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ORACLE Racing Spithill win AC Plymouth Fleet Racing Championship

September 19, 2011

Spithill and crew thrived to win treacherous Fleet Racing Championship as capsizes and collisions mark the final day in Plymouth. Crowds on Plymouth Hoe were treated to thrills and spills, capsizes and collisions, as the America’s Cup World Series raced to a dramatic conclusion on Sunday.

ORACLE Racing Spithill won the Plymouth Fleet Racing Championship after an action-packed final day of the America’s Cup World Series in south-west England.

ORACLE Racing Spithill win AC Plymouth Fleet Racing Championship © 2011 ACEARicardo Pinto

James Spithill made amends for a lackluster Match Race Championship with an emphatic victory in today’s winner-takes-all race in the fleet racing. “It’s redemption after the match racing,” said Spithill, who seemed unfazed by the breeze that bulleted across the course. With winds gusting up to 30 knots (55 km/h / 35 mph), merely avoiding a capsize or a collision was a major challenge but Spithill commented: “I still think we had a bit left in the tank to be honest. The puffiness and change in direction made it challenging, but what a fun race!”

Other sailors might have a different perspective on today. In the anxious minutes leading up to the start, Energy Team capsized trying to avoid Team Korea, although Loick Peyron’s crew managed to get the boat upright very quickly and rejoin the race. Moments later there was a dramatic collision with Artemis Racing riding up over the back of Green Comm Racing, with the skipper Vasilij Zbogar falling off the back of the Spanish boat and suffering a minor injury to his hand. With their boat damaged in the collision, Green Comm retired without crossing the start line.

America's Cup World Series in Plymouth day 9 © 2011 ACEA Gilles Martin-Raget

“Vasco (Vasilij Zbogar) and the entire crew are doing well, nobody has been seriously hurt and we will try to be back on the water as soon as possible,” said team Executive Chairman Francesco de Leo.

Steering clear of trouble in the pre-start, the two ORACLE Racing boats and Emirates Team New Zealand burst off the start line with other teams following behind. At the first mark China Team capsized but got up and running again. In fact when Artemis capsized later in the race, Charlie Ogletree’s Chinese team moved past and managed to cross the finish line 9 minutes and 54 seconds after the winner, just six seconds inside the finishing time limit. A great result for China Team, and a great result for Aleph who moved past Team Korea in the closing stages of the race to take 4th across the line.

With boats touching speeds in excess of 50km/h, it was a wild ride, and while the Kiwis battled hard with the two ORACLE boats, Spithill moved clear on the final lap and Dean Barker had to satisfy himself with 2nd place ahead of Russell Coutts. “Today it was racing and survival,” said Barker, the Emirates skipper. “When the wind cranked in it was full on. The hard thing was not the wind speed but the big puffs which were unpredictable. We always like to win, but nice to get past Russell and take second.”

The crowds on Plymouth Hoe increased throughout the week, as the city embraced the World Series and the teams.

“Plymouth has been buzzing with excitement since you arrived,” said Councillor Vivien Pengelly. “It is estimated that over 115 000 people have lined the Hoe over the past week to see some of the most exciting racing to ever come to British waters. I have to take my hat off to all of the teams. Your skills are amazing. We’ve been thrilled to have you here.”

The America’s Cup World Series now moves on to San Diego, with the first practice races scheduled to take place beginning Saturday November 12. On Wednesday, November 16, the San Diego Match Racing Championship begins, along with television and YouTube live-streaming of the races.

Sunday’s Results

STANDINGS – PLYMOUTH FLEET RACING CHAMPIONSHIP
1. ORACLE Racing Spithill
2. Emirates Team New Zealand
3. ORACLE Racing Coutts
4. Aleph
5. Team Korea
6. Energy Team
7. China Team
8. Artemis Racing
8. Green Comm Racing

PLYMOUTH MATCH RACING CHAMPIONSHIP (Saturday)
1. Emirates Team New Zealand
2. Team Korea
3. Artemis Racing
4. ORACLE Racing Coutts
5. ORACLE Racing Spithill
6. Energy Team
7. Green Comm Racing
8. China Team
9. Aleph

ACWS Fleet Racing Championship
OVERALL STANDINGS
Place	Team	Cascais		Plymouth		TOTAL POINTS
Place	Team	Place	Points	Place	Points	TOTAL POINTS
1	Emirates Team New Zealand	1	10	2	9	19
2	ORACLE Racing Spithill	3	8	1	10	18
3	ORACLE Racing Coutts	4	7	3	8	15
4	Aleph	6	5	4	7	12
5	Artemis Racing	2	9	DNF	3	12
6	Team Korea	7	4	5	6	10
7	Green Comm Racing	5	6	DNS	3	9
8	Energy Team	8	3	6	5	8
9	China Team	9	3	7	4	7

ACWS Match Racing Championship
OVERALL STANDINGS
Place	Team	Cascais Points	Plymouth Points	Total Points
1	Emirates Team New Zealand	9	10	19
2	Team Korea	7	9	16
3	Artemis Racing	8	8	16
4	ORACLE Racing Spithill	10	6	16
5	ORACLE Racing Coutts	6	7	13
6	Energy Team	5	5	10
7	Green Comm Racing	4	4	8
8	China Team	3	3	6
9	Aleph	3	3	6

Swan 90 Sailing yacht DSK Wins Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011

September 13, 2011

Danilo Salsi and his crew of the Swan 90 sailing yacht DSK, are celebrating an overall victory at this year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, taking first place in the Racing / Cruising division by a matter of 1 point on the final day. A tight head to head between the Italian Swan, S/Y DSK and Aegir was a dramatic spectacle, seeing the racing Swan 90 FD climb back up on the deciding day to triumph over the competing Maxis in her class.

Swan 90 Sailing yacht DSK Wins Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011 © Rolex & Carlo Borlenghi 2011

Porto Cervo’s history of tactical yacht racing did not disappoint. The last two days of the Maxi event were run under light airs with shifting breeze testing some of the world’s leading racing minds.

Yacht DSK had a 24 mile coastal race to contend with on the last day of the event sustaining top racing skills over a prolonged time period to come out on top.

Swan 90, DSK yacht’s, tactician Andrea Casale, shared his delight on winning by a few seconds during a decisive ultimate day.

