Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Porto Cervo, Sardinia - Overall

Velsheda on day 5 of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Porto Cervo © Carlo Borlenghi / Rolex

Trophies locked up

Final day at the 20th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup dawned with blue sky and a gentle north-easterly breeze between 8 and 10 knots. One more opportunity for those already at the top of the standings to prove themselves worthy of winning. Good news also for those yachts still within touching distance of the top. A race would mean opportunity and in yacht-racing opportunity is everything, but only if you are prepared to take it. Getting your name inscribed on the trophies at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is no easy feat. Only those most deserving achieve the feat. At close of play those truly in clover were: Ronald de Waal and Velsheda (GBR); Claus Peter Offen and Y3K (GER); Mick Cotter and Whisper (IRL); Filippo Faruffini and Roma-Aniene (ITA), and, Neville Crichton and Alfa Romeo (NZL). Flush with victory and the spoils associated - the Maxi Yacht Cup and a Rolex Yacht-master Chronometer.

If only it were so simple. In Cruising/Spirit of Tradition, Velsheda had wrapped up her division a day early by virtue of winning every race to that point. In Wally, Y3K was also impregnable, by virtue of having scored more firsts than her closest rival, Open Season (GER), which could only match Y3Ks score however badly Offen's crew sailed the last race; a situation where count-back would favour Offen.

In Racing/Cruising, Roma-Aniene never seemed likely to be overtaken by DSK Pioneer Investments, but the door was still open if DSK could repeat yesterday's result and finish ahead of Roma. The chances of this seemed slim given Roma had not given DSK a sniff all week until her mainsail issues of yesterday. The same scenario existed in Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising, where both Aegir (GBR) and OPS 5 (ITA) had a mathematical chance to overtake Whisper, should she finish seventh or worse, something Whisper had not done all week. She had had problems yesterday, though, finishing fifth. So a glimmer of hope flickered on. In both cases you had to think lightning does not strike twice.

The classification where the duelling would go closest to the wire looked to be Mini Maxi Racing. Tight battles looked likely in both Mini Maxi Racing (Owner/Driver) and the larger overall Mini Maxi Racing 00 group. The Owner/Driver contest was between Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo 3 (NZL) and Hap Fauth's Bella Mente (USA). The stakes were high; the pressure was on. The maths were simple for Bella Mente, she had to come first. Anything less would not be enough. For Alfa, if she could win or prevent the American crew from winning she would prevail.

The 00 group was also a two-way tussle and also involved Alfa Romeo, with the likes of triple Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie in the crew roster, along with Niklas Zennström's Rán (GBR). With a three-point separation, the onus was on Alfa to win and hope Rán would finish no better than fourth. Heading out to the start there was every possibility that Crichton might be distracted by his battle with Fauth, since that was where the major prize would be awarded. At the beginning of the week, though, Crichton had stated his aim was to win both groups. Given his competitive streak is longer and wider than most, no one would bet against the New Zealander attempting to win outright from the front.

In the end, the excitement came in only one spot. Velsheda confirmed her supremacy in Cruising/Spirit of Tradition winning the final race. Hasso Plattner's Visione (GER) did enough to beat Charles Dunstone's Hamilton II (GBR) in the race today and to take second on the podium. Roma-Aniene confirmed yesterday's problems were no more than a blip by adding a fourth bullet to her Racing/Cruising scoreline. Danilo Salsi's DSK's second place in the race and the overall standing will be some compensation. Whisper, too, asserted herself once more adding a fourth bullet to her Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising record and securing the class by 10-points over Brian Benjamin's Aegir.

Ronald de Waal skipper and helmsman of Velsheda attributed his victory in Cruising/Spirit of Tradition to his crew, "the team we sail with has been together for a long time, some have been with us for eight years. Of course, we sail with some of the very best in the world and that helps." This is de Waal's first overall win at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup; he has sailed several times before and really enjoys the competition and the location, "it's a combination of nature, the area, we always have beautiful wind, really beautiful surroundings and always a very good fleet."

