Regata dei Tre Golfi Finish
Galateia is once again the star of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week. The Wally 100 owned by David Leuschen and Chris Flowers claimed line honours in the 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi for the second consecutive year, the offshore race opening the IMA Maxi European Championship.
Galateia completed the course in 17 hours, 1 minute and 25 seconds after an intense and spectacular race sailed across one of the most iconic racecourses in the Mediterranean, between the Gulf of Naples, Ponza, Capri and Li Galli.
The event is organised by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA), in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano of Genoa and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, and supported by Rolex and Loro Piana. The IMA Maxi European Championship once again represents one of the highlights of the Mediterranean Maxi yacht season.
The fleet had started yesterday at 13:35 from the Bay of Santa Lucia, in front of the headquarters of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, in a beautiful north-easterly breeze of 16 to 18 knots that immediately delivered spectacular scenes across the Gulf of Naples.
An immediate battle developed among the giant 100-foot Maxis such as Galateia, V, Magic Carpet E, Capricorno, Tilakkhana II and Arca SGR, all engaged in a close tactical duel that lasted virtually all the way to the finish.
But the spectacle was not limited to the Maxi 100s. In the fiercely contested Maxi Grand Prix class, with six 72-footers on the start line, the race remained wide open from beginning to end, with the yachts separated by less than a mile for much of the course and constant lead changes throughout.
In the fight for line honours, Galateia and V produced a thrilling duel that continued almost all the way to Li Galli. The yacht of Czech entrepreneur Karel Komárek, with Croatian Olympic gold medallist Šime Fantela calling tactics, managed to round the islands first, gaining a slight advantage over her rival.
From that point onwards, a long and intense upwind battle unfolded close to the coast, decided by tactical choices and a series of tacks. Right off Massa Lubrense, Galateia launched the decisive attack, overtaking V once again and maintaining control all the way to the finish line to secure a prestigious victory.
In Maxi 1, Galateia not only claimed line honours but also corrected-time victory ahead of V of Karel Komárek and Leopard 3 of Laura & Joost Schuijff.
In Maxi Grand Prix, after an extremely close battle from the opening stages all the way to the finish, Jethou of Peter Ogden crossed first in elapsed time by the narrowest of margins, but on corrected time victory once again went to North Star of Peter Dubens, a familiar face on the top step of the podium having now won three times in four participations. North Star finished ahead of fellow British yacht Jolt of Peter Harrison and Django 7X of Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, with Vasco Vascotto calling tactics.
At the time of publication, not all boats had yet completed the race. Full results will be available on the official website: www.tregolfisailingweek.com.
Following the offshore race, the fleet will resume racing on Monday 25 May in the Gulf of Sorrento, where the inshore races of the IMA Maxi European Championship are scheduled until 28 May.
The remainder of the fleet is expected to finish throughout today and, after a well-deserved rest, all competitors are invited to the much-anticipated crew party hosted at the beautiful Villa Zagara and offered by Rolex and Loro Piana. The exclusive event will tomorrow bring together owners, sailors and international guests in an elegant atmosphere overlooking the Gulf of Naples, once again confirming the perfect blend of sport, lifestyle and hospitality that makes the Tre Golfi Sailing Week unique.
The regatta is supported by leading partners including Rolex and Loro Piana, alongside North Sails, Wally Yachts, Deloitte, Ferrarelle, Ottogas, Garmin, Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., Caffè Borbone and Azimut Investimenti.