maxi yacht cannonball

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In march, the louis vuitton 37th america’s cup saw significant developments and preparations, the most olympic trofeo princesa sofía by iberostar starts in mallorca, happy go takes the double – winning line honours and irc overall in the 2024 rolex china sea race, isa launches project unica 40m – the epitome of contemporary trends, azimut gets even more grande with the unveiling of the project of grande 44m, the new fleet flagship, zuckerberg buys $300 million russian superyacht, a symphony of art and science: introducing spear, the 140m trimaran yacht concept, mazzella and nolot champions, with maeder as the super-champion of the european formula kite in the mar menor, introducing the new ima mediterranean maxi multihull challenge, jordi xammar and nora brugman, world champions in the 470 class with only six months until paris 2024, team nika wins the calero marinas and becomes the first leader of the 44cup, 222 offshore receive uim class 1 trophy in monaco, riva at the i.c.e. st. moritz – international concours of elegance 2024, timeless elegance, modern craftsmanship: the boatmaker channeling 1960s inspiration on a remote swedish island, classic elegance revived: 5 modern runabout boats paying homage to timeless designs, riva celebrates italian excellence at the “identitalia the iconic italian brands” exhibition, easter mona inspired by america’s cup sets sail in barcelona, introducing the deep sea dreamer: a visionary concept by designer steve kozloff, the ultimate superyacht with a detachable private airship, return of the caleros, splash into adventure: the 11 best personal watercraft for high seas fun and play, searider unveils dual-motor electric crotch rocket for water adventures, gost(r) partners with boat fix for enhanced 24/7 monitoring, recovery and customer service, the ocean race, virtual regatta and accenture launch metaverse experience, sailgp launches official digital collectibles, yacht club monaco marina metaverse – monaco, capital of advanced yachting, yacht manufacturer tactical custom boats completes the first nft sale on the blockchain for a new 110 ft yacht, cannonball, lyra, wallyño and stella maris crowned les voiles de saint-tropez maxi winners.

The final day of maxi yacht competition at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez took place on a large trapezoidal course off the Bay of Pampelonne in a 7-10 knot easterly in seas that ranged from flat to occasionally lumpy and irregular.

The 39 competing maxi yachts, ranging in size from numerous 60 footers up to Bernard Sabrier’s 112ft superyacht Silvertip and the Spirit Yachts 111 modern classic Geist were divided into four classes, Maxi A for the fastest, topped by Karel Komarek’s 100ft V and D for the slowest, with Jürg Schneider’s Swan 65 ketch Saida lowest rated.

While Galateia, helmed this week by co-owner Chris Flowers, was frequently claiming line honours ahead of the other 100 footers, today the white-hulled beast finally won a Maxi A race under IRC corrected time too. This followed the victory of Wendy Schmidt’s Deep Blue yesterday. Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones Magic Carpet Cubed also enjoyed her best result of the week with a third.

“It was more upwind-downwind conditions in the lower range, but it was more fun to go up and down, especially if you are leading! It made things a little bit easier,” explained Galateia’s strategist 470 Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup winner Jordi Calafat. “Magic Carpet was catching us in the light winds so we had to make sure we closed the door…” The larger yachts prevailed today partly because the breeze was dropping for those astern, hence why the race committee, including the International Maxi Association’s own Ariane Mainemare was forced to make a minor shortening of the course.

Galateia’s victory earned them the third step of the Maxi A podium behind Peter Harrison’s Cannonball and Peter Dubens’ North Star with one discard applied.

This event marked the first Maxi 72 victory for Cannonball since Peter Harrison acquired her a month ago. Previous owner Dario Ferrari’s crew came with her, including ace afterguard double act Vasco Vascotto and Michele Ivaldi. “Their approach is in a different league and that is what made all the difference – the boat is great too,” said Harrison. “This week what was interesting for us is that she worked well in strong breeze and we had good results in light breeze. I think how the crew have optimised the boat is the reason why. It has been a great week and I am very happy for the crew and the same for Dario Ferrari.”

Harrison particularly enjoyed Tuesday’s race when the wind peaked at 24 knots, yet Cannonball still came out on top in conditions that should have favoured the bigger boats. “I was surprised we were as strong as we were in that. The guys sailed the boat really well and I hung on! It was very exciting to steer with a lot of power going through the boat. I was surprised, to be honest – we really didn’t expect to be as successful as we were.”

In Maxi B, former International Maxi Association President Thomas Bscher’s new Baltic 68 Café Racer Open Season won the event’s last race, just as she did at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. British tactician Matt Humphries explained their race: “Before us, there was a big left shift during the Maxi A start but we realised quickly that it was coming back to the right so we got a relatively controlling first beat. Lyra, which is very sailed, just managed to get an inside overlap with us at the top mark, but once we’d given them room we managed to pass her.”

However the crew is still on a steep learning with their new boat. “So far we’ve done nine races and in that we have had three line honours and two overall wins, so I think we are going in the right direction,” said Humphries. “We are learning every day about the different modes. Thomas did a fantastic job in tricky conditions this week.”

But nothing was going to displace Terry Hui’s Lyra from the top spot in Maxi B and yet again the black 77 footer won her class at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. “We have a good team and we are learning every year but there is good competition and it is very tight every time,” observed Hui. “The third day [big wind Tuesday] was very good. We would like that every time because we were surfing the waves – we stayed on some a really long time. Boat and crew is superb. This year we had some tight competition with Rose [Sven Wackerhagen’s sistership] so we couldn’t make any mistakes.”

