The second day of Loro Piana Giraglia inshore racing, in the third event of the International Maxi Association’s 2024 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge.
The maxi fleet again raced two windward-leewards on Pampelonne Bay, but the lumpy seastate made life challenging even on the largest maxis. The slightly depleted turn-out (due to the seastate) thinned out further as yachts were forced to retire with technical issues during racing.
Nowhere was this more apparent than in Maxi A where Karel Komárek’s Wallycento V won the first race, albeit by just 10 seconds from Peter Dubens’ NorthStar, but then suffered a severe hydraulic failure in the second race, forcing her to abandon.
With Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones’ Wallycento Magic Carpet Cubed not competing Sunday, a 5-3 elevated Chris Flowers’ Wallycento Galateia to fourth place in Maxi A and to the top spot among the 100s racing in Maxi sub-class 1.
In the broader Maxi A class, there has been a lead change with Peter Harrison’s Jolt eased out by Sir Peter Ogden’s Maxi 77 Jethou, albeit by one point.
Jethou with a 3-1 and Peter Dubens’ NorthStar with a 2-2 were the top Maxi A scorers today, enjoying exhilarating high octane racing, surfing down waves on the runs.
Big waves are typically not the strong suit of IMA President Benoît de Froidmont’s Wally 60 Wallyño but today they hung in there. Just.
In the first race they maintained their perfect scoreline in Saint-Tropez inshore races that has lasted since the end of 2022, albeit by just one second from Guido Paolo Gamucci’s Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa X. Then in the second race the Italian canting keeler finally prevailed.
Despite Benoît de Froidmont’s Wally 60 Wallyño losing the second race, they were still second and maintain a resounding lead in Maxi B.
After two days of windward-leewards, tomorrow the two maxi classes will race coastal courses starting from within the Golfe de Saint-Tropez.
Meanwhile navigators are eyeing up the forecast for Wednesday and the Loro Piana Giraglia offshore race to Genoa, which currently looks set to be in record-breaking conditions.
Event organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.
