Maxi yacht showdown

Strong line-up for tomorrow's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Sardinia

All is set in the idyllic setting of Porto Cervo, Sardinia, for the start of the 16th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, which this year attracts a record fleet representing thirteen countries: Argentina, Australia, British Virgin Islands, France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain and United States.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), runs from 4-10 September. Racing starts tomorrow, Monday, with a lay-day (or reserve) scheduled for Thursday, 8 September. The fleet will be split into three divisions: IMA Racing Division comprising high performance yachts racing time-on-time under IRC and IMA experimental handicap. Then there is the Wally Division, with yachts racing under their own handicap system and the Cruising Division, racing time-on distance under IRC handicap system, including the Spirit of Tradition yachts, sailing under a performance yardstick.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup race week traditionally comprises a variety of inshore race courses off Sardinia's Costa Smeralda and around the Archipelago of La Maddalena with its narrow straits, rocky outcrops and shifting winds. The courses are designed to make the best use of the daily weather conditions - winds in September can be anywhere between light thermally-induced sea breezes to the famous Mistral, which can blow from the northwest at up to 45 knots at times.

According to Captain Filippo Petrucci, official meteorologist of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, "the week will start off with good weather and a regular sea breeze of 12-14 knots, however a low pressure system will slowly move towards Italy, reaching Sardinia on Wednesday night. The winds will gradually shift to the S-SE and the clouds will move in, bringing with them showers and thunderstorms. By Friday morning the front will have moved beyond Porto Cervo and the weather will steadily improve, with plenty of sunshine and a good stable sea breeze. Tomorrow the day will start off with a couple of showers, but the conditions will pick up quickly during late morning. The northerly breeze, starting at 4-6 knots, will slowly shift to the NE, reaching 10-11 knots by the afternoon."

The strong international fleet will provide plenty of close action, with a couple of strong new entries and many veterans of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup - probably the most synonymous event linked to the Sardinian sailing paradise of Porto Cervo. Two canting keel newcomers to the event, Maximus and Skandia, are likely to be the boats to watch at this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

Maximus, co-owned by New Zealanders Charles St C Brown and Bill Buckley, recently took line honours in the 2005 Rolex Fastnet Race. Australian Grant Wharington's Skandia was rebuilt and improved in its design after the major damage suffered during the last Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. After the Rolex Fastnet Race where Maximus had the better of Skandia, and it will be interesting to see who will prevail in this very different environment.

Italian entry Mister A owned by Aldo Pagani, 2004 winner in the Cruising Division in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, will be competing again this year, hoping to repeat his success. The fleet also includes four Spirit of Tradition yachts, among these the world famous schooner Adela owned by US billionaire George Lindemann. The largest yacht of the fleet, with a LOA of just over 180 feet, Adela is a regular competitor at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. New York real estate mogul Harry Macklowe will be sailing his 112-foot Unfurled against a series of tough competitors including Germany's Inspiration owned by Herbert Dahm, third in the 2004 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

12 yachts will compete in the Wally Division, where Alberto Roemmers from Argentina hopes to defend his 2004 title on board Alexia among a fleet that includes entries from the British Virgin Islands, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway and Spain. Tiketitan, second in 2004, will once again be on the starting line, together with Great Britain's Magic Carpet Squared, owned by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of L'Oreal. Another prominent personality who regularly sails in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup with his yacht Kauris III is Italian Marco Tronchetti Provera, chairman of Telecom Italia and Pirelli, and main partner of Luna Rossa Challenge 2007, one of the three Italian America's Cup teams.

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda will officially greet the competitors tonight with a welcome cocktail at the clubhouse which overlooks the Porto Cervo Marina. The rich social calendar of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will offer the competitors plenty of opportunities to unwind and relax at the end of each racing day. Monday will feature après sailing refreshments, Tuesday the Rolex Party, Wednesday the IMA Dinner, Thursday the Rolex Dinner at the world renowned Cala di Volpe resort, Friday après-racing refreshment and the YCCS Dinner.

Youssou N'Dour, one of the most celebrated African musicians in history - renowned singer, songwriter and composer - will be a special guest of the Rolex Dinner and will offer the guests a taste of his eclectic mix of traditional Senegalese music, hip hop, jazz and soul. The week will end with Saturday's final Prizegiving Ceremony, where the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Rolex timepieces will be awarded to the overall winner of each Division, along with IMA Special Trophies to the winners of the IMA Championship.

Line-up

Name	Nat	Owner	LOA
Racing
Maximus	NZL	Charles Brown/Bill Buckley	30.00
Skandia	AUS	Grant Wharington	30.00
Roma	ITA	Filippo Faruffini	25.67
South Georgia (OD)	ITA	Leonard Guagenti	24.50
Ushuaia (OD)	ITA	Offshore Sailing Spa	24.50
Black Dragon	GBR	Performance Yachting Ltd	23.40
Favonius	NED	Roland Pieper	21.39
Mister A	ITA	Aldo Pagani	20.30
OPS 5	ITA	Massimo Violati	20.10
Sei Tu 2	ITA	Antonello Morina	20.10
Edimetra	ITA	Ernesto Gismondi	20.00
Sotto Voce	NED	Arien van Vemde	20.00
Cruising
Adela (ST)	USA	George Lindemann	55.00
Whirlaway	USA	Randall Pittman	42.90
Passe Partout	GBR	Passepartout Ltd	42.00
Kokomo of London	ITA	Salvatore Trifirò	40.40
Ghost	USA	Arne Glimcher	37.00
Viriella	ITA	Vittorio Moretti	36.00
Unfurled	USA	Harry Macklowe	34.00
Gibian	BVI	Armando Grandi	30.40
Whitefin	ITA	Alfredo Canessa	27.43
Allsmoke	GBR	Gunter Hertz	23.97
Annagine	NED	C.E. Van Asbeck	23.60
Inspiration	GER	Herbert Dahm	22.10
Malafemmina	ITA	Giorgio Vanelo	21.80
Charis	ITA	Fabio Mangifesta	20.10
Wally
Kauris III	ITA	Marco Tronchetti Provera	32.80
Kenora	BVI	Long Beach Lrd	32.72
Narida	NOR	Morten Bergesen	32.00
Alexia	ARG	Alberto Roemmers	30.00
Magic Carpet Squared	GBR	Lindsay Owen Jones	28.80
Ocean Season	GER	Thomas Bscher	28.55
Y3K	GER	Claus Peter Offen	28.55
Tiketitan	ITA	Galeazzo Pecori Giraldi	27.00
Tiketitoo	ESP	Javier Sanso	27.00
J One	FRA	Jean Charles Decaux	24.24
Genie of the Lamp	LUX	Genie S.A	24.00
Indio	ITA	Andrea Recordati	23.99