Capricorno secures Loro Piana Giraglia maxi yacht 'double'
by International Maxi Association 13 Jun 17:58 UTC
Close crossing within metres of the finish line between SHK Scallywag (left) and Magic Carpet E © Loro Piana / Studio Borlenghi
Loro Piana Giraglia, the Yacht Club Italiano's offshore race from Saint-Tropez to Genoa via the Giraglia Rock, and fifth event in the International Maxi Association's 2024-25 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge, has often seen leader changes in its last miles, but yesterday it concluded with a neck and neck dash for the finish.
The 100 footer showdown between Huang-Seng Lee's SHK Scallywag and Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' new Magic Carpet E ended with them crossing tacks within sight of the line. Ultimately the Singaporean maxi claimed line honours at 20:58:47 local time, beating her rival by 2 minutes 13 seconds.
If many maxis did not participate in 2024 due to a severe forecast, many chose not to start this year because of ultra-light winds with routing anticipating a 40-50 hour race. Ultimately just 14 set sail at midday on Wednesday (11 June) with the only former Maxi 72 being George Sakellaris' Proteus, which pulled out soon after. While light it was still an enjoyable, highly tactical race, as Scallywag tactician Mark Bradford explained: "Everyone was writing the race off, but it turned out to be good: We had a great battle between the four of us all the way around and it was really close."
The start took place in 10-12 knots, but this would prove to be the race's maximum breeze. Magic Carpet E initially led away, but Scallywag caught up and passed her prior to the mid-evening park up that saw Alessandro Del Bono's JV80 Capricorno and Pier Luigi Loro Piana's 80ft My Song join them. Scallywag was first to break free and on the approach to the Giraglia Rock at 0500 Thursday morning had pulled out a lead of around five miles, although this was eroded en route to Genoa as the leaders repeatedly fell into soft spots.
"The race was as light as we expected, but it was closer than we'd expected!" commented SHK Scallywag's Australian skipper David Witt. "We didn't even know if our 10-year-old boat was going to be any good against the brand new Magic Carpet. So we're really happy."
The finish line was aligned with, rather than across, the four knot wind, forcing the leaders to finish on port. Tactician Mark Bradford (for whom this was his third consecutive Giraglia line honours win following two on Black Jack) explained their approach: "Our plan was to get a tack in early, so on the last cross we could either duck to go on starboard or cross them. In the end we had a nice little puff to get across them, which made life easier."
On board Magic Carpet E there was frustration, but acceptance of a good result considering this was only her second offshore race and they had done well to catch up in the light conditions. Tactician Francesco de Angelis observed: "Coming from the Giraglia we were in the hunt and then we opened up an opportunity. But they sailed well and were quick while we are still learning our boat." Both Scallywag and Magic Carpet E raced with their full complement of 20-21 crew.
Third home half an hour later was Alessandro Del Bono's Capricorno, winner of last week's Maxi 100 class inshore racing. Ultimately Capricorno claimed the Maxi class in the offshore race too. On the crucial last miles to Genoa, Capricorno had erred west and My Song east towards Portofino, the former tactic paying. "When we arrived at the Giraglia, there was no wind," commented Del Bono. "Pigi [My Song] arrived in our wake and passed us. But our last decision was the right one. We did very well, I'm very happy and the boat now is performing well - we think we are at about 85% of her potential."
Capricorno's Brazilian multiple Olympic medallist tactician Torben Grael added. "We expected it to be light and it was, with a couple of stops. But the angles we had were generally not too bad - when you're dead upwind or downwind, it's a lot worse."
Of their choice to stray west approaching the finish, he added: "We left the fleet to get pressure before the other boats, which had a little curve to leeward. So we gained on the boats ahead."
At the time of writing Capricorno had not only won the Maxi class but was second overall across the whole IRC fleet in the offshore race.
On board My Song, Loro Piana and his son Giacomo took care of the helming. My Song finished fourth at 22:58 Thursday night after a tacking match with ARCA SGR. This left her second overall, three hours behind Capricorno in the Maxi class, and ahead of third-placed Magic Carpet E. For the race My Song had reduced her crew from 18-20 to 12 and left many sails behind. "We tried to keep everything as light as possible," admitted tactician Tommaso Chieffi (who was also navigator). "We had a good start. Of course Capricorno was quicker upwind and stretched away, but as soon as we started reaching with the Code 0, we caught up and eventually we were not far behind at the Giraglia. They parked in a hole and we had the opportunity to cut the corner, going inshore where there was a line of breeze."
Later My Song headed east anticipating a shift that would lift them to the finish without having to tack. Sadly instead of the wind going left, it went right and lightened.
Ultimately the race favoured the 80 footers. Guido Paolo Gamucci's well sailed canting keel Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa X, which won the smaller maxi class (combined Maxi Alpha and Bravo) at the inshores, performed best of her group in the offshore despite the conditions. "We had 10-12 knots initially, but that just died and then it was really tough," admitted Gamucci. "We had three or four big stops, one before Giraglia and everyone that was a bit more on the right came into us, which was frustrating."
Cippa Lippa X arrived at 09:05 this morning to take fifth overall in the maxi class behind Django 7X. "Fortunately we arrived with the last of the wind - for the last 100 metres there was no wind at all," stated Gamucci.
The prize-giving will take place at the Yacht Club Italiano clubhouse tomorrow (14 June) when Capricorno will be presented with the trophy for winning the Maxi class in the offshore race and the combined inshore/offshore prize (for the Maxi 100 and Grand Prix classes) and the prize for the highest placed IMA Member. Cippa Lippa X will receive the trophy for Maxi 2 (Maxi Alpha and Bravo classes).
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