Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2008

Idag startade Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup på Sardinien. Ainsle, Cayard, Grael, Bertarelli/Baird/Butterworth och många andra hotshots är där… vi ser fram emot massor av coola bilder, och så länge kan ni kolla in båtarna (och deras IRC-mätbrev) nedan. Foto: ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo.

ALFA ROMEO Neville Crichton racing 1.834
ESENSE Holding Montenegro wally 1.746
RAMBLER Rambler LLC racing 1.682
Y3K Claus Peter Offen wally 1.633
GHOST Arne Glimcher cruising 1.623
MAGIC CARPET 2 Lindsay Owen Jones wally 1.597
OPEN SEASON Thomas Bscher wally 1.577
ALFA ROMEO 3 Neville Crichton mini maxi 1.571
HAMILTON II Lockstock Ltd cruising 1.533
ALEGRE Andy Soriano mini maxi 1.529
MONEYPENNY Jim Swartz mini maxi 1.516
ROSEBUD Roger Sturgeon mini maxi 1.516
NUMBERS Mayers / Bertarelli mini maxi 1.514
SALPERTON Primero Maritime Ltd cruising 1.513
DARK SHADOW Andrè Auberton wally 1.500
VIRIELLA Vittorio Moretti cruising 1.498
HIGHLAND FLING X Irvine Laidlaw wally 1.475
VALKYRIE Will Apold mini maxi 1.455
J ONE Jean-Charles Decaux wally 1.450
GENIE Charles De Bourbon wally 1.430
GLISS Marco Vogele cruising 1.422
VELSHEDA Tarbat Investment Ltd cruising 1.418
WHISPER Michael Cotter mini maxi 1.411
ACAIA CUBE Claudio Amendola mini maxi 1.400
RANGER R.S.V. LTD cruising 1.399
ARGO ON ATALANTA II Negri/Grael/Spinelli mini maxi 1.398
ALLSMOKE Gunter Herz mini maxi 1.395
HETAIROS Rockport Ltd cruising 1.348
H2O Riccardo De Michele mini maxi 1.336
EDIMETRA VI Ernesto Gismondi mini maxi 1.331
GOOD JOB GUYS Enrico Gorziglia mini maxi 1.328
ALEPH Giorgio Ruffo mini maxi 1.324
AEGIR Brian Benjamin mini maxi 1.318
BRISTOLIAN Edwin Van Der Stratan cruising 1.315
MAYA Lucio Crispo mini maxi 1.311
OPS 5 Massimo Violati mini maxi 1.290
GRANDE ORAZIO Massimiliano Florio mini maxi 1.251
ASCHANTI IV Aschanti of Vegesack Ltd cruising
DREAMLAND World Wide inv. Group.LLC cruising
ADS GLEN Guido Miani mini maxi

All set for start of Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2008

Porto Cervo, Italy. 1st September 2008. Forty Maxi yachts are lined up along the quays of the Marina Nuova in Porto Cervo eagerly awaiting the start of racing in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2008, scheduled for tomorrow, 2nd September, at 11.30 am. The event, now in its 19th edition, is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and racing on the emerald waters off Sardinia’s north-eastern coast will take place each day from 2nd to 6th September.

Competing boats will be divided into four divisions: Cruising, Mini Maxi, Racing and Wally. The cruising division sees 12 maxi yachts racing under IRC handicap and includes the largest of the fleet, the 44 metre (144 feet) Bermudian sloop Salperton. This division also includes all three top-placed boats from the 2007 edition: Ranger (CAY.ISL), owned by John Williams, Velsheda (GBR) and Arne Glimcher’s Ghost (USA).

The Mini Maxi division hosts 18 boats measuring between 60 and 79 feet which will race under IRC handicap. With a host of world-class sailors and newly launched racing yachts competing in this division the field is wide open. Among those to watch will be the newly launched Alfa Romeo 3 with five-time Olympic medalist Torben Grael at the helm. Grael’s brother Lars will be heading up the mixed disabled and able-bodied crew on board Argo on Atalanta II (ITA), owned by Carlo Puri Negro.

Also sailing in the Mini Maxi division are the first two examples of the new STP65 box rule racing yacht Moneypenny (USA)owned by Jim Swarz with America’s Cup veterans Paul Cayard, Francesco De Angelis and Gavin Brady forming part of the crew and Rosebud/Team DYT owned by Roger Sturgeon with former Shosholoza helmsman Tommaso Chieffi on board. Taking a break from his ongoing legal battles is two-time America’s Cup winner Ernesto Bertarelli who will be sailing on board the chartered Numbers together with Ed Baird, Brad Butterworth and several other members of the Alinghi crew.

“I’m really happy to be back in Porto Cervo,” commented YCCS member Bertarelli. “ I think this is one of the most beautiful and interesting places to sail in the world and this is the second time I’ve been here this summer. I am really hoping for some of Sardinia’s famous winds which can normally be relied on in this part of the island. Hopefully we’ll get some of the Mistral that makes regattas so spectacular here.”

The Racing division sees only two sailing giants competing but with Finn class sailor Ben Ainslie fresh from taking gold in the Olympics on board Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo 2, together with the best part of the Ericsson Volvo Ocean Race sailing team, and team New Zealand’s Ray Davies calling tactics on George David’s Rambler, the competition is sure to be spectacular.

The eight-strong Wally fleet includes past division winners such as Peter Offen with his Y3K (GER, 2005), Lindsay Owen Jones’ Magic Carpet 2 (GBR, 2006) and Jean Charles Decaux’s J One (FRA, 2007). Luca Bassani, CEO and President of Wally yachts will be onboard the boatyard’s latest creation, the Bill Tripp-designed 43.7 metre (144 feet) sloop Esense (ITA).

After a hard days racing owners and crews will be looking forward to relaxing at the wide array of social events organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and title sponsor Rolex including gala dinners, crew parties and after-race refreshments on the Club’s Piazza Azzurra.

Tomorrow’s forecast predicts westerly winds of approximately 12 to 15 knots. Racing is scheduled to start at 11.30 am.