Claus Peter Offen sealed his Wally Division victory with another win. Not bad for a yacht launched in July this year. Sailing with designer Mani Frers onboard as a guest, Offen was understandably delighted with his yacht and the win, "we thought we could get in the top three, but to win with a brand-new boat is unexpected. You usually will have some technical problems, but in all six races we were always first over the line and never had any problems." Offen paid tribute to his crew, particularly acknowledging the work on the first two days when conditions were at their most difficult.

Filippo Faruffini came, saw and conquered for the second time; Roma confirming her superiority over the series in Racing/Cruising. Faruffini was surprised given how they had come into the competition, "this is sport and you can leave nothing to chance. We only decided only one month ago to race and were really under-prepared. Our sails are old and we broke many, many things." A number of his crew, from the Circolo Canottieri Aniene (a sporting club in Rome), were new to sailing and to turn them into a team capable of holding their own against the likes of DSK is a true achievement, as tactician Vascotto explains, "all the guys made a real effort today. We pushed hard. We had 22 guys that are not professional at all, but at the end of the week we look to be doing the same manoeuvres as we do with professional guys. Everyone has improved and they can see this, which is our aim."

Mick Cotter's emphatic result with Whisper in Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising was a revelation, but had been hinted at last year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup when Cotter's crew won a sub-division prize, "it's been a wonderful week, everything went really well. I had a great team and that's what did it for me. We had few mistakes yesterday, but you can't expect to go through a week's regatta and not have a few. The conditions were ideal for us, which helped us considerably in the overall results. The crew know the boat well and the pros have got to know both us and the boat."

As predicted, the true battle came in Mini Maxi Racing and it was fought tooth and nail between two boats - Bella Mente and Alfa Romeo. Fauth's crew knew they had to win. Tactician Dee Smith saw to it that Bella Mente won the start at the pin end, whilst Alfa went for the committee boat end. As both yachts sailed their own race for the first leg, the first crossing was a critical moment. It went to Bella Mente and she held off her larger rival until the top of the second beat. At this point the Americans were still within a shout of victory. They were sailing so well that within the Owner/Driver category they were undoubtedly winning. With three more legs it was never going to be easy and, unfortunately for them, Alfa had no thoughts of mercy in mind. She forced her way past and then proceeded to match-race Hap Fauth's yacht progressively out of the running. Conceding waterline length and therefore speed it was never going to end happily for Fauth. Bella Mente corrected out ahead of Alfa, but critically Andres Soriano's Alegre (GBR) and Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou (GBR) corrected out ahead of her. Crichton won by one point.

Crichton knew he had been in a scrap and paid due compliment to the tenacity and sailing skills of Fauth and his crew, as did his tactician, Michael Coxon, and relief helm, Ben Ainslie, who knows plenty about the need for ruthlessness in such circumstances. Crichton was thoroughly pleased with the result "we're delighted. It was pretty tough out there today. We had to do what we had to do, and we got there in the end. They (Bella Mente) camped on us on the first beat. We finally got them back and then just sat on top of them."

Meanwhile, Zennström and his Rán crew were able to sail their own race with the fight going on far behind. Once again, Rán took the gun and in doing so walked away with an eight-point victory over Alfa Romeo in the Min Maxi Racing 00 grouping. Zennstrom readily admitted they were flattered by the gap, which had been accentuated by the duel between the Alfa Romeo and Bella Mente.

All in all it has been an enthralling week of competition. The weather has played ball. Each day of racing has produced quality conditions and allowed the crews of the gathered maxis to strut their stuff in style. We'll allow a newcomer to capture the sensation of racing here. Rachel Howe is the sole female navigator competing this week. Not only that, but she did so on Jethou in the intense environment of the Mini Maxi Racing group. Jethou went out on a high today, finishing the race first in Owner/Driver and second in 00. According to Howe, "this is the most prestigious event that I've done, the field that we're racing in is absolutely spectacular. It's an inspirational fleet to be part of. To get the opportunity to race against the people we're racing against is just incredible. It is a real privilege. It's intimidating at first, but once you are out there getting on with your job you realise everyone is pretty normal.once you see past the (Olympic) gold medals and the America's Cups!"