Of their race today, Lyra’s Danish tactician, who is normally skipper of the Danish Rockwool team on the SailGP circuit said: “We had a good start and first upwind, but then we ended up with a fight with Open Season. There were proper upwinds and downwinds and there were plenty of passing lanes and it was a good fun course.” Overall Lyra topped the Maxi B podium ahead of Rose and Thomas Biton’s Maarten 72 Aragon with Open Season fourth.

In Maxi D a third bullet today for Matteo Fossati’s Stella Maris sealed the deal for the Italian 64 footer, while a disappointing fifth for Jürg Schneider’s 50-year-old Swan 65 ketch Saida dropped her to third overall, displaced by Jerome Bataillard’s Shipman 63 Sao Bernardo.

This marked the end of a good autumn for Stella Maris after she won the Maxi 5 class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last month. “This year is ‘the double’ – I have won two – it is a very good year,” said Fossati. “Everything has been perfect here which I understand is not the case every year. Perhaps we chose the right year – or we brought the weather?!”

IMA President Benoît de Froidmont secured Maxi C with straight bullets and a day to spare yesterday on his Wallyño. But for a second consecutive time his silver 60 footer won both on the water and on IRC corrected time today. This left Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Lady First 3 in second place and Maurits van Oranje’s Mylius 60 Sud third.

“It was a fantastic week,” said de Froidmont. “The crew is really on fire now at the end of the season. With light breeze and flat sea this week – it has been the conditions for the boat.”

Andrew McIrvine, Secretary General of the International Maxi Association added: “As the SNST President said n his prize-giving speech, the event has gone back to its DNA. The wonderful sight of the harbour packed with a unique mixture of huge modern maxis alongside beautifully restored classics is what makes this regatta unique. The stresses of class splits and course choices pale into significance compared with this spectacle.”

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez is organised by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, part of the French Sailing Federation, in collaboration with the city of Saint-Tropez, the International Maxi Association (IMA) and the support of the Yacht Club de France.

• Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

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Cannonball, Lyra and Wallyño crowned Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez maxi winners

The final day of maxi yacht competition at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez saw the fleet take on a trapezoidal course off the Bay of Pampelonne with Cannonball , Lyra and Wallyño sailing to victory to secure wins in their respective fleets.

The 39 competing maxi yachts were divided into four classes, the largest competitors being Bernard Sabrier’s 34-metre Silvertip and 34-metre Spirit Yachts Geist , and the fleet completed five courses during the second week of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

In the Maxi A division, 30-metre Galateia , fresh off a win at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and helmed by co-owner Chris Flowers, was frequently claiming line honours ahead of the pack and finally secured a win on the last day that put her in third overall. In second was Peter Dubens’ North Star and in first was Maxi A class winner Cannonball.

This event marked the first Maxi 72 victory for Cannonball since Peter Harrison acquired her a month ago, sailing with many of the previous owner's crew. “Their approach is in a different league and that is what made all the difference – the boat is great too,” said Harrison. “This week what was interesting for us is that she worked well in strong breeze and we had good results in light breeze. I think how the crew have optimised the boat is the reason why."

In Maxi B, it was Terry Hui's 24-metre Wally Lyra that took the win after a strong start to the week with three back-to-back wins. “We have a good team and we are learning every year but there is good competition and it is very tight every time,” observed Hui. “The third day [big wind Tuesday] was very good. We would like that every time because we were surfing the waves - we stayed on some a really long time. This year we had some tight competition with Rose [Sven Wackerhagen’s sistership] so we couldn’t make any mistakes.”

It was the 24-metre Wally Rose that disrupted what may have been a perfect scoreline for Lyra after securing a win on the fourth course of the week, the team eventually taking second place with Rose and Thomas Biton's Maarten Aragon in third.

In Maxi C, IMA President Benoît de Froidmont secured the win with straight bullets on Wallyño with a day to spare , the only competing Maxi across all four divisions to achieve a perfect scoreline. During the week the crew scored two consecutive wins both on the water and on corrected time, leaving Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Lady First 3 in second place and Maurits van Oranje’s Mylius 60 Sud in third.

“It was a fantastic week,” said de Froidmont. “The crew is really on fire now at the end of the season. With light breeze and flat sea this week - it has been the conditions for the boat.”

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BP280 CANNONBALL WINS MAXI ROLEX CUP IN PORTO CERVO

– Sept 16th 2021

After a year’s absence, maxi racing’s premier event returned to Sardinia’s magnificent Costa Smeralda stronger than ever. Organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), the event is the third of five in the IMA 2021 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has been the highlight of the international maxi racing calendar for more than four decades now. IMA Secretary General Andrew McIrvine sets the scene: “After the enforced pause last year in our long series of pinnacle Maxi Championships in Porto Cervo, we are very excited to be returning with an impressively strong fleet. We have good numbers in all three of our main fleets, Super Maxi, Maxi and Mini Maxi.

This year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup had 45 yachts entered from across the globe with a particularly good spread across the three fleets. The closest racing was between the former Maxi 72s, which ran away with the top five spots in Mini Maxi 1. Ultimately Dario Ferrari’s Botin-designed Cannonball, finished two points clear of Jim Swartz’s Vesper in turn one ahead of both George Sakellaris’ Proteus and Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente.

Cannonball was the defending champion here and racing with the same equipment as in 2019. “The crew was very good, the tactician was very good – so we won,” explained Ferrari. “I believe that this is the best class and between everybody the racing is close.” Victory has inspired Ferrari to compete with Cannonball again in 2022.

