Neville Crichton's Shockwave during measuring before the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship. Supplied image.
by Jill Campbell
Preparations for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup which will take place in Porto Cervo from 5th to 11th September are in full swing. Forty-nine yachts are due to take part in the annual regatta which has been organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 1980. Twenty-four of the participating boats will compete in the Mini Maxi division for the title of Mini Maxi Rolex World Champion 2010.
Throughout this inaugural edition of the Mini Maxi Worlds technical controls will be rigorous and each of the vessels must undergo weighing and measurement. Inspections have already begun at the nearby Portisco Marina using equipment and scales specially designed and constructed for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the International Maxi Association for this regatta. For the first time each boat, some of which weigh as much as 20 tons, will be hauled out, fully exposing their hull and keel and providing precise data to determine the yacht’s handicap rating.
The Mini Maxis range from 18 to 24 metres and will line up on the quays of Porto Cervo Marina alongside the rest of the Maxi fleet, several of which are over 40 metres long. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup regularly attracts some of the world’s top yachtsmen and women and racing is scheduled to start on Monday 6th September. The event will conclude with a final prize giving in the Yacht Club’s Piazza Azzurra on 11th September.
YCCS
