The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was back in action Thursday for the third day of maxi yacht racing’s pinnacle event, with the northwesterly Mistral blowing at 20+ knots.
The eight competing in the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship sailed two windward-leewards while the remainder tackled coastal courses.
Karel Komárek’s V took the first win of the day, ahead of Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones’ Magic Carpet e. The breezier second race was won by Joost Schuijff’s Leopard 3 ahead of defending World Champion, David M Leuschen and Chris Flowers’ Galateia and Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s 80ft My Song.
V was fourth so she still leads overall, but by a mere point from Leopard 3, in turn two ahead of Galateia.
There was greater separation geographically between the classes racing coastal course.
In the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship, Peter Dubens’ brand new 76ft North Star III, led the charge and, despite a very wet ride in the big breeze and waves, scored her fourth race win on corrected time ahead of Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s 71ft Django 7x.
While North Star III is yet to be beaten on 4 points overall, behind her three boats – Filip Balcean’s Balthasar, Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente and George and Christina Sakellaris’ Proteus – are all tied on 17 points.
James Neville, former Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club, won today in Maxi 3 aboard his Botin 65 Artemis Bleu by a respectable seven minutes on corrected time from Silvia De’ Longhi and Franz Wilhelm Baruffaldi Preis’ 62ft racer Manticore.
In Maxi 4 the winning streak of Vincenzo Addessi’s Mylius 18E35 Fra Diavolo came to an end today with Luigi Sala’s Vismara 62 Yoru winning by a comfortable 6 minutes 27 seconds from Lasse Petterson’s Mylius 60 Why Not. Fra Diavolo was fourth leaving Yoru first overall, but by only a point.
Division leaders at the close of Day 3 are:
- Leopard 3 in the Maxi 1 class
- Northstar III in the Maxi Grand Prix class
- Artemis Blue in the Maxi 3 class
- YURO for the Maxi 4s
- H2O in Maxi 5
- Highland Fling XVIII in the Multihull group.
Full results available here