Racing in Tigulio on Capricorno
This weekend I did the bow on "Capricorno" during Trofeo Pirelli here in Santa Margherita.
Thursdaynight there was a 60 mile offshore race to La Spezia and back. It was all reaching under Genoa on 90 apparent windangle. Tactic-wise not very exciting but there was a nice 20 knots landbreeze with gusts up to 30 and it was all about triming the sails and riding those gusts. We made a superstart, reaching at about 14-15 knots boatspeed. After a few minutes "Wild Oats XI" catched up on us on lee roaring by at what seemed twice our speed! Incredible. The nighttrain express. We arrived at about 5 in the morning just behind "My Song" and "Fantasticaaa". We where first overal.
Saturday there was one upwind-downwind race on which we where second and still first overal.
Sunday seemed a nice sunny day, but not such good news.. there was a protest against us because we where flying masthead kites and our certificate didn't say so! After racing the provisional result showed us still 1ste overall, but a few hours later after the hearing we dropped down to a final 3the place Not too bad anyway for an older 'cruising' Maxi.
Last week I delivered a Spanish Grand Soleille 42 from Rome to Valencia. We lost some time because we had to make a stopover in Bonifacio to buy a new fuelfilter. Typically racingboat problem: nobody cares about the engine, plus the fuel was very dirty. Anyway, from Corsica to Mallorca was pretty windy, 25-30 knots with gusts +35. We had to pull the main down because there where no reefs in the sail, another typically racingboat problem. The boat was leaking everywhere but all was under control. No pictures, no battery and nothing to charge. Anyway, from Ibiza no more wind and we engined our way to Valencia where I wanted to see something of the America's Cup. Actually there was not much too see, so I went in shopping mode instead.
Next weekend Trofeo Zegna in Portofino.
End of may I'll probably do Capri Sailing week too.
Thursdaynight there was a 60 mile offshore race to La Spezia and back. It was all reaching under Genoa on 90 apparent windangle. Tactic-wise not very exciting but there was a nice 20 knots landbreeze with gusts up to 30 and it was all about triming the sails and riding those gusts. We made a superstart, reaching at about 14-15 knots boatspeed. After a few minutes "Wild Oats XI" catched up on us on lee roaring by at what seemed twice our speed! Incredible. The nighttrain express. We arrived at about 5 in the morning just behind "My Song" and "Fantasticaaa". We where first overal.
Saturday there was one upwind-downwind race on which we where second and still first overal.
Sunday seemed a nice sunny day, but not such good news.. there was a protest against us because we where flying masthead kites and our certificate didn't say so! After racing the provisional result showed us still 1ste overall, but a few hours later after the hearing we dropped down to a final 3the place Not too bad anyway for an older 'cruising' Maxi.
Last week I delivered a Spanish Grand Soleille 42 from Rome to Valencia. We lost some time because we had to make a stopover in Bonifacio to buy a new fuelfilter. Typically racingboat problem: nobody cares about the engine, plus the fuel was very dirty. Anyway, from Corsica to Mallorca was pretty windy, 25-30 knots with gusts +35. We had to pull the main down because there where no reefs in the sail, another typically racingboat problem. The boat was leaking everywhere but all was under control. No pictures, no battery and nothing to charge. Anyway, from Ibiza no more wind and we engined our way to Valencia where I wanted to see something of the America's Cup. Actually there was not much too see, so I went in shopping mode instead.
Next weekend Trofeo Zegna in Portofino.
End of may I'll probably do Capri Sailing week too.