‘It’s been a thrilling week and I have to say we didn’t expect this victory. We improved during the week and a few days ago we realized we’d be fighting out with Aegir. When we were second the other day we got a bit worried but on the last day we were determined and we stayed right behind Aegir downwind and we won in the end, even if it just was just by a few seconds. The final performance was a decisive one.’

America’s Cup AC World Series Plymouth – Day 2 an epic day of racing

September 12, 2011

Three capsizes tell the story of an epic final race in the Plymouth AC Preliminaries with winds gusting close to 30 knots (35 mph; 55 kph) across Plymouth Sound. The race course was pushed up close to The Hoe, and once again, the crowds on the hill were rewarded with thrilling racing just meters from shore.

America's Cup AC World Series Plymouth – Day 2 an epic day of racing © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

The blustery conditions pushed the crews and the boats to their limits, and in some cases beyond. Three teams capsized; the French Aleph, Team Korea and just meters from the finish, Spain’s Green Comm Racing. In each case, the crews escaped unscathed, the boats, with minor damage to their wings.

During the race, the ORACLE Racing Spithill crew had many near misses and was lucky not to capsize as they passed the first mark with the lead. Other boats challenged them for their early advantage, with first Artemis Racing, then Emirates Team New Zealand taking their turn at the head of the fleet. But it was a game of least mistakes, a war of attrition that eventually went back in favor of James Spithill and his slick ORACLE team.

America's Cup AC World Series Plymouth – Day 2 an epic day of racing © Ricardo Pinto

France’s Energy Team sailed a strong race to finish fourth, after battling around the course with Russell Coutts for a podium spot. China Team too, sailed well in the conditions to finish in fifth place. Artemis Racing, meanwhile, was forced to retire, moments after relinquishing the lead on the second lap of the course, with equipment problems.

America's Cup AC World Series Plymouth – Day 2 an epic day of racing © Ricardo Pinto

Aleph was the first to capsize, nose-diving right in front of the crowds gathered along Plymouth seafront, early in the race. Then, at the top of the course Team Korea speared their bows into the waves and flipped over. And tantalizingly close to the finish, Green Comm Racing was toppled by a gust on the final leg of the race. Luca Devoti, sports director from Green Comm commented later: “Nobody has been hurt and the wing has been damaged; we’ll need two days to fix it.”

America's Cup AC World Series Plymouth – Day 2 an epic day of racing © ACEA (2011) Photo R. Pinto

All day, the sailors and the boats were racing at their very limits, unless a nonchalant James Spithill was to be believed after the race. “It was great racing for sure, not even at the limit of the boats; still a way to go.” Brave words after a race that had spectators gasping with disbelief.

While Spithill won the race, his rival Dean Barker’s second place was sufficient to give victory to the Kiwis in the Plymouth AC Preliminaries.

In Sunday’s AC500 Speed Trials, it looked like the Kiwis had it in the bag with two great runs while others were spinning off the race track. James Spithill’s words nearly came back to haunt him as the ORACLE AC45 flipped right on to its edge – there were a few moments of doubt as to whether it would capsize – before it slapped back down on its floats.

With Spithill out of contention in the speed trials, it was up to the remaining teams – and ORACLE Racing Coutts in particular – to take the fight to the Kiwis. Once again Russell Coutts had the bit between his teeth and turned in a scorching final run to post a winning time of 37:48 seconds.

Monday and Tuesday are off days at the America’s Cup World Series – Plymouth allowing the teams a chance to rest and repair both man and machine. Racing resumes on Wednesday with qualifying races for the Plymouth AC Match Race Championship.

Results – Plymouth AC Preliminaries

Place	Team	RACE #1		RACE #2		RACE #3		RACE #4		TOTAL POINTS
		Place	Points	Place	Points	Place	Points	Place	Points
1	Emirates Team New Zealand	1	10	3	8	1	10	2	9	37
2	ORACLE Racing Spithill	2	9	1	10	4	7	1	10	36
3	Artemis Racing	3	8	2	9	2	9	DNF	3	29
4	ORACLE Racing Coutts	OCS	3	4	7	3	8	3	8	26
5	China Team	6	5	5	6	6	5	5	6	22
6	Aleph	4	7	7	4	5	6	DNF	3	20
7	Energy Team	8	3	6	5	7	4	4	7	19
8	Team Korea	5	6	DNF	3	8	3	6	5	17
9	Green Comm Racing	7	4	8	3	9	3	DNF	3	13

Plymouth AC500 Speed Trials – Sunday

Place	Team	Speed (km/h)
1	ORACLE Racing Coutts	48.00
2	Emirates Team New Zealand	47.36
3	China Team	44.12
4	Energy Team	34.34
	ORACLE Racing Spithill	DNF
	Artemis Racing	DNS
	Team Korea	DNS
	Green Comm Racing	DNS
	Aleph	DNS

America’s Cup AC World Series Plymouth – Crowds out in force for opening day

September 11, 2011

Big crowds in excess of 10,000 turned out to watch the first day of racing at the AC World Series – Plymouth, and they were treated to a display of excellent racing in challenging conditions.

Emirates Team New Zealand won two of three fleet races to open the event. Not to be outdone, Russell Coutts and his ORACLE Racing crew set the pace in the AC500 Speed Trials, posting the fastest time over the 500 meter runway.

AC World Series Plymouth - Crowds out in force for opening day

The race course was set up in the Sound, just meters offshore from the Plymouth Hoe, making day one of the event pure ‘stadium sailing’.

“It was pretty awesome to see a crowd like that supporting the sport,” said Artemis Racing skipper Terry Hutchinson. “There were a lot of public on the Plymouth Hoe and around the course. I don’t think anyone expected something like that. Imagine what could happen with a sunny day.”

With the wind blowing in excess of 20 knots at times, boat handling was the key skill today, combined with brave starting. Dean Barker and the Kiwis took the first race with their big rivals from Cascais, Portugal. ORACLE Racing Spithill, in hot pursuit. James Spithill’s colleagues on ORACLE Racing Coutts were disqualified for being over too early on the start line.

