Rolex Swan Cup - Swans take off in Island Long Race

by YCCS on 12 Sep 2014

Bronenosec (RUS) winning the coastal race - 2014 Rolex Swan Cup Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi http://www.carloborlenghi.net

Yesterday's enforced rest day caused by light airs was soon forgotten as the fleet competing in the 18th edition of the Rolex Swan Cup enjoyed a spectacular race day on long coastal courses encompassing most of the La Maddalena archipelago and accompanied by a westerly wind ranging from 15 knots at the start that would build to hit gusts of 26. Three more days of racing are scheduled in the event organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Nautor together with title sponsor Rolex.

The course set by the YCCS Race Committee took the fleet into the strait at Capo Ferro and around the Secca di tre Monti before heading north to round the islands of Monaci and La Maddalena. Once back in the coastal channel the boats headed past Capo Ferro again and paraded past Porto Cervo. Racing concluded at this point for the Grand Prix and Classic divisions at 37 nautical miles while the Swan 45 and Swan 42 fleets continued south to round Mortoriotto and return to port (45 miles). The Swan 60 and Swan Maxi divisions rounded Mortoriotto, Mortorio and Soffi to cover 51 miles before crossing the finish line.

If proof was needed that the Swan 60 division is one of the most competitive around, today's finish, with the last boat crossing the line within 10 minutes of the first - at the end of a 50 mile course - provided it. Russia's Swan 601 Bronenosec claimed line honours and victory in corrected time despite being over early, tearing the mainsail and damaging their spinnaker. Bronenosec now sits in second place overall behind Roberto Lauro's Wohpe while Gerard Logel's Arobas holds third.

Bronenosec's tactician, Tommaso Chieffi, confirmed a demanding day on the water: ''It was a double edged sword today, we are happy to win but we are also sorry for the damage we incurred. Luckily we have our offshore main sail that we can use tomorrow as the tear in the main is unrepairable.'

Line honours in the Swan Maxi fleet went to the Swan 90 Freya, the second boat in the fleet to cross the finish line off Porto Cervo. Today's victory brings the American boat to fourth place overall while fellow Americans Selene claim the top spot overall ahead of Berenice Bis and Spain's Plis Play, who tied for third place in today's race, having finished with the same corrected time.

Freya's owner, Donald MacPherson, was thrilled with today's conditions: 'It was a great day, we finished the course in just under four hours. It was quite challenging at times but we had a great start and managed to get ahead of our division and hold on to that lead. The wind was in the ideal range for Freya, 15 to 25 knots are perfect for us so we hope these conditions continue as we find lighter airs a challenge.'

Yasha (JPN) - 2014 Rolex Swan Cup © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi http://www.carloborlenghi.net

In a repeat of the first day's performance, Yukihiro Ishida's Swan 56 Yasha took line honours on the water ahead of the entire fleet. Second place on handicap still allowed the Japanese boat with an all-star crew, including tactician Hamish Pepper, to move up to first place overall ahead of today's winner Music and the German Swan 441 Best Buddies.

The 23-boat classic fleet was dominated by Giuseppe Puttini's Swan 65 ketch Shirlaf, which finished well ahead of the rest of the division to take the win in real and corrected time and move up to second place overall. The Swan 43 Cisne, designed by Sparkman and Stephens in 1970, sits in first place overall with Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino in third.

The overall leaderboard in the Swan 45 class, competing for their annual World Championship, reflects today's results with Earlybird, owned by Nagel and Brandis, in first place ahead of Elena Nova and British boat Vondeling.

No change at the top of the Swan 42 Class as Leonardo Ferragamo's Courdileone holds on to first place ahead of Romanian boat Natalia. New to third place is today's winner Magical Mystery Tour, owned by Edward Leask.

Racing is scheduled to continue tomorrow with the first signal at 11.30. Further westerly winds of around 12-14 knots are predicted. The Swan 45 and Swan 42 classes will complete windward leeward races while the remainder of the divisions will face coastal courses.

GENERAL RESULTS (PROVISIONAL)

Class : CLASS A1 (Swan 60)

Pos	Sail nr.	Yacht	Owner	Type	1	2	Points
1	MON777	WOHPE	ROBERTO LAURO	SWAN 601	1	2	3
2	RUS2460	BRONENOSEC	VLADIMIR LIUBOMIROV	SWAN 60 CR	3	1	4
3	FRA60101	AROBAS	GERARD LOGEL	SWAN 601	2	5	7
4	RU2260	PETITE FLAMME	STEPHEN CUCCHIARO	SWAN 60	4	3	7
5	RUS2860	SPIRIT OF EUROPE	DONALD NEWHOUSE	SWAN 60	5	5 RDG	10
6	DEN1	VERTICAL SMILE	PETER LERBRANDT	SWAN 60 CR	8	4	12
7	RUS2760	TSAAR PETER	ALPENBERG SA	SWAN 60	6	6	12
8	RUS2660	SGM	ALPENBERG SA	SWAN 60	7	7	14