Wendy Schmidt’s new Botin 85 Deep Blue , a grand prix racer enjoyed her first Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Among the Mini Maxi classes, the hottest competition was between the former Maxi 72s. While Dario Ferrari’s Cannonball won in 2019, the newest in this fleet and another Botin design, is American three time Maxi 72 World Champion Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente , the highest rated of the Maxi 72s.

Bella Mente arrived race fit having won both Block Island Race Week and the New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta in the USA, “It is the regatta that the whole rest of the season points to,” Hap Fauth declared. “We love sailing out of Porto Cervo and the races are always exciting whether they are coastal or around the buoys. We have been doing it for 10 years and we have won the Worlds in 2012, and 2015 and 2016. It is a favourite of ours.”

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was the third event in the International Maxi Association’s Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge, which continues with Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez and then Palmavela in October.

Event website : www.yccs.it

“ We have had the best possible racing, with four boats always at each other’s heels, for me that is the beauty of sailing. We raced well, the boat has scope for development that we didn’t exploit, so we are very happy to have won all the same and we will prepare to continue to win next season .”

– dario ferrari, owner, share this story, choose your platform.

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Brokers comment

Mini Maxi Cannonball From the successful design house of Botin and Partners, Cannonball was launched out of the Premier Composites factory in 2016 and immediately took her rightful place at the top of the podium. Cannonball has been sailed and maintained at a top level since her launch and her results speak for themselves. Summary of her results: 2017 • Palma Vela 1st • Corfu Race 4th • Copa del Rey 2nd • Maxi Worlds 2nd • Voiles de St Tropez 2nd 2018 • Capri Sailing Week 1st • Rolex Cup St Tropez 4th • Copa del Rey 2nd • Giraglia 2nd • Maxi Worlds 2nd • Voiles de St Tropez 1st 2019 • Copa del Rey 1st • Maxi Worlds 1st • Rolex Cup St Tropez 2nd 2021 • Maxi Worlds 1st The design concept was to minimise weight and windage to create a race winning Mini Maxi. To do this the hull has been fully optimised for performance gains through weight reduction while maximising hull stiffness. No expense has been spared to maintain Cannonball and she comes with an extensive inventory of sails and spares to ensure she is always race ready. Please contact Performance Yacht Brokerage for more information about this fantastic opportunity to race at the front of the fleet. Download the brochure for a further detail about Cannonball and a complete inventory list.

For further details about the yacht and her inventory, please contact Performance Yacht Brokerage or alternatively download the brochure. Performance Yacht Brokerage offers the details of this yacht in good faith and the details are intended to give a fair description of the vessel, but their accuracy cannot be guaranteed, and they do not constitute part of any contract. Performance Yacht Brokerage strongly advises an interest buyer to check the particulars of the vessel and to have the vessel surveyed by a qualified marine surveyor. The vessel is offered subject to a prior sale being concluded or negotiated and subject to a price change or the vessel being withdrawn without notice. Performance Yacht Brokerage is not the primary listing agent for this vessel, but should you wish for Performance Yacht Brokerage to represent you in further enquiries about this vessel and or in negotiations for the purchase of this vessel in capacity as a buyers broker, then please contact us.

€ 3,450,000

Vat paid eu, premier composites, mini maxi 72, botin partners, displacement, palma de mallorca, spain, pyb - reference.

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News Countbacks galore and victory, finally, for Cannonball at Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

Countbacks galore and victory, finally, for cannonball at maxi yacht rolex cup.