Even in these big breezes, getting a great start was proving critical, and this time Spithill managed to control the Kiwis, keeping his rivals slow while he shot away to an early lead that grew as the race continued. In a big pile-up at the downwind gate, just meters away from the spectators on the sea wall, French team Aleph was forced to bail out to avoid a collision. With the breeze at its highest, some teams were really struggling with controlling the high-speed cats, and Artemis Racing narrowly avoided a capsize at one mark rounding. Team Korea meanwhile was forced to retire from this race with equipment problems.

AC World Series Plymouth - Crowds out in force for opening day © ACEA (2011) Photo G. Martin-Raget

Dean Barker learned his lesson from the previous start and this time had a great launch from the downwind end of the line to lead around the first mark, narrowly in front of Artemis Racing and Spithill. The American defender kept up the pressure until he got caught up in an altercation with a local sailor watching the proceedings from his small cruising yacht. Spithill was forced to bring his catamaran to a grinding halt while he waited for the yacht to motor clear of the course.

By the time ORACLE Racing Spithill was up and running again, the Kiwis were long gone. Now the race was with the other ORACLE boat, and they were shown no mercy by Russell Coutts who closed them out and sailed in front. Meanwhile Artemis had pounced on the ORACLE mishap to move into second place.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s two race wins on the day gave them the lead in the fleet racing, and Dean Barker did a fly-by for the crowds as he waved his appreciation to the people of Plymouth who had come to watch. Artemis finished the day on equal points with Spithill.

Immediately afterwards the nine teams lined up for the AC500 Speed Trial, and Russell Coutts and his experienced crew showed the younger teams how to get maximum speed out of an AC45 in a straight line. Coutts scored a time of 39.69 seconds, with a top speed of 28.18 mph, 1.48 seconds faster than second-placed Emirates Team New Zealand.

Sunday’s fleet race was moved up to 1300 local time (GMT+1).

2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup Concludes in Dramatic style

September 11, 2011

The 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup concluded in dramatic style with the completion of the scheduled programme for all classes. The verdicts are in. This year’s class victors are: Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship: Niklas Zennström’s sailing yacht Rán 2 (GBR); Maxi Racing: Sir Irvine Laidlaw’s S/Y Highland Fling (MON); Maxi Racing/Cruising division: Danilo Salsi’s DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA); Supermaxi: Filip Balcaen’s yacht Nilaya (GBR); Wally: Claus-Peter Offen’s sailing yacht Y3K (GER).

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011. Photo Credit Carlo Borlenghi Rolex.

For the second day running, the crews had to be patient in view of the light conditions, although the delay of one and a half hours pales in comparison to yesterday’s testing four hour waiting game. A 24-nautical mile coastal course that included the rocks of Monaci, a duck into Bomb Alley and a long beat to Mortoriotto was organised for the Maxi and Supermaxi crews. For the Mini Maxis and Wallys two intense windward/leeward races of approximately seven nautical miles were on the agenda.

A number of today’s races went right down to the wire. Winners on day 5 were: Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship: Rán 2 (GBR) with a 2,1 scoreline; Maxi Racing: Highland Fling (MON); Maxi Racing/Cruising: DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA); Supermaxi: Nilaya (GBR); Wally: J-One (GBR) with a 1,3 scoreline.

Rán 2 at the double

It was on the cards. Bar a catastrophic loss of form or retirement, Rán 2’s second successive triumph in the Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds was in the bag after a convincing start to the week, when she won three of her four bullets. Quite a month for the fully professional crew who only three weeks ago claimed a second straight overall victory at the Rolex Fastnet Race. Rán 2 are in imperious form. Her three main rivals: Alegre (GBR), Shockwave (USA) and Jethou (GBR) all had moments in the sun but never really got close enough.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011. Sailing yacht Ran 2 wins Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship: Credit Carlo Borlenghi Rolex

Zennström’s crew arrived in Porto Cervo, Sardinia with a single objective: “We came here to defend our championship title and pulled off a very good series, sailing very well often under pressure. We came into today with a comfortable lead so we knew we just had to sail well and not make any stupid mistakes.” The Rán 2 crew enjoyed the challenge posed by this week’s temperamental conditions: “This venue is fantastic, you always have good wind during the week here in Porto Cervo. It was a little challenging with the Mistral before two days of good wind and yesterday’s fickle conditions. The Race Committee did a really good job organising everything,” closes Zennström. The season doesn’t end here for Rán 2 – a return to offshore racing is scheduled with an appearance at the Rolex Middle Sea Race next month.

Final fling

The plot in the Maxi Racing division has had one constant theme: speed. Igor Simcic’s 100-ft Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) is bigger and faster than Sir Irvine Laidlaw’s 82-ft Highland Fling, a Wally-hybrid. The question was: could Esimit Europa 2 win by enough of a distance to see off her opponent on handicap as well? Awaiting the results has been an antagonising experience for both crews over the course of this week. The first three days saw the speed machines separated by mere seconds on corrected time. Today, the plot took a dramatic, final, twist with Esimit Europa 2 leading two bullets to one.

Simcic’s pan-European crew made a fantastic start, gaining a significant advantage on Highland Fling by Monaci, but as the race developed and conditions suited the lighter boat, Esimit Europa 2 saw her elapsed time margin reduced to 13 minutes. Not enough to see off Highland Fling. Once the maths was done, corrected-time victory, today, was not by seconds but by four minutes. Laidlaw was ecstatic: “Esimit Europa 2 is a serious boat, very well crewed and run and for us to beat them is a great thrill after being nowhere near her last year. Overcoming Esimit is very difficult indeed, she is 20-ft longer and has a canting keel: through great crew work and sail choices we managed it.”

Laidlaw was surprised by the quality of today’s conditions: “It is really nice when you have a day where you don’t expect to get any wind and a good sail but end up with a lovely one. You don’t get any better than sailing here in Porto Cervo: varied conditions and a perfect backdrop.”

Down to the wire

Following yesterday’s dramatic collision between Kora 5 (ITA) and Illusion of the Isles (ITA) during the pre-start, the ultimate drama of the day was once again reserved for the Maxi Racing/Cruising division. Brian Benjamin’s 82-ft Aegir 2 was tied with Danilo Salsi’s Swan 90 DSK Pioneer Investments going into the final act, but held a narrow advantage having won two races to DSK’s one. The ultimate cliffhanger. Winner takes all.