GENERAL RESULTS (PROVISIONAL)

Class : CLASS A2 (Swan Maxi)

Pos	Sail nr.	Yacht	Owner	Type	1	2	Points
1	CAY80002	SELENE	SELENE MANAGEMENT LTD	SAWN 80	2	2	4
2	ITA18989	BERENICE BIS	MARCO RODOLFI	SWAN 80-101	1	3.5	4.5
3	ESP9933	PLIS PLAY	ESCUELA MEDITERRANEA DE VELA	SWAN 80	3	3.5	6.5
4	CAY9010	FREYA	DONALD MACPERSON	SWAN 90	8	1	9
5	GBR8200R	NIKATA	NS 82 103S LTD	SWAN 82 S	5	5	10
6	GBR3968	GAETANA	RICCARDO PAVONCELLI	SWAN 651	4	7	11
7	GBR6210L	UXORIOUS IV	COLIN BUFFIN	SWAN 62 FD	6	8	14
8	GBR8770R	FLYING DRAGON	GIORGIO MARSIAJ	SWAN 70	7	11	18
9	AUT2895	LUNZ AM MEER	MARIETTA STRASOLDO	SWAN 651	9	9	18
10	CAY104	VARSOVIE	YOMEK ULATOWSKI	SWAN 100	13	6	19
11	ESP7495	ALZIRA MORAIRA	AGUSTIN GREGORI	SWAN 75 RS	11	10	21
12	NED8166	LOT 66	JEROEN VAN DOOREN	SWAN 66 FD	10	14 DNF	24
13	GER5732	FUTURO	N. SOURDILLE - P. DUMAND	SWAN 651	12	12	24

GENERAL RESULTS (PROVISIONAL)

Class : CLASS B (Swan Grand Prix)

Pos	Sail nr.	Yacht	Owner	Type	1	2	Points
1	JPN6031	YASHA	YUKIHIRO ISHIDA	SWAN 56 CR	2	2	4
2	GBR53N	MUSIC	JAMES BLAKEMORE	SWAN 53	4	1	5
3	GER4908	BEST BUDDIES	KAY-JOHANNES WREDE	SWAN 441	1	4	5
4	GER6464	CRILIA	HEINZE-GERD & CRISTOPHER STEIN	SWAN 531	7	3	10
5	GER4517	ISKAREEN	ARNT BRUHNS	SWAN 391	9	7	16
6	ITA16969	GUNTER WHY NOT	JAVIER SCHERK / FABIO SCALZI	SWAN 56 CR	6	11	17
7	GBR5951T	NORTHERN CHILD	CHRISTIAN & LUCY REYNOLDS	SWAN 51	5	13	18
8	NED53	SILVEREN SWAEN	FRANK WERST	SWAN 53	14	5	19
9	GBR6053L	BALLYTRIM V	ANDREW ALLNER	SWAN 53	16	6	22
10	FIN5252	FIDIBU'	ALFONSO WEBER	SWAN 43	8	14	22
11	GBR4809N	BELLA NOVE	NICK MADDALENA	SWAN 48	11	12	23
12	ITA10029	SIMS IV	STEFANO LIGUORI	SWAN 391	3	22 DNF	25
13	BEL1618	BLUE CHIP	FREDY SAND	SWAN 40	10	15	25
14	GBR9804R	MILANTO	ROS BOISSEVAIN	SWAN 46	18	8	26
15	GER273	RITA	AKIM TURKLITZ	SWAN 55	19	10	29
16	GER813	E2	LIBERO RIERA / STEVE TRAVIS	SWAN 48 CR	22 DSQ	9	31
17	GER6640	LENA LY	CARSTEN SCHIEWE	SWAN 40	12	22 DSQ	34
18	NED8302	LA BELLE	F. VAN BELLE	SWAN 56	13	22 DNF	35
19	FRA39521	SEA TEA	MAURICE LAVILLE	SWAN 40	20	16	36
20	NED7746	MONTRACHET	ROBERT SCHUIJT	SWAN 48 CR	15	22 DNF	37
21	ITA16739	MOONLIGHT	ROBERTO RAVAIOLI	SWAN 46	17	22 DNF	39

GENERAL RESULTS (PROVISIONAL)

Class : CLASS C (Classic S&S)

