| CAPRI, ITALY-(23-5-2003) Bolstered by the presence of Russell Coutts, guesting on board Leonardo Ferragamo’s Swan 45 Cuordileone, the Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship continued on Friday with the three classes getting underway shortly after noon. On the day’s race schedule were two windward leeward courses, the first sailed in a 22 knot Northerly wind, giving fast sailing for all, the second by contrast, turned out to be light and frustrating.
Race Five
The start was action packed in the one metre swell and bright sunshine with most of the fleet trying to exploit the committee boat end start line bias. In Class One, the provisional points leader, Georgio Goldoni’s Spanish Admiral’s Cup yacht Telefonica Movistar, found herself locked out from the start missing the committee boat completely and eventually starting last off the line. The race not surprisingly, turned out to be a big boat affair with corrected time results almost following waterline length. Telefonica Movistar managed to get back in contention with the smaller boats in the class to beat them all, correcting out at eighth and saving a nasty situation.
At the front of the fleet it was X-Sport that made the running, winning again for the third time in five starts, from Orlanda in second and the American boat, George David’s Idler in third. Class Bravo saw the seemingly unstoppable Italtel win again, this in spite of a broken boom, the result of a heavy air gybe. Class Charlie saw another win for the Di Mare team in the tough conditions.
Race Six
The second race was started in a fast dying breeze making sailing conditions extremely difficult for all classes. Charles Dunstone’s Enigma moved quickly into the lead on the water and opened up a sufficient gap to lead on corrected time for most of the race. Towards the end of the second run Bumble Bee V found a private breeze on the left of the course and reached in under headsail just minutes behind Enigma to win on corrected.
The rest of the fleet, wallowing some way behind, battled on through holes, a 40-degree windshift and constant sail changes to finish in no particular order. Many overall place changes resulted from the lottery conditions of the second race, conditions that were in such sharp contrast to today’s first race.
Telefonica Movistar finished eighth and manages to just hang on to the overall lead going into tomorrow’s last race. Still paying the price for the mistake in the long offshore Stefano Spangaro’s X-Sport is now 2.75 points off the lead, whilst Orlanda is close behind in third less than one point later.
Italtel is optimistic about tomorrow but cannot afford any mistakes with competition in Class Bravo so tight. Class Charlie however is all but sewn up, with Di Mare just needing to finish the race to be crowned world champion and collect that Rolex chronometer.
Provisional Results after four races
Class Alpha
Pos. Boat Type Owner/skipper
1st Telefonica Movistar Rodman 42 Goldoni/Campos (3,5,1,1,8,8/25.50)
2nd X-Sport Gd Soleil 56R Spangaro/Benussi (1,1,5,10,1,11/28.25)
3rd Orlanda Farr 53 Pirera/Chieffi (6,2,2,4,2,13/29.0)
4nd World Cargo Vismara 41 Simoneschi/ (2,9,3,3,9,3/29.0)
5rd Ciesse Twin Soul Gd Soleil 44 Gandini/ (5,8,4,2,12,5/36.0)
Class Bravo
Place Boat Type Owner/skipper
1st Italtel Gd Soleil 42R Orlandi/Vascotto (1,1,1,2,1,1/5.75)
2nd Wind Rodman 42 Maffini/Bressani (2,2,2,1,2,4/12.75)
3rd Team Revolution Sinergia 40 Toninelli/ (3,3,4,3,4,2/19.0)
4nd Naos Gd Soleil 40 Morbidelli/ (8,5,3,4,7,5/32.0)
5th Okyalos XII IMX-40 Periplous (4,4,5,5,3,15/36.0)
Class Charlie
Place Boat Type Owner/skipper (R1,R2,Pts)
1st Di Mare/Vaimo First 36.7 DiMare-Cuomo
-Pelucchi/Scutellaro (1,3,1,1,1,2/8)
2nd Don Alvaro X-362 Sport Siculiana (9,4,3,2,4,5/27.0)
3rd X-Vector X-332 Abita (6,6,8,45,1/29.75)
4th Paul & Shark Vismara 34 La Corte/ (2,1,12,14,2,4/34.75
5th Westwind First 36.7 Sueselbeck (5,7,2,3,3,19/39.0)
Racing in the Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship will continue on Saturday with the final inshore race.
ROLEX IMS Offshore World Championship 2003 – Race Day One
Quotes:
“It was really good sailing with Francesco de Angelis, it was good sailing with all the guys on the boat. We spent a lot of time talking about the old days in Auckland. Believe it or not this is the first time I have sailed since the last race of the America’s Cup.” Russell Coutts (America’s Cup winner), helmsman, Swan 45 Cuordileone.
“We broke the boom in the first race during a gybe. We seem to break a lot of things but luckily we are always able to repair them.” Vasco Vascotto, skipper Grand Soleil 42R, winner of both races today, and overall leader, Class Bravo.
“Great downwind sailing in the first race. There were great waves and plenty of action. We did well and are still in touch.” Alan Hood, headsail trimmer Vismara 41, World Cargo, 4th overall.
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The Full Results: for the 2003 Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship can be found at: http://www.orc.org/world03.htm
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