Maxi boat line up

The world's largest and most glamorous yachts descend on Porto Cervo

The 2003 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the annual meeting of the world¹s largest racing yachts, is shortly due to see a record number of boats enjoying the Sardinian conditions of early September. Organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda over the week of 7­13 September, the port of Porto Cervo will be filled to bursting with a most eclectic fleet of Maxis, the final entry number is expected to be 36.

With its history dating back to the 1970s the concept of a Maxi Yacht implied the maximum size that a racing boat could be built and successfully handled around a race course. Over the years the race track types included everything from short, around the cans style events to racing round the world. And over time the generic term Maxi Yacht has evolved to include any sailing boat that is longer than 70 foot and races.

The 2003 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the 13th edition and will consist of a series of round the buoys and coastal races in the idyllic waters off Sardinia¹s North East coast, and in amongst the Madelena Archipelago, the whole area more commonly known as the Costa Smeralda.

This year's fleet sees five distinct groups of boats racing for five class prizes. In the IMS class are the pure race machines that use the IMS handicap system to scientifically calculate each boat¹s performance potential. Ex-champion boats such as Alberto Roemmers' Alexia from Argentina and Rafael Raiola¹s Italian Idea will be lining up against Arien van Vemde's Sotto Voce from Holland. The IRC class will see the fastest boats with Neville Crichton's all conquering 27m long Super Maxi Alfa Romeo, fresh from line honours at the Rolex Fastnet Race last month, lining up against old rival Mike Slade and his Leopard of London. Both of these boats will be looking to beat last year's Italian champion Carlo Perrone's Virtuelle.

A Spirit of Tradition Class which will include boats that look like they were built more than 50 years ago but are in fact the nautical equivalent of a wolf in sheep's clothing, featuring many modern hi-tech features including speed and comfort all packaged in a retro style.

For the first time at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup the organisers have invited all sailing boats built by the Dutch yard Jongert to compete. This group and its owners, not normally associated with an active racing programme, will be enjoying another facet of their impressively luxurious sailing boats that range in size from 20 to 28 metres overall.

Last but not least will be the world famous Wally Class. The biggest class numerically, the Wally Class will see these stylised, high performance cruiser racers fight to establish honours and a pecking order across a size range with the smallest Luca Bassani's Wallyño at just 19 metres, through Claus Peter Offen's brand new 28m long Y3K to one of the largest Wallys, the 33-metre long Wally B.

The conditions expected in Porto Cervo at this time of the year will include a variety of winds, from light thermally induced sea breezes all the way to full Mistral conditions. The quality of light coupled with the magnificent rock and island backdrop will once again make for dramatic imagery, one of the reasons for this important event¹s notoriety.

Competitors

	YACHT NAME	Nat	Owner	LOA	BEAM	DRAFT	Class
1	ALEXIA	ARG	Alberto Roemmers	24	5.4	4	IMS
2	EDIMETRA	ITA	Ernesto Gismondi	20	5.1	3.6	IMS
3	FARNIENTE	POR	Antonio Figueiredo	24.5	5.8	3.8	IMS
4	IDEA	ITA	Raffela Raiola	25.7	5.3	4.5	IMS
5	MY SONG	ITA	Pierluigi Loro Piana	22.5	5.85	4	IMS
6	SOTTO VOCE	NED	Arien van Vemde	20	4.5	3.6	IMS
7	BUMBLEBEE	AUS	John Kahlbetzer	19	4.7	4	IMS
8	ALFA ROMEO	NZL	Neville Crichton	27.43	5.67	4.4	IRC
9	LEOPARD OF LONDON	GBR	Mike Slade	29.49	6.56	4.64	IRC
10	NUMBER ONE	ITA					IRC
11	P&B 821	ITA	Marco Profili	20.1	4.1	3.2	IRC
12	UNFURLED	USA	Harry Macklowe	34	7.8	3.8	IRC
13	VIRIELLA	ITA	Vittorio Moretti	36	8	5.5	IRC
14	VIRTUELLE	ITA	Carlo Perrone	24	6.2	4	IRC
15	ANAMCARA	ITA	Salvatore Trifirò	31	6.8	3.3	JONGERT
16	BLUE QUETZAL	USA	Hervé Le Bayon	20.2	5.35	2.6	JONGERT
17	CORNICHE BLEUE	ITA	Andrea F. Adani	20.5	4.85	2.5	JONGERT
18	CUTTY SARK	AUT	Leopold Wedl	20.5	4.85	2.5	JONGERT
19	DANUBIO III	ESP	D. José Figueras Mitjans	28.4	5.9	2.9	JONGERT
20	INSPIRATION	GER	Herbert Dahm	22.1	5.77	3.65	JONGERT
21	SEA ROSE STAR	GER	Gustav Stabernack	26.7	6.58	3.05	JONGERT
22	SUNBEAM	GER	Jurg Kollmann	28.6	6.5	3.6	JONGERT
23	ADELA	USA	George Lindemann	55	7	5	SPIRIT OF TRADITION
24	WHITEFIN	ITA	Alfredo Canessa	27.43	6.2	3.2	SPIRIT OF TRADITION
25	CARRERA	LUX	Alex Jackson	24	5.95	4.5	WALLY
26	DANGEROUS BUT FUN	MON	Armatore Monegasco	24	5.96	4.7	WALLY
27	GENIE OF THE LAMP	LUX	Genie S.A	24	5.8	4	WALLY
28	GIBIAN	BVI	Armando Grandi	30.4	6.8	4.2	WALLY
29	KAURIS III	ITA	Marco Tronchetti Provera	32.8	7	4.3	WALLY
30	MAGIC CARPET SQUARED	GBR	Lindsay Owen Jones	28.8	6.1	5	WALLY
31	NARIIDA	NOR	Morten Bergsen	32	7.9	5	WALLY
32	TIKETITAN	GER	Thomas Bscher	27	6.4	3.95	WALLY
33	TUAMATA	GBR	Claudio Luti	24	5.85	3.5	WALLY
34	WALLY B	LUX	Maritime Charter Corporat	33	7.92	5	WALLY
35	WALLYÑO	GBR	Luca Bassani Antivari	18.46	4.95	4	WALLY
36	Y3K	GER	Claus Peter Offen	28.55	6.4	4.7	WALLY