Porto Cervo, Italy: The Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta concluded today with a win in the day’s racing and overall victory for the Wallycento Magic Carpet Cubed, owned by YCCS member Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, assisted as always on tactics by Jochen Schuemann.
In the Multihull category the overall winner was Allegra, owned by Adrian Keller and with tactician Paul Larsen, who was beaten in today’s final race of the event by Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling XVII.
Conditions, with overcast skies and a shifty and variable breeze, gave the Race Committee food for thought, before opting for a southerly course. From the starting line located off Porto Cervo, both divisions rounded the island of Soffi before heading for the Bisce pass and the finish line.
Once again, starting procedures got underway as scheduled at 12.30 p.m. with the Multihulls setting off first, followed by individual staggered starts for the Superyacht division.
The duel between the multihulls Allegra and Highland Fling XVII seemed to be going Allegra’s way again, however a tactical decision to sail close to the coast on the approach to the finish line allowed Highland Fling to overtake her rival right on the line, by just one second in real time – which would translate to 1 minute and 5 seconds in compensated time.
Competition was no less heated in the Superyacht Division, where Magic Carpet Cubed was forced to defend the overall lead she had conquered with a win on day one, as her pursuers, Bullitt and Magic Blue closed in.
With Bullit and Magic Blue finishing in second and third place today, as well as in the overall standings, the podium places and the trophies offered by Giorgio Armani were claimed by a trio of Wally yachts.
In addition to the Silver Jubilee Cup for the winner of the Superyacht Division, the owner of Magic Carpet Cubed, Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, received the YCCS Trophy for the best result among the members of the organising club and the Pantaenius Trophy for the best starts.
The Traditional Superyacht Trophies presented by Giorgio Armani went to Inoui, Ribelle and Morgana respectively. The Southern Wind Trophy was awarded on behalf of the shipyard by Andrea Micheli, to the SW 100′ Morgana.
‘In the Southern Wind Rendezvous, meanwhile, the sailing ‘community’ of the South African shipyard enjoyed friendly day sails, where the most coveted prize was spending time on board, in the company of friends and family.
Jochen Schuemann, Magic Carpet Cubed’s tactician: “This win shows we have made good progress after a slower than expected start to the season.
“Here we had an extra element to deal with, because when starting last and then passing the fleet, you have to respect the safety rule and maintain a minimum distance of 40 metres from the other yachts, which was not easy. On the other hand, the wind offered us many tactical options, so we had a few more opportunities.”
Paul Larsen, tactician on Allegra: “This is a perfect place for multihull sailing, really special, it’s right in the mix of loading these boats up and on the edge of flying hulls, and then you look at the scenery and just go whizzing past and try and not be distracted by it.
“Racing with our opponent was always tight, today we lost the race by a minute, probably because we had a little too much weight on board. Every detail can make the difference, from gusts to the speed of manoeuvres, that’s why we updated the boat with faster winches, and you can see the results. It’s beautiful, it was amazing.”
Michael Illbruck, YCCS Commodore: “I’m delighted with the success, both at sea and ashore, of our regatta dedicated to superyachts. I’d like to thank Giorgio Armani for having chosen the YCCS and the Superyacht Regatta. We have a lot of values in common and our Piazza Azzurra was busier than ever.
“On behalf of the YCCS, I’d like to thank the owners that return year after year with their yachts, who are the stars of this event. The Race Committee did a great job handling the conditions, choosing the best course each day in this idyllic setting. My thanks go to them, the International Jury and the entire YCCS staff who organised an excellent event.”