DSK made the better start to today’s coastal race, although Aegir 2 were able eventually to pass and extend her lead en route to Monaci. At Monaci, DSK launched her code zero previously unseen this week, and proceeded to reduce the distance. Worse still for Aegir 2, she then got caught up with the largest yacht in attendance, the 148-ft Saudade (GER), after rounding Secca di Tre Monti. The race could not have been closer, the tension rise higher.

Dockside, post-race, the crews

Dockside, post-race, the crews did their calculations but still could not determine whether the prize was theirs. When the results arrived, it transpired that DSK Pioneer Investments had prevailed: by a matter of seconds. As is custom in these situations, Salsi was launched into the harbour by an elated crew. “Two years ago we lost the same race in real time by one second so it is a nice feeling,” explained DSK’s owner, “Aegir is a faster boat downwind so we had to try to do our best upwind, and we did all we had to do to win. This crew has done a lot of races together over ten years, all around the world, and we know the boat very well.” A sweet finish to an intense week for the crew whose home base is here in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

Debutant’s joy

The 112-ft Nilaya (GBR) was one of a number of new entries in the nine-strong Supermaxi class. She had a good week, taking four bullets and never finishing below fourth, blowing the field apart by a massive fourteen points ahead of nearest rivals, Visione (GER) and Hetairos (CAY).

“It was quite an interesting week,” reflects owner Filip Balcaen, at the helm of an established crew, “during the first half it was very windy and a bit of a challenge. The bigger boats in our fleet sailed more conservatively, and we did pretty well both in the strong conditions earlier this week and then when it became lighter. Success always makes one happy, it is the second time here for us after winning the Swan Cup five years ago.”

Triple triumph

Wally sailing yacht Y3K have made history, taking the Wally crown for the third straight year and for the fourth time in seven years. An outstanding achievement for Claus-Peter Offen’s crew who have seen off powerful opponents. After two straight wins going into the final day, it looked plain sailing for the Germans. However, serious spinnaker issues characterised an uncharacteristically difficult day with Y3K having to settled for third and a sixth place over two windward/leeward races as Andrea Recordati’s Indio (ITA) closed in. Her final victory margin was a mere two points. “It is a good feeling to make it the third time in a row,” explains Offen, “our victory in 2009 was by a larger distance, last year was a close run thing and this year even closer. Despite our issues today, dropping the spinnaker, we held a certain advantage from the previous days, which was enough. The victory is down to a good boat, crew, experience and once again we had our luck.”

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011. Sailing yacht Y3K wins the Wally Class. Credits Carlo BorlenghiRolex.

Prized moments

Trophies were awarded this evening at a ceremony held at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS). The winners of four of the classes: Rán 2, Y3K, DSK Pioneer Investments, Nilaya plus the best performing racer/cruiser in the Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds – Gunter Herz’s All Smoke (GER) – were presented with a Rolex Yacht Master. In addition, the winner of the annual Rolex IMA Championship – Andres Soriano’s Alegre (GBR) received a Rolex Submariner.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is organised by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, along with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and title sponsor Rolex.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011 Prizegiving Credits Carlo Borlenghi Rolex.

At least four of the yachts which featured at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup are commencing preparations for the Rolex Middle Sea Race (22-29 October, 2011).

SP-High Modulus at Auckland International Boat Show 2011

September 11, 2011

SP-High Modulus, the marine business of Gurit, is to exhibit at the forthcoming Auckland International Boat Show from 15th – 18th September 2011. The Show is New Zealand’s biggest on-water boat show and will feature over 200 boats on display.

Exhibiting at the show in Pavilion One, stand 121, SP-High Modulus – which supplies the superyacht market, high-performance custom, production and workboat sectors – will showcase its comprehensive range of marine composite products, including the new high performance prepreg SE 84 Nano, the structural marine foam core Corecell™ M-Foam and the B³ SmartPac solution.

SP-High Modulus at Auckland International Boat Show 2011-SE 84 Nano is a next generation carbon prepreg designed to provide enhanced properties that will be most valued by producers of high performance components.

The new high performance prepreg SE 84 Nano has been developed for marine applications where compressive performance is a key requirement. When vacuum bag moulded, SE 84 Nano exhibits a 20% increase in compressive strength compared with SP-High Modulus’ SE 84LV. This is achieved through a combination of SP-High Modulus proprietary formulation technology and 3M™ Matrix Resin. This marriage of technology delivers a significant boost to mechanical properties while maintaining the cure and easy handling characteristics of SE 84LV.

Corecell™ M-Foam is SP-High Modulus’ structural marine foam core, which offers a complete cost-effective package comprising high shear strength, low weight and high elongation, low resin uptake for infusion processes and high temperature stability for prepreg processes. Now the performance leader for all marine applications, Corecell™ M-Foam offers a combination of properties such as chemical resistance, built-in toughness, fine cell size and unique ‘knife-cuts’ (which ensure resin absorption is very low, saving both weight and cost). M-Foam has recently been type approved by Bureau Veritas and Registro Italinano Navale (RINA). These complement its previous accreditations by three awarding organisations including ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. (ABS QE), Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and Germanischer Lloyd (GL).

The B³ SmartPac solution is a versatile construction solution that helps builders manufacture composite components more efficiently and cost-effectively than ever before. The B³ SmartPac solution comprises of optimised structural design with pre-cut reinforcements and core materials, designed to reduce complexity and cost in production boatbuilding.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011: Early start in Porto Cervo

September 07, 2011

A sharp start was the order of the day in Porto Cervo at the 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. After yesterday’s Mistral-inspired abandonment, this morning’s racing commenced at a prompt 10:30 CEST. With wind speeds predicted to rise dramatically across the day, Principal Race Officer Peter Craig warned: “It is an early start, or no start.” A flying start it was. A short and exciting coastal course of approx. 23.5-nautical miles was organised for all four classes: Mini Maxis, first starters, followed by the Maxis, Wally’s and Supermaxis. A decision greatly appreciated by all involved: the 47-strong fleet initially headed north of Porto Cervo round the Monaci outcrop before a ten-nautical mile tight, but downwind leg south past Mortoriotto island, round Soffi, and back up towards the finish off Porto Cervo. Conditions remained on the right side of testing. At the start, the breeze averaged between 23-24 knots, rising to 28 knots as the leaders hit the first windward mark.

