Giraglia, tonight gets into full swing, 270 at the start

A fleet of more than 270 boats from about twenty countries-these are the numbers for the 63rd edition of the Giraglia Rolex Cup, which will kick off tonight with the San Remo-Saint Tropez prologue.

INTERNATIONAL AND DIVERSE FLEET
The international fleet includes not only a kaleidoscope of different nationalities, but also a wide range of yachts from 30 to 100 feet, with fully professional and amateur crews, two-man and solo teams, teams with rich pedigrees and others making their debut. It will start as anticipated on Friday with the overnight from San Remo to Saint Tropez. Then the competitors will be engaged in three days of coastal racing in the waters of the French town (Sunday, June 14 to Tuesday, June 16), where they will have the opportunity to hone their skills in a competitive environment ahead of the main event, the oldest offshore regatta in the Mediterranean, which will lead the fleet on a 243-nautical-mile course to Genoa with passage by the Giraglia Rock.

I BATTSTRADA
Esimit Europa 2 holds the Giraglia Rolex Cup regatta record with a time of 14 hours and 56 minutes recorded in 2012. The European crew of Igor Simčič’s 100-foot Maxi has won line honors in its last four entries in this regatta and will start as the clear favorite for victory at the finish line in Genoa. The other 100-foot yacht in the fleet is Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones’s Wally Cento Magic Carpet Cubed (GBR), with another crew that boasts an excellent pedigree having won the Royalty in 2013. The Maxi 72 racing series, including Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou (GBR), George Sakellaris’ Shockwave (USA), Roberto Tomasini Grinover’s Robertissima III (ITA), Alex Schaerer’s Caol Ila R (USA), and Dieter Schoen’s brand new MOMO (IVB), will surely be other fierce players at the front of the fleet. Another competitor hoping to notch the regatta record is Lionel Péan with the Volvo 70 SFS. “We are excited to compete against high-level rivals, including a large number of Maxis,” Péan explains. “We will push on performance even more than last year and want to improve. We hope to have some mistral during the return leg to attempt a challenge to the regatta record.”

The last four editions of the regatta have been won by French or Swiss teams. The list of winners includes: Alizée by Laurent Camprubi (2013) and Foxy Lady by Dominique Heyraud (2011). The sizable contingent of Italian crews is in the hunt for its first national success in seven years, following Marco Paolucci’s triumph at the helm of Tartaruga in 2008. In the world of offshore racing, the Giraglia is relatively short but intense. Recent editions have been characterized by varied conditions, some fast with strong winds, others with light breezes that required patience and tactical astuteness. Both scenarios test the skills and preparedness of crews, particularly solo and two-person crews. Although their main goal will be to finish the race, the 25 or so single and double crews will be inspired by the duo on Night and Day who won the overall title of the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2013. A clear example of the timeless appeal of offshore racing.

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