V and Atalanta II leap ahead at Loro Piana Giraglia
by International Maxi Association 15 Jun 22:44 BST
13-17 June 2026
While there was disappointment that no racing took place on Sunday due to the wind on the Baie de Pampelonne being too light and unstable, for the penultimate day of competition at Loro Piana Giraglia, the race committee successfully managed to hold two windward-leewards for the two maxi fleets. The northeast to easterly breeze peaked at 14 knots in the first race but dropped off substantially in the second.
Taking place out of Saint-Tropez, the Loro Piana Giraglia is organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. The four days of inshore and coastal racing (prior to Wednesday's offshore to Genoa) is the third event in the International Maxi Association's 2026 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge.
While maxi yacht racing is often extremely close, for this year's Loro Piana Giraglia inshore and coastal races, two clear leaders have already emerged after four races. Two race wins today for Karel Komárek's 100ft V has left them on 10 points, five points clear of arch-rival Galateia, being raced here in Saint-Tropez by father-daughter combo Chris and Lizz Flowers. Event sponsor Pier Luigi Loro Piana's 80ft My Song, leader after the first day of racing, lies one point further adrift on 16.
"It was a great day on the water," admitted V's crew boss Jack Bouttell. "It felt like it all clicked. From dock out to dock in, everything was about as good as we could have hoped: The preparation in the morning was good; the weather analysis; sail selection and the new crew make-up, the decision-making and the work on board was calm, cool, collected. It was a nice feeling...We can't really complain!"
According to Bouttell, V's strategy today was less about picking a side of the course but just starting cleanly...which they did. "As always in those light conditions, if you can get a little ahead, it's always just that bit easier: you can have clear air and you're not affected by other boats slowing you down."
While V's position at the top of the leaderboard looks strong, the podium places are far from decided with just four points separating Galateia in second to Alessandro Del Bono's Capricorno in seventh.
In the smaller IRC 0 Maxi B class, Carlo Puri Negri's Farr/Felci 70 Atalanta II also won both windward-leeward races today to maintain her perfect scoreline. She now leads Guido Paolo Gamucci's canting keel Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa X by 7 points with Benoît de Froidmont's Wally 60 Wallyño, a further point behind in third.
"Conditions were very nice for sailing today, although the wind dropped to 7-8 knots in the second and the chop made it difficult to go well," commented Gabriele Benussi, of the great Trieste sailing family, who is calling tactics on board Atalanta II. "Steering on board was not easy, but we got two fantastic starts and the crew worked perfectly as well - I should congratulate the crew because it's not easy sailing a maxi boat." Benussi normally races with his elder brother Furio on the 100ft ARCA SGR.
"And the boat in these conditions is fast," he continued. While Atalanta II's forte is windward-leewards, there is concern that tomorrow's coastal course might blemish her otherwise perfect scoreline. "The forecast is for a little less wind - like the last race today - but it will be another story because reaching, other boats are faster than us. But we have a good gap over second and we need to keep our foot to the floor."
Impressively on the ascent in the smaller class today was Wallyño, a three time winner of the IMA's Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge and a multiple winner of previous maxi races here in Saint-Tropez. She scored two second places today, which comes as a slight surprise as this is the first regatta for Wallyño in more than a year after she sustained keel damage during the 2025 IMA Maxi European Championship.
"We've got the keel eight days ago, the mast three days ago with new rigging etc, so it's been a challenge, but the team has been working very well," commented de Froidmont. "We have four new crew, but they're extremely good sailors and we're finding a good balance between them. We still have room for improvement, but really I wasn't expecting the boat to do so well so rapidly."
As a result Wallyño has now pulled out a small lead in the 'battle of the IMA Presidents' with current President, Maurits van Oranje and his Wally 80 Sud now lying in fourth, three points behind Wallyño after scoring a 3-4 today.
Equally noteworthy is that both Atalanta II and Wallyño are 20+ year old boats - strong testament to the longevity of maxi yachts kept in the right hands and to the IRC rating rule that levels the playing field between them.
After the official Loro Piana Giraglia daily prize-giving, the day concluded with the IMA's famous well attended rosé party for the maxi owners and their crews.
The inshore/coastal racing at Loro Piana Giraglia is scheduled to conclude tomorrow with a final coastal race for the maxi fleets.
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