Action between the world’s largest racing yachts on the world’s most magnificent race course is due to take place over 3rd to the 9th September.
Held on the famous emerald waters off Porto Cervo, Sardinia, the annual Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is jointly organised by the event’s hosts, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, this year celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the International Maxi Association, the body sanctioned by World Sailing to represent the Maxi classes. The event takes place with the support of Rolex, which has backed the event since 1985.
At present 43 boats are entered in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, plus an additional five competing in the annual Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship. This is one of two World Championships, yacht racing’s governing body, World Sailing, permit the International Maxi Association to stage. The other is the J Class World Championship, the inaugural running of which is taking place in Newport, Rhode Island, this week.
Maxis are typically any sailing yachts larger than 18.29m (60ft). At this year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup they will range from 60ft footers, such as first time participant Frenchman Jean-Pierre Barjon and his Swan 601, Lorina 1895, up to 36m and one of the most regular Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup competitors, Viriella of Italy’s Vittorio Moretti. The fleet comes with a wide age range from the 1976 vintage, but still successfully campaigned Swan 65 ketch, Shirlaf, of Giuseppe Puttini (which last year lost the lead of the Mini Maxi Racer Cruiser class on countback) to American George David’s all-conquering state of the art canting keeler, Rambler 88; from the 1985-built Martin Francis 28.2m Diablesse to the brand new Malcolm McKeon, Vitters-built 32.5m long Ribelle of Salvatore Trifirò.
