have wondered whether they were having a good or bad day, as the leaders in one race would find themselves the wrong side of a shift in the next and out the back door. Not only was picking the course side and the wind shifts a problem, in Race 2 Team Revolution struggled to get off the start line at all, when a crush near the pin left them hooked up to the buoy. Yesterday's leaders Norwegian Steam were caught up in the same melee and finished the race in 20th place, which served to open up the regatta once more after Eivind Astrup and crew looked to be nailing the door shut with a second in the first race of the day. Elsewhere, TWT (second overnight) suffered two poor results and the frustration of this must have been compounded when they incurred a penalty on the last run of the day and got the spinnaker halyard tangled as they executed their turn. But with every crew suffering at some point and the possibility of 5 races to go much of the fleet remains in with a chance.

Rolex Farr 40 Europeans

Three races, three different winners and only three points separating the top three boats. The Rolex Farr 40 Europeans are underway and the racing was as tight and exciting as expected. A difficult day for the tacticians with only 7-8 knots of breeze, that started from the North East and ended up from the South East. A perfect day for spectators gathered to watch one design racing at its best. The secret seemed to be to pick the correct side of the first beat, establish a lead and trust one's judgment for the remainder of the race. Easier said than done, as two of the leaders after the first two races discovered in the third race, when they finished at the back of the fleet. Leading after three 7 nautical mile windward-leeward races is Eivind Astrup and Norwegian Steam. By Astrup's own admission after a successful 2006 season, 2007 has proved difficult with poor results to date. A bullet in race 1 clearly helped their confidence and although that success was not repeated, two more top ten results have edged the Nordic crew led by tactician Morten Henriksen into a slender two point lead over Marco Rodolfi's TWT, who also posted a first today. One point further back lies Massimo Mezzaroma and Nerone. Tactician Vasco Vascotto kept the results firmly in the top ten in each race. And, as Farr 40 events have proven time and time again, it is consistent top ten finishes that offer a good chance for overall victory.