Rolex Capri Sailing Week

Jethou prepares for a spinnaker set against a spectacular backdrop. Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

It was all smiles on the Mini-Maxi yachts at Capri Sailing Week this year, fully powered up and sailing as fast as the wind. The powerful boats seem to glide effortlessly through the water.

Peter Ogden’s Judel Vrolik 60, Jethou was extremely well sailed, crew work and boat handling were both impeccable. Jethou had a great tussle with Brian Benjamin’s Maxi Dolphin 65, Aegir. Although the two yachts were far apart on the water, on corrected time there were many tight finishes. Aegir had a world class crew and have great plans for the future; a new Aegir is under construction by a new facility in Newport RI. Carbon Ocean Yachts will launch the Rogers 82 in September.

In the Mini-Maxi Class, the Mills 68 Alegre was unstoppable, taking a clean sweep of all six races.

‘The pressure was always on,’ explained Alegre’s navigator, Will Best. ‘One mistake in this class and you are unlikely to recover. Capri is a complex place to sail and it is easy to get caught in the wrong spot and in this fleet; they will take full advantage. Leading from the front, you are always looking over your shoulder, you always have to be on your toes.’

Mark Bartlett, Alegre's bowman gets a birds eye-view. Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Andres Soriano, owner and driver of Alegre, was understandably delighted.

‘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 Angelis 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.’

The Mini-maxi class is delivering some of the hottest racing on the Mediterranean circuit and the designs and equipment used are very much cutting edge. Jethou and Alegre were both sporting new revolutionary headsails. 3Di is a new solid carbon sail from North Sails fabricated in Nevada. Jethou is the smallest mini-maxi at 60 feet but the sight of Jethou’s sleek black hull under spinnaker, surfing faster than the wind is quite magnificent; a real head-turner.

At the prize giving all the winners were awarded with a Rolex timepiece.  And 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.  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.