Maxi photo finish

Idea pips My Song to the post in the 243 mile Giraglia Race

The predicted downwind sleigh ride to Genoa failed to materialise, the wind lightened and headed, forcing all of the leading six to drop their reaching gennakers and re-hoist their genoas for some upwind work. The conditions were playing into the hands of the maxi crews.

Meanwhile the race-optimised Idea was beginning to bite into My Song's lead, the difference perhaps between a beautiful cruising interior and a stripped-out, functional layout that pays little heed to crew comforts.

Idea finally punched through My Song's lead to take up the running with just minutes to the finish, and she crossed the line at 1643. The conditions had been far from record-breaking - the Open 60 Riviera di Rimini's 1998 time of 24 hours 21 minutes was certainly under no threat - but it had been an intriguing battle between the heavyweight destroyers and the light and nimble frigates. Tiketitan came through in third, 20 minutes behind the winner, and was beginning to display the speed that could have seen her win line honours, had she not suffered the ill winds around Corsica.

Now it remains to be seen whether the big boats hold the advantage on corrected time. In the 2000 edition, a building south-westerly saw the 30 footers surge downwind to a night-time finish in Genoa, allowing them to take the top places on corrected time ahead of the maxis and Open 60s.

That scenario looks unlikely to repeat itself this time. Sagamore's owner, Jim Dolan, retired just 11 miles from the finish as his maxi bobbed around in virtually no wind. With an early flight to catch, he motored the rest of the way to Genoa.