Maxi fleet charging off Porto Cervo - Photo Credit Rolex - Carlo Borlenghi

Maxi fleet action on Day 2 - Photo Credit Rolex - Carlo Borlenghi

The short course ensured a competitive challenge in all categories. Today’s winners included two of last year’s overall victors: Niklas Zennström’s Rán 2 (GBR) in the Mini Maxi World Championship and Claus-Peter Offen’s Y3K (GER) in the Wally division. Other celebrating crews were: Highland Fling (MON) in the Racing Maxis; DSK Pioneer Investments (ITA) in the Racing/Cruising Maxi division and Nilaya (GBR) as the top Supermaxi. The fastest yacht on the water was the 100-ft Maxi Esimit Europa 2 (SLO), finishing the course in a rapid 1:45.36. Today’s featured division is the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship.

Igor Simcic's ESIMIT EUROPA 2- Photo Credit Rolex - Carlo Borlenghi

Niklas Zennström's RÁN 2 - Photo Credit Rolex - Carlo Borlenghi

Racing resumes; Rán 2 prevails

The winning habit is clearly hard to kick. Niklas Zennström’s 72-ft Rán 2 (GBR) is defending champion in the Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds and has famously claimed a second successive triumph at the Rolex Fastnet Race. Heading into the first race at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, anyone finishing ahead of Rán 2 would have had cause for celebration. Nobody did. Leading almost from the start, Zennström’s crew finished the course four minutes ahead of her nearest rivals – Andy Soriano’s Alegre (GBR). On corrected time it was Sir Peter Ogden’s 60-ft Jethou (GBR) which claimed second place. A terrific effort from one of the smaller Mini Maxis in attendance. With places in the coastal races scored in at a 1.5 multiple, this could prove a significant victory for Rán 2 as the upcoming windward/leewards are graded at one point per place.

Adrian Stead calls the tactics on Rán 2. He had some tough decisions today. “When you are the lead boat on the water, you’re the one that makes the decision first,” he explains, “and it is easier for the people behind to say ‘look that what’s happening, we will match them’. However, we had some good spinnaker changes and made a key jib change when we needed it.”

“It was a tricky race for us,” continues Stead, “but we came out of it well. The Race Committee have had a difficult task looking at the weather forecast. Yesterday was unsailable and they made a good call then, and a brilliant job getting a race in today before conditions became too extreme.”

Jethou has her own expert tactician. Step forward Brad Butterworth. “It is pretty hard for us to beat Rán,” admits the Kiwi who is a keen judge of competitiveness, “but we had a very good race, hitting 23-24 knots at one time.” Jethou made a fine start. “We were on the right hand side by the committee boat,” continues Butterworth, “we struggle to start fast down the line because being a smaller boat we get rolled over pretty quickly, but we started to windward and that worked out well, especially having a nice right hand shift all the way into the layline.” Owner Sir Peter Ogden was equally enthusiastic about the day’s racing: “It was an exciting race, no damage was done and we were right in amongst it. Hats off to the Race Committee for setting this course, we got wet and it was very exhilarating out there.” Jethou enjoys the stronger winds. “When we get light air, Alegre will disappear,” admits Ogden, “and Rán are hard to beat, they are a fully professional crew, we are mainly an amateur one.”

Andres Soriano's ALEGRE turning the lighthouse off Porto Cervo - Photo Credit Rolex - Carlo Borlenghi

For Alegre, Rán 2’s closest rivals in 2010, third place is a springboard for the coming races. “It was a classic Sardinian day, good to sail a windy race. We did some good things and know what we can work on,” explains tactician Francesco de Angelis, “overall it was a positive race for us.” Alegre will undoubtedly be in the mix in the coming days.

Sail issues meant George Sakellaris’ 72-ft Shockwave (USA) had to settle for fourth place. It was a more positive day for two Italian crews. Riccardo de Michele’s H20 (ITA) will be delighted with a fifth place showing, the first of the Racer/Cruiser Mini Maxis, shortly ahead of Aleph (ITA). Onboard the 61-footer is the charismatic Vasco Vascotto: “It was a great day, everything looks good on our boat, when you are still alive in nearly 30 knots of breeze, you know it is a good race! We were lucky that the wind didn’t increase.” Vascotto’s Twitter feed was updated regularly during the race. Was he able to bark orders and entertain his legion of followers at the same time? The veritable multi-tasker. “It wasn’t me doing the tweeting,” he jokes, “but I have someone doing it, keeping all of our fans updated!”

Alexander Schaerer‘s 67-ft Caol Ila (USA) may not have ambitions to win the Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds but she is far from prepared to simply make up the numbers. Brett Ellis, part of the afterguard, explains: “For us it went really well, we managed to hold our position up to the top end of the course before we took off down the coast. Despite not being a full-on performance boat, it is still nice to have some speed. We had no breakages, kept it conservative and came through the day in one piece. We had an interesting tussle with Stig and were probably in front for half of the course, although they snuck around inside us at the bottom and finished a boat’s length ahead of us.” The proverbial race within a race.

Maxi fleet rounding Monaci Island - Photo Credit Rolex - Carlo Borlenghi

Coming up

Challenging conditions are again forecast for tomorrow. The Mini Maxi fleet is scheduled to take part in windward/leeward racing and that should throw up some new tactical headaches. Elsewhere, it is coastal racing on the agenda, and some interesting rivalries developing. Esimit Europa 2 and Highland Fling have the Maxi Racing division all to themselves. Quite literally. Igor Simcic’s crew were faster on the water today although Sir Irvine Laidlaw’s Wally-hybrid has the corrected time advantage. In the Wally division, Y3K took today’s bullet but cannot rest easy knowing the likes of Magic Carpet 2 (GBR) will sail her close. It is an open field. The same goes for the Supermaxi and Maxi Cruising/Racing division categories. Tomorrow should provide a clearer picture. Weather permitting.

Wally launched Maxi racing yacht Wally//Otto

September 07, 2011

World leader in yachting innovation, WALLY, is proud to launch a new sailing yacht Wally//Otto, which marks the beginning of new era for Maxi racing yachts. Wally/Otto superyacht is a state of the art 80ft, One Design racing yacht, with a one of a kind versatile design that intensifies year-round enjoyment and long-term value.