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), From the most luxurious, through the most traditional, to the most advanced monohulls afloat today, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is nothing if not an astonishing line up of sailing power.

For more information about the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2009 including entry lists and results please visit www.yccs.it

Overall Results:

Mini Maxi Racing (owner/driver)
1. Alfa Romeo, Neville Crichton, NZL, 2-2-1-1-1-3-(4), 10pts
2. Bella Mente, Hap Fauth, USA, 1-1-(4)-2-2-2-3, 11pts
3. Jethou, Peter Ogden, GBR, 3-3-2-(4)-4-1-1, 14pts

Mini Maxi Racing/Cruising
1. Whisper, Michael Cotter, IRL, 1-1-1-5-1, 9pts
2. Aegir, Brian Benjamin, GBR, 6-2-4-1-6, 19pts
3. Grande Orazio, Massimiliano Florio, ITA, 2-7-5-2-3, 19pts

Racing/Cruising
1. Roma - Aniene, C.C. Aniene/F. Faruffini, ITA, 1-1-1-4-1, 8pts
2. DSK Pioneer Investments, Danilo Salsi, ITA, 2-2-2-1-2, 9pts
3. Sagamore Enigma, Nicola Paoleschi, ITA, 3-4-3-2-3, 15pts

Wally
1. Y3K, Claus-Peter Offen, GER, (3)-1-1-2-3-1, 8pts
2. Open Season, Thomas Bscher, GER, 2-3-2-(6)-2-2, 11pts
3. Magic Carpet 2, Lindsay Owen-Jones, GBR, 7-(8(DSQ))-3-1-1-3, 15pts

Cruising/Spirit of Tradition
1. Velsheda, Tarbat Investment Ltd, GBR, 1-1-1-1-1, 5pts
2. Visione, Hasso Plattner, GER, 5-3-2-3-4, 17pts
3. Hamilton II, Lockstock Ltd, GBR, 2-4-5-2-5, 18pts

Mini Maxi (00 Class)
1. Ran, Niklas Zennstrom, GBR, (4)-2-3-2-1-1-1, 10pts
2. Alfa Romeo, Neville Crichton, NZL, 3-4-2-1-2-(8), 18pts
3. Luna Rossa, Maestrale Holding, ITA, 1-2-(8)-8-3-2-5, 20pts

Racing - Racing/Cruising
1. Beau Geste, Karl Kwok, HKG, 1-1-1-1-1, 5pts
2. Roma - Aniene, C.C. Aniene/F. Faruffini, ITA, 2-2-2-5-2, 13pts
3. DSK Pioneer Investments, Danilo Salsi, ITA, 3-3-3-2-3, 14pts

Rán peak at the Rolex Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (from Louay Habib)

Since 1980, the magnificent Yacht Club Costa Smeralda has hosted the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. The glamorous location has staged racing for some of the most outstanding yachts of the past three decades. Every year, the world’s best sailors gather in Porto Cervo, Sardinia for the inshore big boat showdown of the season.

From the 7th to the 12th of September 2009, the 20th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was staged with over 40 yachts, of mind-bending performance, gathering at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Without doubt the most competitive yachts were the Mini Maxi division. Eight Mini Maxis from Britain, New Zealand, Italy, Germany and America battled it out over seven races, on both coastal and windward leeward courses. Conditions for the week were in the middle to upper wind strength and the sea state kicked up a decent swell to provide fantastic conditions for some high octane racing.

The early leader was Patrizio Bertelli’s, Luna Rossa with his America’s Cup crew including Torben Grael but the Italian team fell away during the windward leeward racing. Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo held top spot for most of the regatta, the New Zealand owner had Triple Olympic Gold medalist, Ben Ainslie in the afterguard and the star studded crew were a class act. On the penultimate day, Niklas Zennström’s Rán was unstoppable scoring two bullets on the windward leeward courses and overtaking Alfa Romeo, to lead the Mini Maxis for the first time in the regatta.

