After two days of windward-leewards on the Bay of Pampelonne, day three of inshore racing at Loro Piana Giraglia saw a change with 19 of the 24 strong maxi fleet racing a single coastal course, starting and finishing in the Golfe de Saint-Tropez.
Monday the wind had flipped from easterly to westerly, blowing 15 knots at start time. After the smaller yachts in the IRC and ORC classes had departed, the two maxi fleets sailed a short upwind leg within the Golfe of Saint-Tropez before heading off to the south and west.
The larger maxis in Maxi A sailed 30 miles to Cavalaire-sur-Mer and back, while Maxi B sailed 20 miles to a mark off L’Escalet before returning.
Racing between the 100s was again nip and tuck with Karel Komárek’s V and Chris Flowers’ Galateia catching up Magic Carpet Cubed only for V to trawl her spinnaker severely approaching the Golfe de Saint-Tropez.
This left Galateia first among the 100s, ahead of Andrea Recordati’s Wally 93 Bullitt.
At the top of the Maxi A leaderboard, Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou consolidated her position with a second consecutive race win, albeit by just 12 seconds under IRC.
In Maxi B, the positions have got even closer. Wallyño, the Wally 60 of International Maxi Association President Benoît de Froidmont, continues to lead, but two wins in the last two races for Guido Paolo Gamucci’s Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa X has left the Italian canting keeler just one point off first.
Today it was again close with Cippa Lippa X and Jean-Pierre Barjon’s Botin 65 Spirit of Lorina neck and neck out in front. Spirit of Lorina was first home but, less than a minute astern, Cippa Lippa X’s time had her correcting out ahead.
While the lead trio is a step ahead of the rest in Maxi B, Jerome Bataillard and his crew on the Shipman 63 Sao Bernardo are currently holding fifth place just a point astern of Alex Schaerer’s Swan 90 Strathisla and two ahead of Enrico Aureli’s modern Swan 65 Marlin.
Meanwhile all eyes are on Wednesday’s offshore race to Genoa.