Wally introduces the Wally//Otto Yacht - a Maxi Racing Yacht

▪ Uncompromising racing performance at the highest levels
▪ Smarter, more realistic racing campaign budgets
▪ Quick conversion to a comfortable day-cruiser
▪ Much greater longevity and value retention

Once again, Wally has created a breakthrough yachting concept with the launch of a completely new idea. The Wally//Otto superyacht is the only One Design Maxi racing fleet. Sailing yacht Otto has been designed to sail with a limited crew and limited sail inventory to minimize campaign costs and maximize enjoyment.

The Otto yacht also features a unique aft ’guest experience’ area where private or charter guests can enjoy the racing in comfort and safety, removed from the operations of the racing crew. When not racing, the Otto can quickly transform into a comfortable and easy to sail ‘day-cruiser’, extending the enjoyment of the boat across the whole season.

One Design Maxi racing yacht Otto by Wally - Yacht Wall//Otto

As a One Design fleet, the Wally S/Y Otto can expect greater racing longevity. Otto has also been designed with the necessary headroom and bulkhead positions to successfully convert into a spacious Wally cruiser-racer, with salon, galley and three guest cabins.

This unique approach to racing yacht design extends Otto’s life beyond competitive sailing, ensuring greater year-round enjoyment, a longer life and, like all Wally yachts, a much greater residual value.

Maxi racing yacht Otto by Wally - Wally//Otto

Speaking at the launch of Wally//Otto superyacht during round four of the FT Wally Grand Prix Series in Porto Cervo, Wally Founder and President, Luca Bassani Antivari said, ”Otto is a new concept; a pure racing yacht which will allow owners to compete at the very highest level alongside the Americas Cup and Olympic standard sailors already competing in the Wally//Class. This intelligent, flexible design dispenses with the ownership challenges normally associated with a traditional ‘pure’ racing yacht.”

(L-R), John Hunt, Wally Chairman and CEO, Luca Bassani Antivari, Wally Founder and President, Rolf Vrolijk Otto Architect, Brad Butterworth, Team Alinghi

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Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011: The Sardinian showcase

September 05, 2011

Tuesday marks the start of racing at the eagerly-anticipated 2011 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. A typically extravagant week is in store: the 47-strong multinational fleet present at this year’s regatta is the second largest in the event’s history. These multifarious crews arrive on the back of some starkly contrasting seasons. Having tackled offshore endurance events such as the Giraglia Rolex Cup and the Rolex Fastnet Race, the campaign has been intense and, at times, gruelling for certain crews. For others, the build up to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has been less strenuous and the sole focus has been to arrive in Porto Cervo, Sardinia in prime condition. One common theme unites all sailors in attendance: the desire to totally immerse themselves in the tantalising courses and scenery that penetrate the Costa Smeralda.

Porto Cervo, Sardinia - Photo By Rolex Daniel Forster

The week in numbers

Racing takes place from 6-10 September and the 47 expected entrants is just shy of last year’s record of 49 yachts. Another impressive gathering for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), event organiser, in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA). The Mini Maxis (yachts from 18.29-24.08 metres) make up 17 of this year’s fleet and will compete in the second running of the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship. This Championship comprises a maximum of eight races, with a scheduled minimum of four windward/leeward races and two coastal races of no more than 70-nautical miles.

The other Maxi categories are equally well represented, comprising 21 Maxi yachts (those from 24.09-30.5m) and nine Supermaxis (yachts in excess of 30.5m). Included in these figures, is a healthy array of 14 Wally yachts. For these classes the maximum number of races is seven, featuring a selection of coastal and windward/leeward courses.

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2010 Coastal Race - Photo By Rolex Carlo Borlenghi

Worlds in motion

The 72-foot Shockwave (USA) finished third at the inaugural Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds. That was under previous owner Neville Crichton. New owner, George Sakellaris, took possession shortly after and the handover was seamless as Reggie Cole, the boat captain, explains: “No major changes have taken place since last year aside from a change in sail makers and reconfiguring our sail plan somewhat. Many of our crew have participated at the Maxis before (including Sakellaris) and we maintain a core group who have done many events on this boat, including Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Key West Race Week, the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta and recently the Copa del Rey. We are anticipating a strong field and may the best team win.” At last year’s Rolex-sponsored Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, Shockwave competed against both Rán (GBR) and Jethou (GBR), opponents in this year’s Mini Maxi Rolex Worlds.

Rán arrives in confident mood. Niklas Zennström’s 72-footeris fresh from claiming the overall prize at the Rolex Fastnet Race. No mean feat in itself: only Rán’s triumph marked a first back-to-back success at the event in over fifty years. What is more, as defending Mini Maxi Rolex World Champion, Rán starts off the coming week as the yacht to beat.

In 2010 Rán narrowly ousted Andres Soriano’s Alegre (GBR). A year on, the Mills 68 remains a highly competitive opponent. Alegre claimed a clean sweep of prizes at May’s Rolex Volcano Race. These two crews are likely to be run close by Sir Peter Ogden’s 60-ft Jethou (GBR), another crew well-versed in the Porto Cervo sailing scene. Long-serving afterguard member, Ian Budgen, explains the crew’s approach to the event: “Preparations have been going well, and as a crew we feel completely ready to give our best. This regatta is the highlight of the racing season, so the earlier events are used to continually improve Jethou’s performance.”

It is often said that the Costa Smeralda offers the ‘perfect sailing package’ and Budgen is in agreement: “Porto Cervo is a fantastic place to sail and rated as one of the best in the world, with a mix of wind speeds, hot climate, crystal clear waters and stunning scenery. Unique are the coastal courses which comprise many islands to race around and through, making it very difficult for tacticians and navigators to plan the most efficient route coping with the diversity of the changing wind and rocky shorelines.” Jethou clearly mean business. In a rare turn up for this usually British crew, Brad Butterworth of New Zealand is onboard as tactician.