Saturday saw the final race of the series, a windward leeward course of three laps with a short spreader leg and a leeward gate. At midday, a perfect breeze of about 12 knots was blowing from the north east, as the eight highly impressive Mini Maxis jostled for position in the pre-start. The scene was set for a dramatic conclusion to the ‘Champion’s League’ of yacht racing. Going into the last race, anyone of the top three yachts could win the overall title. Niklas Zennström’s Rán, Neville Crichton’s Alfa Romeo and Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente were all in with a chance of lifting one of the most sought after prizes in world yachting..

In the pre-start, the atmosphere was tense, the crews on all eight Mini Maxi’s hit the rail, at maximum hike, fully powered up, heading for the line. Rán, Alfa Romeo and Bella Mente chose the left hand side of the course. Rán had shown impressive speed upwind all week and the Judel Vrolijk designed 72 ft carbon flier pulled ahead. In clean air, Rán extended and was well clear at the top mark. A text book bare-away set and the massive spinnaker on Rán exploded into action, sending the boat downwind. Bella Mente was not far behind and had engaged Alfa Romeo into a tacking duel sailing her left and outside the layline.

On Rán the crew were working the puffs downwind, taking off on the surf. One electric gybe and Zennström’s crew were bang on the course, barreling towards the bottom gate. The round up was executed with expert precision, as Rán went right looking for more pressure away from land. Alfa Romeo had a good downwind leg, passing Bella Mente and closed on Rán and decided to take the left mark of the leeward gate. The breeze picked up a notch and started to clock right, favouring Rán’s chosen side and the sleek grey hull started to pull away. Rán tacked to cover Alfa Romeo from in front and when they altered course onto the same tack, the enormous lead enjoyed by Rán became all too apparent. Minutes ahead at the top mark, Rán nailed another inch perfect hoist at the spreader and took off. The breeze had clocked right , causing the race officer to move the top mark. The only thing that was going to stop Rán running away with a win was a massive wind shift but it didn’t come. The afterguard on Rán kept a close eye on the opposition in their wake

Rán blasted through the line with their gossamer white spinnaker up and the crew punched the air with delight. Eight Mini Maxi’s had come to Sardinia to contest a major championship. They had come out on top in a world class line up of eight boats from the best sailing nations in the world and the elation on board was evident as Skipper Tim Powell and owner Niklas Zennström soaked the crew with champagne.

“Coming from behind to win finishing the series with three bullets in a row was very satisfying.” Beamed a delighted Niklas Zennström, “The Mini Maxi Class is a very competitive fleet and we were pushed very hard. Winning here has been absolutely fantastic and I must praise the entire Rán team on a terrific job, they gave their all. We have been together for a while now and that is definitely a big part of our success. We are a happy team that work together to produce the results. Whilst the sailing team have performed to a very high standard, the work of the shore team is just as important, especially when we had a few minor breakages in the big breeze on the first couple of days.”

Tim Powell was understandably proud of what Team Rán has accomplished. “The coastal racing at the start of the series with very little upwind racing didn’t favour our boat and a few breakages in the big conditions, effected our performance. Although we won it on the last race, perhaps the decisive moment was in the very first race; in four metre swell and over 25 knots of breeze, a tack fitting failed to stand up to the shock load as we came off a wave and backstay issue had us in trouble but we managed to fight our way back to take fourth place. We had a fair bit of ground to make up after a bad start but we always backed ourselves and we are very confident of the boat, especially on the windward leeward courses. Winning here is very special, something that the whole team will remember for the rest of our lives.’”

Team Rán: Niklas Zennström, Catherine Zennström, Tim Powell, Steve Hayles, Adrian Stead, Jeremy Robinson, Thierry Peponet, Richard Clampett, Richard Bouzaid, Dick Meacham, Jonathan Taylor, Matteo Aguardo, Mo Gray, Gareth Bainbridge, Guy Reid, Scott Crawford, Chris Dougall, Anthony Haines, Andrew Hemmings, Lou Varney, James Stagg, Freddy Shanks, Troy Kennedy, Neil Crutcher, Keith Glynn, Tom Buggy, Clare Hancock, Stephanie Ralston.

After a night of celebration, Team Rán were back at work preparing themselves and the boat for the next regatta; Les Voiles de St Tropez from the 26th September to the 4th October.