Pos	Sail nr.	Yacht	Owner	Type	1	2	Points
1	NED317	CISNE	DAVID COLLINS / TONY THORPE	SWAN 43	2	2	4
2	ITA13973	SHIRLAF	GIUSEPPE PUTTINI	SWAN 65 KETCH	4	1	5
3	ITA3821	MASCALZONE LATINO	VINCENZO ONORATO	SWAN 38	1	7	8
4	GBR23806	FINOLA	CHRIS FROST	SWAN 36	5	3	8
5	USA23407	ARIEL	JAMES P.THOMPSON	SWAN 47 CB	7	5	12
6	ITA9879	LOLITA	ROBERO AIMONE	SWAN 47 CB	13	4	17
7	ITA38067	ONLY YOU	MATTEO & GIULIA SALAMON	SWAN 38	3	15	18
8	GBR7635T	SNOW WOLF	ICARUS SYSTEM LTD	SWAN 48	11	8	19
9	FRA99	SOLANO	CESAR CHUFFART	SWAN 44	10	9	19
10	ITA5529	MAGIA II	ENRICO SCOPESI	SWAN 43	15	6	21
11	ITA6211	ANN	VITTORIO SETTI	SWAN 38 S/R	9	13	22
12	GER1433	SEHKRAFT	MATTHIAS MAUS	SWAN 44	12	12	24
13	ITA7047	TRIMEGISTA 3	ANTONINO CANGEMI	SWAN 38	6	19	25
14	6510	HARDSHIP III	THOMAS TILLBERT	SWAN 65 KETCH	8	17	25
15	GBR1334L	ACCOMPLICE	RAY MITCHELL	SWAN 411	16	11	27
16	ITAWALI	WALIDADA II	JONATHAN ANTHONY TODHUNTER	SWAN 47	18	14	32
17	K1226	GRAMPUS 2	MATTEO D'AGOSTINO	SWAN 47	23	10	33
18	FRA7259	ESPALMADOR II	CHARLES BLAKENEY / PETER TERRELL	SWAN 43	17	16	33
19	USA67740	AORANGI	KJK EUROPA INC/JAYNE KOEHLERr	SWAN 47	14	24 DNF	38
20	USA43500	BLACK TIE	MASSIMO CROVETTO	SWAN 47 CB	22	18	40

GENERAL RESULTS (PROVISIONAL)

Class : CLASS 45 (Swan 45 OD)

Pos	Sail nr.	Yacht	Owner	Type	1	2	3	Points
1	GER5245	EARLYBIRD	NAGEL BRANDIS	SWAN 45 OD	1	2	1	4
2	GER6845	ELENA NOVA	CHRISTIAN PLUMP	SWAN 45 OD	2	1	2	5
3	GBR17R	VONDELING	ANTHONY WARD	SWAN 45 OD	5	3	3	11
4	NED8888	NO LIMITS	RW BOL	SWAN 45 OD	3	5	4	12
5	GER45036	APHRODITE	PIERFRANCESCO DI GIUSEPPE	SWAN 45 OD	4	4	6	14
6	GBR7745R	EALA OF RHU	JAMIE MCGARRY	SWAN 45 OD	6	6	5	17
7	ITA2945	THETIS	LUCA LOCATELLI	SWAN 45 OD	7	7	7	21
8	GER6593	KATIMA	JAN OPLAENDER	SWAN 45 OD	8	8	8	24

GENERAL RESULTS (PROVISIONAL)

Class : CLASS42 (Swan 42 OD)

Pos	Sail nr.	Yacht	Owner	Type	1	2	3	Points
1	ITA42028	CUOR DI LEONE	LEONARDO FERRAGAMO	SWAN 42 OD	1	1	4	6
2	ROU1	NATALIA	KDF ENERGY SR	SWAN 42 OD	3	2	2	7
3	GBR42L	MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR	EDWARD LEASK	SWAN 42 OD	6	4	1	11
4	USA4245	MAHALO	MAHALO LLC	SWAN 42 OD	2	3	6	11
5	GBR3642R	LONG ECHO	BARRY SAMPSON	SWAN 42 OD	5	7	3	15
6	SWE42031	NAUTISKA RACING	DOUGLAS EKLUND	SWAN 42 OD	4	5	7	16
7	USA4216	ARETHUSA	PHILIP LOTZ	SWAN 42 OD	7	10	5	22
8	USA4235	APPARITIION	KENNETH H. COLBURN	SWAN 42 OD	10	6	8	24
9	USA4203	STARK RAVING MAD	ALEXANDRE KORNILOFF	SWAN 42 OD	8	8	11	27
10	IVB 42057	DIGITAL ALPHA	PALATENAR TRADE CORP.	SWAN 42 OD	12	9	9	30
11	GBR 3098L	TIXWAVE	BERNARD VANANTY	SWAN 42 OD	9	11	10	30
12	IVB42039	DIGITAL BRAVO	PALATENAR TRADE CORP	SWAN 42 OD	11	12	13 DNF	36