Only two yachts in attendance are smaller than Jethou, the Italian pair Good Job Guys and OPS5 and the rest of the field has a certain Italian flavour with another six ‘homegrown’ crews in attendance. Additional overseas presence is provided by Allsmoke (GBR), Arobas (FRA), Caol Ila (USA), Vertical Smile (DEN) and Whisper (IRL)

High and mighty

At the more powerful end of the scale, this year’s event boasts two magnificent and gigantic craft: Albert Buell’s 148-ft Saudade (GER) is an arm’s length larger than compatriot Hasso Plattner’s 147-ft Visione. They enjoyed a fascinating tussle last year. Meanwhile, competing for the first time is the F-class, one-design Firefly (NED), a 114-ft Supermaxi designed to perform in both heavy and light winds. She made her on-the-water debut at the recent Superyacht Cup in Palma, but has had little time to apply the lessons learnt, as Mark van Gelderen takes up: “We made some changes and improvements to the boat following the Superyacht Cup. No real training has taken place with the whole crew before our arrival in Porto Cervo, sothe three days leading up to the event will be used for training, crew work and sail testing.”

The Firefly crew is divided between those who will be competing in Sardinia for the first time and more experienced members, well-acquainted with the waters off Porto Cervo. “The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is our first chance to line up with comparable boats and to see what Firefly is capable of,” continues van Gelderen, “we will not be 100%, as we need more sailing hours, but we will have a good idea of Firefly’s performance when the event is over. Besides that we will be enjoying the high level of sailing in one of the most beautiful waters of the world.”

Italian eyes will be cast on the brand-new 101-ft Comet Shadow (ITA), another Supermaxi competitor. Shadow, with a hull and deck designed for fast cruising, comprises twin cockpits, one for sail-control handling and the second for guests to relax. And, whilst her rigging is traditional stainless steel rod, her mast is a racier carbon-fibre structure.

The 100-ft sailing yacht Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) is strong favourite to defend the Maxi crown - Photo Credit Esimit Europa 2

The 100-ft Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) is strong favourite to defend the Maxi crown. As owner Igor SimÄiÄ reveals, the yacht’s pan-European team have been studying hard for the event: “The crew have been getting ready for the Maxis by taking their time to discuss tactics and strategy together: the coastal races are all very specific and need proper preparation. We have carefully checked all courses, sea levels and weather specifics for this region. The crew went through all the list of competitors, analysing their strengths and weaknesses.” It is the sort of meticulous preparation that exemplifies Esimit Europa 2’s year of sustained success.

The Giraglia Rolex Cup line honours winners are already training in Porto Cervo. “The crew will be practicing specific manoeuvres and testing technical features that they might be using for the first time at this regatta,” continues SimÄiÄ, “a peculiar feature of racing in Porto Cervo is the wind, which is often very strong. In addition, the sea level varies very much and can thus be very tricky and even dangerous – that’s one of the main reasons why manoeuvres need to be very accurate and very fast.”

On The Agenda

Racing commences on Tuesday 6 September and concludes on Saturday 10 September. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, along with the IMA and title sponsor Rolex, will provide a lavish array of first class social events including Saturday’s final Prize Giving Ceremony, where the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup trophies and Rolex timepieces will be awarded.)

Giles Pearman

Les Voiles de Saint Tropez 2011: Thirty years on: the ‘Nioulargue spirit” is honoured

September 02, 2011

Over four thousand crew are preparing to do battle from 24 September at the 13th edition of Les Voiles. They will be racing aboard three hundred of the finest futuristic yachts and the most elegant traditional yachts on the planet. The event will be run in the exceptional setting of the bay of Saint Tropez, bathed in light and swept by the lovely breeze of early autumn. The Société Nautique de Saint Tropez, which has presided over the organisation since 1999 with the close collaboration of the Town, wishes to honour the spirit of the event for this the thirtieth anniversary of the original Nioulargue: seamanship, fair play on the water and on shore, coloured by good humour and some brand new features, will all spice up what is set to be a remarkable edition.

Saint-Tropez France

The breath of the Nioulargue

“We’d like everyone to remember, or learn, how the Nioulargue came about” points out André Beaufils, President of the Société Nautique, “when in 1981, Patrice de Colmont demonstrated his familiar intuition in the creation of a no stakes regatta between a group of friends who had come together for the end of the summer, prior to the following sailing season.” Initially christened the “Club 55 Cup”, the event was contested by two boats, Ikra and Pride, both of which are scheduled to race in the Var region’s port some thirty years on! From these beginnings as a duel, the event adopted the name Nioulargue. Hailing from the Provençal “Nioulargo” – literally “Offshore nest”- after an area of shallow water situated 5 miles from the bay of Pampelonne and serving as a haven for the reproduction of numerous species of Mediterranean fish. It is also very interesting to note that it was this original race between a 12mJI classic and a modern racer which coloured the Nioulargue’s character. It went on to become Les Voiles de Saint Tropez, which is synonymous with getting together boats from the latest generation and those which have written the history of yachting on the same race zone.

Modern craft: more than 50 yachts measuring over 18 metres

Thirty years on from the original event, the success of the event’s formula has been unfailing!

Fleet at the start of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2010 - Photo credit Rolex Carlo Borlenghi.

Among the superyachts, the Wally Yachts have become a ‘trademark’ not to be ignored at Les Voiles over the past ten years or so. These prestigious craft, commonly manoeuvred by crews of 25, were created by Luca Bassani’s team and really create a stir both in port and on the water. This year all eyes will be on Inti (24 metres) – the former Indio – a title smasher at Palma Vela, which is likely to rank as favourite in the racing at Saint Tropez. Playing opposite her will be Magic Carpet 2 (28m80) – which is competing in her last season as we await the arrival of the very first Wally Cento (100 feet) on order for next year -, the giant sailing yacht Esense (44m) as well as Angel’s Share – the former Wally 130 – entirely revamped at the owner’s request and set to compete in Les Voiles in her new anthracite hull livery.

Wally 130 Sailing yacht Angel's Share - Credit Wally Yachts

Among the most popular Maxis, the duel between Sojana (35m – Farr 115) and Rambler 100 (30m – Reichel Pugh) mid-Atlantic won’t unfortunately be echoed in Saint Tropez. Indeed the 100 footer skippered by Australian Mick Harvey unfortunately capsized mid-August, near the Fastnet Rock, having lost her keel. Peter Harrison’s Farr 115 will have to console herself by competing with the brand new Firefly, a Dutch 115 footer created by Hoek Design and built in 2011 at the Jachtbouw yard.