On his third attempt, Dario Ferrari and his Maxi 72 Cannonball, deservedly won the Mini Maxi Racer 1 class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. This year’s event coincides with the 40th anniversary of the International Maxi Association, the World Sailing-recognised body representing maxi boats globally and joint organiser of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Ferrari and his Italian team scored a come-from-behind victory after Jim Swartz’s Vesper led on day one and Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou also claimed two races along the way. The slippery Cannonball also won two races and her consistent scoreline, with no finish off the podium, resulted in her winning the title by three points. “I am very happy for the team,” said Ferrari, who has been racing in Sardinia since 1985. “It was a very nice regatta, the place is beautiful, the boats are exciting. Winning was definitely a challenge, so you can only be happy. We have been training a lot. The boat is important as we have made many changes to her.” For Project Manager Federico Michetti, Cannonball’s success comes after six years, including three beforehand with Robertissima. “It has been great. We worked hard and the team did a great job,” he said. “Maxi 72s need a lot of tuning time and obviously the budgets are expensive, so you have to find the right balance to be successful. This week we got all sorts of conditions and we used our entire sail inventory. The boat is great thanks to Botin Partners [Cannonball’s designers] – Cannonball is a good all-rounder. Everything is super well optimised after three years.” Also significant today, sailing a coastal course that took the fleets off on an anti-clockwise lap of La Maddalena, including a long run down Bomb Alley, was the victory for the new Maxi 72 Bella Mente of American Hap Fauth, which, along with Peter Harrison’s Sorcha, got off to an excellent start and then never looked back. “We’re getting there with new boat - usually it takes a season to get them going,” said Fauth. Of today’s racing he added: “The boat felt good. We did what we planned to do - win the start and, once we were out, had really good boat speed. You just don’t want to get caught up in traffic. We got in sequence with the puffs and off she went.” It was the Wallys turn to sail windward-leewards. Going into today it was very close between Lyra and David M. Leuschen’s Wallycento Galateia. Ultimately Lyra won both today’s races, successfully defending her title by three points. “It was very tight with Galateia,” observed Lyra’s Chinese-Canadian owner Terry Hui who won the Wally class here on his first attempt in 2018, but has since been learning rapidly from Lyra's all-star crew of America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Olympic sailors. Lyra’s tactician Hamish Pepper explained: “We won the first race quite easily, but it still meant we were only two points ahead of Galateia. Going into the last race there were tricky conditions, at one point we were first and then third. Had we been third and Galateia won the race, they would have won on countback...” With her arch-rival Topaz not racing due to technical issues, Velsheda was left to win the Super Maxi class comfortably. “It was a great week,” said Velsheda’s owner Ronald de Waal. “Porto Cervo is my favourite place to race - with the scenery, there is always wind and going around all these rocks and all the beautiful views is very nice. It was a really pity Topaz dropped out but we used the time to practice. We hope they can get their boat fixed so we can see them again in St Tropez.” There was a surprise victory in the Maxi Racers when a third bullet today for Irvine Laidlaw’s Reichel/Pugh 82 Highland Fling XI, caused them to draw level with George David’s Rambler 88 and win on countback. Laidlaw said he was pleased “particularly because the last time we sailed the boat was at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup two years ago. We got it out for this event and we managed to win.” It also marks a re-ignited love affair with his yacht. “This boat can you throw around and is such fun. In the 80-85ft range you still get all the speed - it is a great size.” Tactician Cameron Appleton added: “Today the course suited our style of boat more than Rambler or Leopard and today we probably sailed our best race as a group. It is a fantastic boat. We had a lot of fun. Irvine does a phenomenal job steering.” Another surprise winner was Argentinean Juan Ball’s Swan 90 Nefertiti in the Maxi Cruiser-Racers. This came after the favourite for the class win, Vera, belonging to another Argentinean owner, Miguel Galuccio, was unable to sail due to a broken rudder. “We finished first today and were very lucky that all of the planets aligned so we ended up winning the championship as well,” said Ball, who has competed at the last five Maxi Yacht Rolex Cups. “On the first day we finished fifth and it looked impossible that this would happen.” Across the eight classes Roberto Lacorte’s SuperNikka in Mini Maxi Racer 2 came closest to a perfect scoreline, dropping just one race to Peter Dubens’ Frers 60 Spectre on Wednesday. “It is a great feeling,” said Lacorte. “Today my crew and SuperNikka gave their best on every leg, fighting side by side with all the other competitors, especially Spectre. Winning today was due to our tactics and our boat speed and the crew not making any mistakes.” Racing on board today was Carlo Puri Negri, owner of Atalanta II and winner of last year’s International Maxi Association Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge. Lacorte will race SuperNikka next year but is part of a consortium of owners set to build a series of 77-78ft race boats. Hanging onto the Mini Maxi Racer-Cruiser class win – just - was Bostonian Stephen Cucchiaro’s Swan 601 Flow. Success nearly slipped through the US team’s fingers today, as Cucchiaro explained: “We got behind after the first shift and it took so long to catch the other boats – that wasn’t until the finish line and it wasn’t enough for the corrected time. It was a very tough race and it was a reminder of how good the competition is. That where we were able to take firsts is really a tribute to my crew who have been fantastic all week.” A sixth place left them winning on countback, tied with Vincenzo Addessi's Fra' Diavolo, in turn just a point ahead of IMA President Benoît de Froidmont's Wallyño, winner of today's final race. There was further upset today among the Mini Maxi Cruiser-Racers where Riccardo de Michele's Vallicelli 80 H20 won her second consecutive race today to draw level on points with Marietta Strasoldo's Swan 651 Lunz Am Meer, that had been winning all week. With three bullets this week to Lunz am Meer's one, H20 won on countback, to claim her third successive victory in the Cruiser-Racer class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. De Michele commented: "The fleet this year was much more competitive. Usually we only have one or two boats to compete with instead of four or five this year. Lunz Am Meer was the most 'dangerous' as she has a very low rating and is very well sailed. Personally I love coastal races – they are my passion over windward-leewards, even though we won one. "I am very happy with my team manager Stefano Leonardi. He has been working with me for the last 10 years over which time I've had nothing to worry about!" At the prizegiving on Piazza Azzurra outside of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Y3K owner and former International Maxi Association President Claus-Peter Offen was awarded the Commodore Alberini Perpetual Trophy for sportsmanship. Andrew McIrvine, Secretary General of the International Maxi Association commented: “This has been a very special and successful edition and my thanks once again go to Rolex for their valuable support. The weather provided the broadest variety of conditions and the competition was closer than ever with many classes decided on tie-breaks. The prizegiving was full of tired but happy sailors. It was a fitting event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the International Maxi Association.” (Race report: James Boyd / International Maxi Association) For more information and full results on the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup visit : www.yccs.it

International Maxi Association PR contacts: Maria Luisa Farris Tel: +39 345 8257605 Email: [email protected] James Boyd Tel: + 44 7710 109386 Email: [email protected]

International Maxi Association Legal Headquarters: c/o BfB Société Fiduciaire Bourquin frères et Béran SA - 26, Rue de la Corraterie - 1204 Genève - Switzerland

Cannonball on her way to victory - Studio Borlenghi pic

Countbacks galore and victory for Cannonball at Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

On his third attempt, Dario Ferrari and his Maxi 72, Cannonball, deservedly won the Mini Maxi Racer 1 class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia.

