Andres Soriano, owner of ALEGRE receives a Rolex timepiece from Mr. Marini, Rolex Italy. Image copyright ROLEX/Carlo Borlenghi.
by Manuela di Mundo
Competitors at Rolex Capri Sailing Week arrived at the Yacht Club Capri, to find that racing was highly unlikely due to a lack of wind. Shortly after midday, the race committee announced that there would be no racing today. Therefore, last night’s standings were the final results for Rolex Capri Sailing Week 2010.
In the Mini-Maxi Class, the Mills 68 Alegre was unstoppable, taking a clean sweep of all six races. Andres Soriano, owner and driver of Alegre, was understandably delighted and shared his thoughts in a dockside interview. Summing up, Andres Soriano said:
“It’s wonderful, we ended last season winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race which was a great way to end the season. It was a very tough race but was probably the best sailing achievement I have ever had. 80% of the crew of Alegre was the original crew chosen. There is a lot of good banter on the boat, a lot of support and most importantly, there is a lot of trust that people will get the job done. If we make a mistake, the crew knows that they have their crewmates helping them out. To me that security blanket is a big plus.
"Our success at Rolex Capri Sailing Week is a combination of thought and co-ordination that has improved the performance of the boat. We knew what she was good at from the previous year and a half, and we also knew where the weak points where. We worked closely with Mark Mills, the designer, and we put together a wish list of suggestions to make the boat go better. The keel has been lengthened to improve stability and we have stiffened the mast, but in all we have only added about 150 kg. After the changes, our first event was Palma Vela, then Portofino and now here in Capri, we have got the full measure of the changes that have come into play.
"However, one always needs to improve, we have the Giraglia Rolex Cup coming up which will be very competitive. You can never spend enough time on the water, learning the boat. There is always fine-tuning to be done. This regatta has been fantastic, especially having Francesco de Angeles who is a gentleman and a superb sailor, and most importantly having his generosity. He has helped us with little things that have raised our game, giving Alegre insights that were explained in a humble and practical fashion.”
In the Comet Class, Fral 2 won by a slender margin. For owner Alessandro Nespega there was feeling of déjà vu about today’s lack of wind, as he explains:
“We came with Fral 2 last year and the conditions were very similar. It is been fantastic to come back to Capri, it is a magnificent place to sail but also for my wife and three children to enjoy also. The Comet Class is owner-driver but 90% of this achievement is down to the crew of Fral 2 who are all good sailors and friends from all over Italy.”
The X-41 class produced a nail-biting finish. Raffica was the victor but only on count back after a tie with WB Five, helmed by Farr 40 World Champion, Alberto Signorini. Raffica’s owner-driver was ecstatic with the win.
“Winning a Rolex is like winning the World Championship!” exclaimed Pasquale Orofino. This win was made even sweeter by beating Alberto Signorini, who I have the greatest respect for as a man. He is an incredibly talented sailor. Probably, the greatest reason for our win is that we really believed we could do it and the crew of Raffica deserve as much praise as me, especially tactician Paolo Semeraro. I have learnt more from him in the last two years than all my life in sailing.
In the Mylius Class, there was a clear winner. Fra Diavolo placed no worse than second in the seven race series. Owner and Commodore of the Gaeta Yacht Club, Vincenzo Addessi was delighted with their achievement. “Our success in winning the Mylius Cup is a result of training, fine tuning and great team work. We have been selected for the ORC National Championship, and Rolex Capri Sailing Week has been invaluable for testing Fra Diavolo against other Mylius boats with slightly different set ups. The tiny adjustments add up to a lot and make all the difference. I would also like to congratulate the race committee for a professional job in difficult conditions.”
Rolex Volcanoes’ Maxi Race
At the prize giving, where all the winners were awarded with a Rolex timepiece, the organizers announced the inauguration of the Rolex Volcanoes’ Maxi Race, which will form part of next year’s Rolex Capri Sailing Week. This new offshore race will be organized by the International Maxi Association (IMA), in conjunction with the Yacht Club Gaeta and the Yacht Club Capri, with Rolex as title sponsor.
The 400 nautical mile race will start from Gaeta, just to the north of Naples, and will take the fleet around two magnificent archipelagos in the central and southern Tyrrhenian Sea - the Pontinian Islands and the Aeolian Islands, including the active volcano of Stromboli - before returning to the finish off Capri.
Course: Gaeta –Ponza –Capri – Stromboli – Vulcano – Alicudi – Capri
Whilst the Maxi fleet is racing offshore, there will be inshore races for other classes.
The Rolex Capri Sailing Week 2011 is scheduled for May 24th to 28th 2011.
Final Standings - Rolex Capri Sailing Week 2010
Place, Boat Name, Owner, Nation, R's-Points
MINI MAXI
1. ALEGRE Andres Soriano GBR, 1-1-1-1-1-1-6.00
2. JETHOU Sir Peter Ogden GBR, 2-2-2-2-3-2-13.00
3. AEGIR Brian Benjamin GBR, 3-3-3-3(RDG)-2-3-17.00
COMET
1. FRAL 2 Alessandro Nespega ITA, 1-2-1-1-2-3-2-12.00
2. LIBERTINE Marco Franco ITA, 2-4-2-3-1-1-1-14.00
3. I.NOVA I.Nova Sailing Team ITA, 4-1-6-2-3-4-4-24.00
X-41
1. RAFFICA Pasquale Orofino ITA, 3-1-1-2-4-1-1-5-18.00
2. WB FIVE Gianclaudio Bassetti ITA, 1-2-3-3-1-2-2-4-18.00
3. MALAFEMMENA Giovanni Arturo di Lorenzo ITA, 2-3-2-4-2-7-4-1-25.00
MYLIUS
1. FRA DIAVOLO Vincenzo Addessi ITA, 1-2-1-2-2-1-1-10.00
2. PITHECUSA Vincenzo De Blasio ITA, 3-1-3-3-3-3-2-18.00
3. TWIN SOUL 5, Luciano Gandini ITA, 4-3-2-1-4-2-4-20.00
Rolex Capri Sailing Week