As regards the series boats, all the major French and overseas yards will be present at Les Voiles. Leading the way is Bénéteau, with thirty Firsts, including five First 45s of under three years of age, closely followed by Nautor Swan which is to have a new 90 footer on the start line this year in the form of sailing yacht Nefertiti. At Dufour meantime, the most recent craft is a French 45 footer, Cristeban. There’s also going to be some fierce battling among the Grand Soleils, X Yachts, Archambauds and Baltics, which each boast at least half a dozen entries.

Traditional craft: a record in excess of 115 boats expected

Among the traditional craft the major event in 2011 is unquestionably the arrival of Hispania. This gaff cutter features two unique qualities in that it is one of the most beautiful craft from the golden age of yachting to be designed by William Fife, as well as belonging to the ‘royal’ 15 m JI class. Built in 1909 on the order of HRH the King of Spain Alphonso XIII, this 23 metre long boat first enjoyed success during the numerous international races her owners had her compete in, whilst simultaneously enhancing the prestige of the Spanish regattas as major sights for the yachting world. However, her glorious past and her royal origins were to fade little by little, until such time as she sank into oblivion. Indeed she was used as a floating house in England for more than thirty years. She was in a pitiful state when she was found some 15 years ago in mud flats by the historian William Collier and Jonathan Syrett of Camper and Nicholson International. Thanks to the participation of the Real Fundacion Hispania, the cutter, whose hull was buried in mud and no longer had a keel, was transported to Fairlie Restorations on the Hamble River, England, which began the complete restoration of the hull prior to its transfer to the shipyards of Majorca. As a result Hispania will be at Les Voiles this year for the very first time and she’ll complete the Carré d’Or for the 15 m JIs as she does battle with the illustrious Tuiga from the Yacht Club de Monaco, Mariska and The Lady Anne. Three of these exceptional yachts** will notably form part of the first edition of the centenarians’ race organised in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint Tropez and the Yacht Club de Gstaad on Thursday 29 September.

Built in 1937 from Olin Stephens plans, Manitou (18m90) is a very elegant Marconi yawl, whose claim to fame was that she was used by John F. Kennedy during his presidency. Indeed the yacht even had the title “Floating White House”. Kitted out with all the lastest technologies of the time, she enabled the President of the United States to stay in touch with land during his sails along the western seaboard. Having continued her career as a training school, the boat underwent a thorough refit in 2010 and will be making her very first appearance in Les Voiles.

Another yawl, but a very rare gaff yawl this time, will also be present in the bay. Built in 1918 at the Nielsen yard in Denmark, Runa IV (10m73) cannot deny its Viking origins. This wooden racer with its long keel was saved from destruction in 2009 by Yves Carcelle, who brought her back from San Francisco to have her entirely restored at the Guip yard in Brest. Bruno Troublé, who followed the whole project, will be her skipper for Les Voiles de Saint Tropez where the boat’s characteristic outline – bowsprit and dolphin striker – won’t go unnoticed. It may even be that Elisabeth Meyer, the American owner who drove the restoration of Endeavour, will be aboard for some of the races in Saint Tropez.

Among the ‘newcomers’ we’re also keenly awaiting Skylark (16m), an elegant yawl designed by Stephens in 1937, which is a boat restored by Tara Getty, a descendant of the Getty dynasty. Other splendid restorations by her include the motor yacht Blue Bird as well as Palynodie II (12m), one of the first mainstays in the saga of racing yachts belonging to the famous Mayor of Marseille, Gaston Defferre.

Alongside the impressive number of representatives of varying sizes and types of boats retracing the metric measurement through history – around twenty in total from 6 M to 8 M, 10 M,12 M, 15 M, 19 M and 23 M, with gaff and Bermuda rigs -, connoisseurs will appreciate the presence of one of the very pretty fleet of six 30m2 craft. Indeed these ‘little’ boats span a dozen metres and are very sleek combined with a large sail area, which makes them particularly spectacular on the race course.

Also of note is the fact that Les Voiles will this year play host to a fleet of around twenty Tofinou 9m50s, the dayboats designed by Michel Joubert and built by the Latitude yard in Saint-Martin de Ré off La Rochelle. Given the sizeable fleet, they will enjoy their own courses and their own ranking.

* 4,240 is the number of participants as of 30 August 2011: 2,500 modern craft, 1,400 traditional craft, 200 Wallys and 150 Tofinous

**The Lady Anne dates back to 1912

Partners to Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

ROLEX, WALLY, KAPPA, SILLINGER, VAN DUTCH, La REGION PACA, SERIE LIMITEE / LES ECHOS, PARIS PREMIERE, CNN INTERNATIONAL, HOTEL BYBLOS, LES MARINES DE COGOLIN, RODRIGUEZ GROUP, L’ESPRIT VILLAGE DES COMMERCANTS DE SAINT-TROPEZ, WINDREICH, QUESTIONS DE MARQUE

PROGRAMME

CLASSIC YACHTS
Sunday 25 and Monday 26 September: Reception and scrutineering
Sunday 25 September: arrival of the Yacht Club de France’s Autumn Cup from Cannes
Tuesday 27 September, Wednesday 28, Thursday 29 (J. Laurain Day, Challenge Day, Club 55 Cup), Friday 30 and Saturday 1 October Coastal course, 1st start 1200 hours

MODERN YACHTS
Saturday 24 September – Sunday 25: Reception and scrutineering
Monday 26, Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28, Thursday 29 (J. Laurain Day, Challenge Day), Friday 30 and Saturday 1 October: Coastal course, 1st start 1130 hours

General prize-giving for all
Sunday 2 October, from 1100 hours

DRAGON SAINT TROPEZ
Monday 3, Tuesday 4, Wednesday 5 October: Reception, launches and scrutineering
Thursday 6, Friday 7, Saturday 8: Racing in the bay
Saturday 8: prize-giving

Below is a selection of images of Wally Sailing Yachts currently in charter.

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TANGO - Graphic detail

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Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2011: The Sardinian showcase

Les Voiles de Saint Tropez 2011: Thirty years on: the ‘Nioulargue spirit” is honoured

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