This year’s event coincides with the 40th anniversary of the International Maxi Association, the World Sailing-recognised body representing maxi boats globally and joint organiser of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Ferrari and his Italian team scored a come-from-behind victory after Jim Swartz’s Vesper led on day one and Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou also claimed two races along the way. The slippery Cannonball also won two races and her consistent score line, with no finish off the podium, resulted in her winning the title by three points.

“I am very happy for the team,” said Ferrari, who has been racing in Sardinia since 1985. “It was a very nice regatta, the place is beautiful, and the boats are exciting. Winning was definitely a challenge, so you can only be happy. We have been training a lot. The boat is important as we have made many changes to her.”

For Project Manager Federico Michetti, Cannonball’s success comes after six years, including three beforehand with Robertissima.

“It has been great. We worked hard and the team did a great job,” he said. “Maxi 72s need a lot of tuning time and obviously the budgets are expensive, so you have to find the right balance to be successful.

“This week we got all sorts of conditions and we used our entire sail inventory. The boat is great thanks to Botin Partners [Cannonball’s designers] – Cannonball is a good all-rounder. Everything is super well optimised after three years.”

Also significant today, sailing a coastal course that took the fleets off on an anti-clockwise lap of La Maddalena, including a long run down Bomb Alley, was the victory for the new Maxi 72 Bella Mente owned by American Hap Fauth.

Along with Peter Harrison’s Sorcha, Bella Mente got off to an excellent start and then never looked back: “We’re getting there with new boat – usually it takes a season to get them going,” said Fauth.

Of today’s racing he added: “The boat felt good. We did what we planned to do – win the start and, once we were out, had really good boat speed. You just don’t want to get caught up in traffic. We got in sequence with the puffs and off she went.”

It was the Wallys turn to sail windward-leewards. Going into today it was very close between Lyra and David M. Leuschen’s Wallycento Galateia. Ultimately Lyra won both today’s races, successfully defending her title by three points. “It was very tight with Galateia,” observed

Lyra’s Chinese-Canadian owner, Terry Hui, who won the Wally class here on his first attempt in 2018, has since been learning rapidly from Lyra's all-star crew of America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Olympic sailors.

Lyra’s tactician, Hamish Pepper, explained: “We won the first race quite easily, but it still meant we were only two points ahead of Galateia. Going into the last race there were tricky conditions, at one point we were first and then third. Had we been third and Galateia won the race, they would have won on countback…”

With her arch-rival Topaz not racing due to technical issues, Velsheda was left to win the Super Maxi class comfortably: “It was a great week,” Velsheda’s owner Ronald de Waal said.

“Porto Cervo is my favourite place to race – with the scenery, there is always wind and going around all these rocks and all the beautiful views is very nice. It was a really pity Topaz dropped out but we used the time to practice. We hope they can get their boat fixed so we can see them again in St Tropez.”

There was a surprise victory in the Maxi Racers when a third bullet today for Irvine Laidlaw’s Reichel/Pugh 82 Highland Fling XI, caused them to draw level with George David’s Rambler 88 and win on countback.

Laidlaw said he was pleased “particularly because the last time we sailed the boat was at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup two years ago. We got it out for this event and we managed to win.”

It also marks a re-ignited love affair with his yacht. “This boat you can throw around and is such fun. In the 80-85ft range you still get all the speed – it is a great size.”

Tactician Cameron Appleton added: “Today the course suited our style of boat more than Rambler or Leopard and today we probably sailed our best race as a group. It is a fantastic boat. We had a lot of fun. Irvine does a phenomenal job steering.”

Another surprise winner was Argentinean Juan Ball’s Swan 90 Nefertiti in the Maxi Cruiser-Racers. This came after the favourite for the class win, Vera, belonging to another Argentinean owner, Miguel Galuccio, was unable to sail due to a broken rudder.

“We finished first today and were very lucky that all of the planets aligned so we ended up winning the championship as well,” said Ball, who has competed at the last five Maxi Yacht Rolex Cups. “On the first day we finished fifth and it looked impossible that this would happen.”

Across the eight classes Roberto Lacorte’s SuperNikka in Mini Maxi Racer 2 came closest to a perfect score line, dropping just one race to Peter Dubens’ Frers 60 Spectre on Wednesday.

“It is a great feeling,” said Lacorte. “Today my crew and SuperNikka gave their best on every leg, fighting side by side with all the other competitors, especially Spectre. Winning today was due to our tactics and our boat speed and the crew not making any mistakes.”

Racing on board today was Carlo Puri Negri, owner of Atalanta II and winner of last year’s International Maxi Association Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge. Lacorte will race SuperNikka next year but is part of a consortium of owners set to build a series of 77-78ft race boats.

Hanging onto the Mini Maxi Racer-Cruiser class win – just – was Bostonian Stephen Cucchiaro’s Swan 601 Flow. Success nearly slipped through the US team’s fingers, as Cucchiaro explained: “We got behind after the first shift and it took so long to catch the other boats – that wasn’t until the finish line and it wasn’t enough for the corrected time.

“It was a very tough race and it was a reminder of how good the competition is. That where we were able to take firsts is really a tribute to my crew who have been fantastic all week.”

A sixth place left them winning on countback, tied with Vincenzo Addessi's Fra' Diavolo, in turn just a point ahead of IMA President Benoît de Froidmont's Wallyño, winner of today's final race.

There was further upset today among the Mini Maxi Cruiser-Racers where Riccardo de Michele's Vallicelli 80 H20 won her second consecutive race today to draw level on points with Marietta Strasoldo's Swan 651 Lunz Am Meer, which had been winning all week.

