After five days of racing on coastal courses between the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago, itâs possible everyone who participated in the 30th annual Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo went home feeling like a winner. âThe Costa Smeralda gave us the gift of a perfect week,â said event organizers. âThis event is much more than a regatta; it is a combination of the sea, the wind, the natural scenery, the organization, and the spirit of its participantsâthe owners and crews.â
North clients swept the podium in four classes and won a total of seven divisions, but one of those winners, Highland Fling XIâs strategist and North superyacht expert Mike Toppa, was equally proud of the overnight sail service provided by the company. The North Sails pop-up loft in Porto Cervo was run by Italian service manager Bacci Sgarbossa and his crew of sailmakers. âMaxi sails are not small or light,â Mike points out. âOur service guys showed up on the dock with a special flat bed truck that had a built-in crane to pick up and deliver sails. They were professional, highly skilled, and enthusiastic.â Best of all, there were surprisingly few repairs needed, even after the breeze topped 30-knots in race three.
Courses for Maxis
Tom Dodson, North superyacht expert and longtime tactician and on the J-Class Velsheda, which won the Super Maxi division, says there were 43 possible course optionsâa mix of windward/leewards and coastal racingâand the wind was different every day. âBefore we left the dock, it was important to choose sails so that most options were covered. All our 3Di sails are from early 2017, halfway through their competitive life, and theyâre going well.â
Mini Maxi Racer 2
SuperNikka won both races the first two days, eventually taking the overall division. âWe have been racing with the same crew for five years,â owner/helmRoberto Lacorte says. âEvery year we have acquired more performance, and with a fast boat we are free to choose the best tactics and defend ourselves when itâs time. The races are always very tight and close, mistakes are not allowed. I have the good fortune of having a superior crew by my side.â Next year, a bigger boat will be a whole new challenge; âClosing the cycle of SuperNikka with a victory is the best way to start this next adventure.â
Alessio Razeto is one of SuperNikkaâs superior crew, and he agrees the team definitely earned the win. âWe made almost 40 sail changes!â he says, adding that there was ânot one single issue with the sails.â
Mini Maxi Racer/Cruiser Victory
Jack Slattery, US-based sales expert and tactician on Stephen Cucchiaroâs Swan 601 Flow, says the Boston-based team cameinto the regatta thinking they could win. Along with an upwind inventory of 3Di RAW, they used a Helix Code Zero and asymmetric spinnaker. âWe were stronger in the moderate and heavy conditions,â Jack admits. âWe had a new rig tune going into the event which favored 12+ True, so weâre working on an improved tuning matrix.â
Flow had a three point lead going into the last day, but they got behind early in the last race. âWe had to fight our way through the pack and finally engaged our closest competitor in the last mile and a half, pushing them back just enough to win.â Their secret to success was a combination of good starts, excellent crew work, and sailing their own races, Jack says. âWe often made subtle gains around the corners. Those small gains can add up to exponentially larger ones.â
Maxi Racer/Cruiser: Podium Sweep
Nefertiti, a Swan 90, won the Maxi Racer/Cruiser division, where North inventories swept the podium. North sail designer Gonzalo Ramos Vertiz trimmed main, and he says believing in their inventory was a huge part of the victory. âThe boatâs owner, captain and crew all have complete confidence in North Sails. In this kind of heavy big boat, itâs crucial to be able to push the sails to the max.â
3Di shape âjust locked inâ
Mike Toppa agrees that 3Di sail inventories meet the high expectations set by owners and crews. âIt was a tough fleet with competitive boats and talented sailors. We hit a mark in race four and had to take a scoring penalty, which put us a point behind Rambler going into the last day.â Fortunately, he adds, Highland Fling XI is a great all-around boat that performs well throughout the wind rangeâand so are the sails. âWe saw everything from eight to 30 knots in Porto Cervo, and Iâm continually impressed at how stable 3Di sails are when itâs windy. The shape is just locked in.â
EXPLAINING THE WORLDâS MOST ADVANCED SAIL TECHNOLOGY
North 3Di is a sailmaking revolution because it produces sails that are both high-performance and reliable. With 3Di technology, the best performance no longer comes at the expense of longevity.
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