Maxis in Sardinia

The world's largest racing yachts, plus Wally and giant cruising machines head for Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

With less than four weeks to the start of the 2005 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the entry list has reached a record 40 yachts. The largest fleet in the history of the event will gather in Porto Cervo 4 to 10 September, 2005 to compete in the 16th running of the regatta organised by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) and sponsored by Rolex. As in past years, competitors include international business and sailing elite. 13 countries are represented including Australia, Great Britain, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States.

“The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is one of the most spectacular sailing events in the world today,” commented Gianfranco Alberini, Commodore of the YCCS. “The combination of these finely-honed yachts, the stunning Costa Smeralda coastline and Porto Cervo’s unique charm provides for a week of outstanding racing and entertainment for owners, crews and their guests. With a record number of yachts competing, this year’s regatta will be a showcase of pure racing machines, breathtaking classic yachts, and state-of-the-art racer-cruisers.”

Among the regular competitors returning are: New York real estate mogul Harry Macklowe sailing his 112ft Unfurled; Great Britain’s Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, CEO of L’Oreal, sailing his Wally Magic Carpet Squared; and US billionaire George Lindemann sailing Adela, the largest yacht in the fleet at just over 180ft.

Competition will be fierce among veterans of this world-class event and first timers, which include Maximus, the new 98-foot supermaxi owned by Bill Buckley and Charles St Clair Brown of New Zealand, and Australian Grant Wharington’s 98ft Skandia Wild Thing.

The fleet will be divided into Racing, Cruising and Wally Divisions, with the classic Spirit of Tradition yachts included in the Cruising Division. A mixture of windward-leewards and coastal races will take competitors on challenging routes through the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago.

Joining Maximus and Skandia in the Racing Division, which groups the most high-tech 'speed-machines', will be Arien Van Vemde’s Sotto Voce of the Netherlands and Roland Pieper’s Favonius from the BVI. With Maximus fresh from handicap victory in the Grand Prix Division in the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge and line honours in the Rolex Fastnet Race, and Skandia newly re-launched following a rebuild, spectators can look forward to a week-long battle between these two ocean racing titans.

In the Cruising Division, last-year’s winner, Mister A, owned by Italy’s Aldo Pagani, will face tough competition from second- and third-place title holders Velsheda of Great Britain and Germany’s Inspiration, as well as from Randall Pittman’s 140ft Whirlaway from the United States.

In the Wally Division Tiketitan, helmed by Luca Bassani, founder of Wally Yachts, will be doing battle again with Argentina’s Alberto Roemmers, whose Alexia won last year. In 2004, Tiketitan placed second with Bassani at the helm. Magic Carpet Squared, Norway’s Nariida and Italy’s Kauris III will also be competitors to watch.

Entries:

Yacht	Nat	Owner	LOA	Beam	Draft
Racing division
BLACK DRAGON	GBR	Performance Yachting Ltd	23.4	4.46	3.82
EDIMETRA	ITA	Ernesto Gismondi	20	5.1	3.6
FAVONIUS	BVI	Roland Pieper	21.39	5.9	4.5
MAXIMUS	NZL	EBS Yachting	30	5.7	6
OPS 5	ITA	Massimo Violati	20.1	5.1	3.8
ROMA	ITA	Filippo Faruffini	25.67	5.95	4.7
SEI TU 2	ITA	Antonello Morina	20.1	5.1	3.8
SKANDIA	AUS	Grant Wharington	30	4.99	5.2
SOTTO VOCE	NED	Arien van Vemde	20	4.5	3.6
DRAKE PASSAGE (OD)	ITA	Leonardo Guagenti	24.5	6.2	4
SOUTH GEORGIA (OD)	ITA	Leonardo Guagenti	24.5	6.3	4
USHUAIA (OD)	ITA	Leonardo Guagenti	24.5	6.3	4
Wally division
ALEXIA	ARG	Alberto Roemmers	30	7	4.6
DARK SHADOW	MON	Akao Kazuo	30	6.5	4.5
GENIE OF THE LAMP	LUX	Genie S.A	24	5.8	4
INDIO	ITA	Andrea Recordati	23.99	5.96	4
J ONE	GBR	Jean Charles Decaux	24.24	5.1	4.02
KAURIS III	ITA	Marco Tronchetti Provera	32.8	7	4.3
KENORA	BVI	Long Beach Lrd	32.72	7.9	4
MAGIC CARPET SQUARED	GBR	Lindsay Owen Jones	28.8	6.1	5
NARIIDA	NOR	Morten Bergesen	32	7.9	5
OPEN SEASON	GER	Thomas Bscher	28	6.1	5
TIKETITAN	GBR	Galeazzo Pecori Giraldi	27	6.2	3.8
Y3K	GER	Claus Peter Offen	28.55	6.4	4.7
Cruising division
ALLSMOKE	GBR	Corviglia Ltd	23.97	5.9	3.85
CHARIS	ITA	Fabio Mangifesta	20.1	5.27	3.4
GHOST	BER	Arne Glimcher	37	7.3	4.8
GIBIAN	BVI	Armando Grandi	30.4	6.8	4.2
INSPIRATION	GER	Herbert Dahm	22.1	5.77	3.63
KOKOMO	ITA	Salvatore Trifirò	40.4	8.6	4.2
MALAFEMMINA	ITA	Giorgio Vanelo	21.8	5.7	4
MISTER A	ITA	Aldo Pagani	20.3	4.98	4.02
SERENITY OF SEA	NED	F.J. Kroymans	22	5.88	3.3
UNFURLED	USA	Harry Macklowe	34	7.8	3.8
VIRIELLA	ITA	Vittorio Moretti	36	8	5.5
WHIRLAWAY	USA	Randall Pittman	42.9	8.8	4.8
ADELA (ST)	USA	George Lindemann	55	7	5
ANNAGINE (ST)	NED	C.E. Van Asbeck	23.6	5.2	4
VELSHEDA (ST)	GBR	Ronald de Waal	39.5	6,57	4,8
WHITEFIN (ST)	ITA	Alfredo Canessa	27.43	6.2	3.2