With three bullets this week to Lunz am Meer's one, H20 won on countback, to claim her third successive victory in the Cruiser-Racer class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

De Michele commented: “The fleet this year was much more competitive. Usually we only have one or two boats to compete with instead of four or five this year. Lunz Am Meer was the most 'dangerous', as she has a very low rating and is very well sailed. Personally I love coastal races – they are my passion over windward-leewards, even though we won one.

“I am very happy with my team manager Stefano Leonardi. He has been working with me for the last 10 years over which time I've had nothing to worry about!”

At the prizegiving on Piazza Azzurra outside of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Y3K owner and former International Maxi Association President Claus-Peter Offen was awarded the Commodore Alberini Perpetual Trophy for sportsmanship.

Andrew McIrvine, Secretary General of the International Maxi Association commented: “This has been a very special and successful edition and my thanks once again go to Rolex for their valuable support.

“The weather provided the broadest variety of conditions and the competition was closer than ever with many classes decided on tie-breaks. The prizegiving was full of tired but happy sailors. It was a fitting event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the International Maxi Association.”

Full results:  www.yccsfiles.com/results/myrc19/myrc19.htm

James Boyd/International Maxi Association

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Maxi Racing to the Max

• By Kimball Livingston
• February 21, 2023

Maxi racing in the Med is hot. Call it a lesson in the value of getting your act together. The game has grown and changed dramatically—and deliberately—with fleets of 50 as the new normal. Ten years ago, none of this was ensured. The secretary general of the International Maxi Association, Andrew McIrvine, tells us, “Rapid change was needed, or it was going to just die.”

How it didn’t “just die” is a story worth telling, and we lean on McIrvine for that. “The International Maxi Association was originally a social club for the owners of 80-footers. That generation was going out as I was invited in,” he says. “The racing had categories that were impossible to define, so people were always gaming it. What’s a racer-cruiser versus a cruiser-racer? And could we ever have effective class splits based on hull length?”

The answer to that, as proven, is no he says. “The categories are now performance-defined, using a single-number IRC rule that includes an accurate weight measurement, not a calculated weight. We photograph the interiors so we know who’s stripping them out. The database includes 155 boats, and it has checks on people who fly too close to the rules. That gives other people the confidence to come out and race.”

The 2023 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge offers a series of six events, wrapping up in August with the Palermo-Montecarlo Race. That’s 500 miles from Sicily to the Champagne at Yacht Club de Monaco—not to forget the fly-through gate at Porto Cervo along the way and the option of leaving Corsica to port or to starboard. It’s a sporty race in a sporty calendar.

“I truly believe the IMA has made a difference. We’ve attracted a new, younger membership. We’ve added events, and the compass has expanded from the Med to the Caribbean . Whereas we used to have a big mini-maxi contingent and not many boats 80 to 100 feet, in 2022 we suddenly had 12 of the 80- to 100-foot maxis racing, and racing on proper terms. At least two of the current owners are building new boats, which I believe is the sign of a healthy class.

“Then there are the Maxi 72s that have all been modified outside the box they were designed for, but they still race together. They’re more optimized than the other boats, so no one outside their group wants to race against them—they’re a threat—but we can usually give them their own sandbox to play in.”’

And what of the Wallys that seems to have disappeared?

“We gave that up. Wallys come in different sizes, different speeds. I can’t think of a single case of twin Wallys. Now they’ve rejoined according to their ratings, and I think, frankly, the Wally era is over. Luca Bassani’s success with Wallys is such that all designers have copied his concept. When he started, big race boats were neither ergonomic nor pretty, and the decks were bristling with winches. If you go aboard any boat now, it looks like a Wally.

“You could also go the way of Rambler and Comanche, where you pay more and more money to be more and more uncomfortable. Down below, you’re sitting in a carbon-black hole (black because paint adds weight) beside an engine that runs to power the canting keel and the winches. On deck—and it’s true with the Maxi 72s—you find they are exhausting boats to sail because they’re fast upwind at steep angles only. They’re on the edges of the hull to keep the wetted surface to a minimum. The hulls are so wide at the stern, all the crew is hiked hard at the aft end of the boat. And then, in a tack, you’re going from 45 degrees to 45 degrees, and if you don’t get it right running across the deck, you’re in trouble. On a clean deck, there’s nothing to grab on to.”

Placing itself somewhere in between the extremes of the grand-prix set and the ­leaning cruisers, Nautor has a new ClubSwan 80 it’s touting as a one-design class. Loro Piana brought Hull No. 1 to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last year at Porto Cervo, and the boat performed well. Weighing the odds of developing a successful one-design, it’s worth remembering that the ClubSwan 50 had its skeptics, who were proven wrong. But the 80 is a take-no-prisoners statement. It’s a major turn for a company whose classic racing events feature boats with furniture. Now we’re talking all carbon with a canting keel, a tacking daggerboard, push-button controls, twin rudders, design by Juan K, and construction in Italy by Persico—very fashion-forward. I’m sure you had a look at that boat.

“It’s a fascinating project, and it looks extreme, but it has, theoretically, cruising potential,” McIrvine says. “Inside, it’s all black carbon—artfully crafted—accented with strips of mahogany veneer. No furniture, but you have the option of adding interior modules for cruising. And we shouldn’t overlook the carbon-fiber bidet in the owner’s head.”

Clearly, Nautor thinks the IMA has a good thing going, and it wants a bigger piece of it. Beyond rational class definitions, one very important thing is resonating, McIrvine says. The owners are driving.

“Our rule is critical, and we are strict about imposing it, with rest breaks allowed,” he says. “Generally, it takes a lifetime to amass the wealth to race a big boat. By the end of a day race, most owners are exhausted. Which is not to say that amateur drivers are on their own. An astonishing number of names you know show up to whisper, ‘A little higher, sir, a little lower.’ That keeps the standards high, and it’s a reminder that being a pro sailor is a dodgy profession. There are only 10 TP52s in the Med, for example, only nine SailGP teams in the world and five America’s Cup teams. However, we don’t restrict driving in the superyacht group at all.”

The other boat debuting at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was FlyingNikka , which raised the concern of foiling monohulls threatening the order. “ Nikka showed that she can sail in the fleet safely, so at St. Tropez we put her in a class where her rating was absurd. The boat would do 35 knots in the right conditions, but they couldn’t keep her on foils going upwind. Tacks were agonizingly slow. What Roberto Lacorte is looking for is line honors in longer races.”

The venues where maxis can and now gather are also a draw. The Caribbean was the inevitable expansion opportunity beyond the Med, where it’s obvious that people like to go to St. Tropez, Capri, Sorrento, Giraglia and so on. Neither coast of the United States can accommodate such a fleet.

“Water depth is a huge challenge for race committees,” McIrvine says. “A lot of the Bay of Naples is 1,200 to 1,500 feet deep. Off St. Tropez it’s much, much deeper. We’re using MarkSetBot, which is promising. It’s not 100 percent reliable, but an upside beyond remote control is that you can’t wrap your keel around an anchor line because there is no anchor line [on a GPS‑directed robot mark].

“Our people are selective about where they choose to race. One owner told me it costs him $750,000 to take his boat, team and containers to Porto Cervo for five days. No one wants to spend that kind of money on a badly run regatta, so it’s a conservative bunch.

“The IMA has a small board of directors backed up by a dynamic, insightful team. IMA costs are supported by membership subscription except for Rolex, which has been fantastic. When I started with the IMA, the Rolex people told me, ‘We’ve been giving you money, but your people just put it in the bank.’ I said, ‘I’m sure I can fix that,’ and I have. There is a lot of travel now, a much more glam yearbook, a lot of publicity. About half the boats racing last year were flying the IMA flag.”

So, everything is coming up roses? “There are still supply-chain issues around securing building materials. Outside of maxi racing, the 30- to 40-foot range is falling off a cliff, except for shorthanded distance racing. Looking ahead, we still don’t know if we are in a recession or a hiccup, but in previous recessions, maxi racing has gone on, looking good for two or three years longer than you might expect. Then the boats stay on the dock.”

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Maxi 72 Cannonball

  The Maxi 72 Cannonball was built by Premier Composite Technologies and launched in Dubai 2017. The Botin design, characterized by low wind resistance, is a supreme allrounder. The interior is extremely lightweight, some highlights: - Racing style cooker and sink carbon autoclaved moulded shelf - Nomex cored ultralight carbon floorboards - Custom gimbled composite WC - Carbon engine box cover and panel   LOA:    21.95 m     Draft:    5.40 m     Beam:    5.73 m     Displacement:    16500 kg     ​   Racing Results:    2019 2nd Rolex cup St Tropez: 1st Mini Maxi Racer 1 class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2019 1st Voiles de Saint Tropez 1st Copa Del Rey:   2018 1st Overall IRC A Les Voiles de St. Tropez 1st Overall IRC0 Inshore Series Gigalia Cup 1st Overall Maxi Yacht -...

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Cannonball wins Rolex Giraglia offshore race in Maxi class

In the maxi division of this year’s 70th Rolex Giraglia offshore race, the former Maxi 72s once again prevailed. Almost all the maxis reached Genoa before nightfall yesterday. First in the maxi class (IRC Zero), and at one point looking strong for the overall IRC prize was Dario Ferrari’s 75ft Cannonball; unbeaten among the maxis across the whole event. But as more finished late yesterday the TP52 Red Bandit took the lead in IRC Overall followed by 2022’s overall winner, the Ker 46 Lisa R, with Cannonball eventually claiming the bottom step on the podium. Four former Maxi 72s – Vesper, North Star and Jethou took the top spots in IRC Zero and impressively all ended up within the top eight in IRC Overall.

With Vasco Vascotto calling tactics on Cannonball, team strategist and project manager Michele Ivaldi described their race: “We had a very good start. We were leading for a long time. We were very happy coming into the Giraglia because we were fourth or fifth overall with the other 72s way back. Then there was a massive parking lot. We got back to Magic Carpet and Black Jack, but then all the other 72s arrived. It was chaos! There was no wind. A few boats were only a length from the Rock with no steerage. We all sat there 15 minutes to an hour.

“Getting away from the Rock, we aimed for Genoa but going low, anticipating the northerly. By dawn North Star and Vesper were close to us – as we owe them time we had to do our best. Everyone did a fantastic job squeezing them. We found more pressure and more lift and in the last 25 miles put a lot of distance between us and Vesper.”

According to Ivaldi, owner Dario Ferrari was delighted: “He really wanted to win the Giraglia, because last time on Cannonball they were leading until the end and Francesco de Angelis and myself were on Momo and beat them. He wanted to fix that!”

Remarkably Cannonball finished just 17 seconds ahead of Jim Swartz’s Vesper under IRC. “That is fantastic,” continued Ivaldi. “I think the 72s are the best class for this kind of racing under IRC.”

While Cannonball is substantially modified from her original Maxi 72 state, lengthened to 75ft and water ballasted, Vesper remains in class. This was owner Jim Swartz’s second Rolex Giraglia: “I enjoy the atmosphere and the competitors. I am not a super fan of light races as the park-ups are always a roll of the dice. Teams like Cannonball have this down to a tee so to come close to them is a huge achievement… 17 seconds is amazing if you think about the 100 decisions you made along the way. That makes this racing so fascinating.”

For Vesper tactician Gavin Brady, this was only his second Rolex Giraglia too. He admitted he didn’t feel comfortable with the course, so for research he had watched previous Rolex Spirit of Yachting videos. This had paid towards the finish: “Cannonball had us on time so there was no point in following them. Six out of eight times you want to come in on the right side… So we made a last ditch effort and got a split from them and made a nice big gain.”

For the offshore Vesper went light: “We only sailed with 15 and only one jib and spinnaker. If something had broken we would have been in trouble. Peter Blake would have turned in his grave!”

Even more extreme was Peter Dubens’ North Star, which is fitted with powered winches, enabling them to race with eight and minimum sails. They took the most extreme route at the Rock. Navigator Miles Seddon advised the helmsman at the time: “You need to go around this Rock, not over the top of it!” However this extreme move did permit the British team to round second on the water behind Black Jack.

Of the smaller maxis, IMA President Benoît de Froidmont’s Wally 60 Wallyño won, finishing ninth in IRC Overall.

“As usual, it was a fantastic race,” said de Froidmont. “From the start to the end you never know what will happen. As usual there were big surprises at the Rock and the finish, making it extremely complicated. Tactics were very important and my tactician did a great job. We stopped at the Rock, but not for very long. Then we lost one and a half hours short of the finish which would have changed the results.”

Wallyño’s tactician Cédric Pouligny said of their Rock rounding: “Itacentadue was 40m away and left, while we remained parked. On the way to Genoa we recovered. We started on starboard and as soon as we were headed, we tacked. We expected some left so we were below the fleet and we gained more than 10 miles on our opponents.” However then they stopped. “If we’d have arrived any later we would have spent half of the night parked, so I am pretty happy.”

Cannonball won the Rolex Giraglia’s maxi class overall prize, combining results from the Sanremo to Saint-Tropez offshore, the Saint-Tropez inshores and finally the offshore back to Genoa, ahead of North Star and Vesper, despite having to carry DNC points for not participating in the first scoring leg form Sanremo. Adriano Calvini’s FY61 Itacentodue (the Rolex Giraglia offshore race’s winner in 2021 and 2022) claimed the overall prize in the smaller maxi class ahead of Wallyño and Dario Castiglia’s Baltic 65 RE/MAX One2. North Star won the prize for the best placed IMA member in Maxi Class IRC 0. All will be presented at the prizegiving at the Yacht Club Italiano in Genoa tomorrow at midday.

In his capacity as IMA President, de Froidmont commented of the Rolex Giraglia: “The maxi fleet here is amazing. It is growing both in number and quality. The level of the fleet is very strong now.”

Organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Yacht Club Sanremo and Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, Rolex Giraglia’s offshore race is the fifth of seven events in the International Maxi Association’s 2022-23 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge that started with last autumn’s Rolex Middle Sea Race and will conclude with August’s Palermo-Montecarlo. The offshore race featured 27 maxis among 155 starters.

The IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge continues with its final two events the Aegean 600 concluding with August’s Palermo Montecarlo.

by James Boyd / International Maxi Association

Last results from Rolex Giraglia offshore

For more information about the Rolex Giraglia visit /www.rolexgiraglia.com/

For more information on the International Maxi Association visit www.internationalmaxiassociation.com

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“I really don’t know why it is that all of us are so committed to the sea, except I think it is because, in addition to the fact that the sea changes and the light changes, and ships change, it is because we all came from the sea. And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from where we came.”

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The tsar cannon: the largest bombard by caliber in the world.

Cast in 1586 in Moscow’s Cannon Court by the famed Russian bronze master Andrey Chokhov on the orders of Tsar Feodor Ioannovich, the sovereign ruler of All Great Russia, the Tsar Cannon is recognized as the largest bombard by caliber in the world.

However, it is technically classified as a stylized mortar rather than a cannon because of the very low ratio of the length of its barrel to its caliber.

This bronze weapon was meant to be used for defending the Moscow Kremlin and it was most likely designed to fire 800 kg stone grapeshot on attacking enemy troops, hence its other nickname, “Russia’s Shotgun”.

According to legend, the cannon has never actually been fired. But in the late 20th century it was thoroughly studied by experts in the Artillery Academy and they found a gunpowder residue, indicating that the cannon had been fired at least once but its performance is unknown.

The cannon’s surface is adorned with fine decorative work, memorial inscriptions, cast figured friezes, and located near the muzzle of the barrel, an image of Tsar Feodor Ioannovich riding a horse. The creative minds behind the decorations on the carriage and the cannon itself are the architect A. P. Bryullov and drawings engineer P. Ya. de Witte.

Read another story from us: One of the largest cannons built in the Middle Ages: The Mons Meg at Edinburgh Castle in Scotland

Since 1960 it has stood outside the Kremlin in Moscow on a cast-iron gun carriage along with four cannonballs weighing almost a ton each and produced only for decoration.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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