After a strong start, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup crews regrouped after their layday for Friday’s shifty winds that barely touched 10 knots and were more typically 5-6.

In Maxi C, Open Season won by just 19 seconds from the current IMA President Beno?t de Froidmont’s Wally 60 Wally?o, with Gerald Logel’s Swan 601 @robas another 12 seconds behind under IRC.

Overall Spirit of Lorina holds an 11 point lead – mathematically beatable, but unlikely. A much closer fight is for the final podium positions between H20, Oscar 3 and Grande Orazio (within one point) and Wally?o another two back.

2023 Maxi Rolex Cup – Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente

Closer is the battle in Maxi B, where among the former Maxi 72s Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente scored her second consecutive win, beating Pepe Cannonball by three minutes 38 seconds, with Sir Peter Ogden’s Jethou third. This has left Bella Mente holding a three point lead going into the final day from Proteus.

In Maxi A there was a second victory for Andrea Recordati’s 93ft Bullitt, by four mins 18 seconds from David M Leuschen and Chris Flowers’ 100ft Galateia with Sir Lindsay Owen Jones’ Magic Carpet Cubed third and Wendy Schmidt’s 80ft Deep Blue fourth.

Overall in Maxi A, Galateia holds a commanding lead, leaving the fight for the remaining podium spots between Bullitt, the 100ft Leopard 3 and Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s Club Swan 80 My Song which are all tied on points, eight behind the leader.

In the new Maxi Multihull class, Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s Gunboat 80 Highland Fling 18 won for a second day, this time by 16 minutes from Don Wilson and Suna Said’s Gunboat 68 Convexity 2 with Adrian Keller’s 84ft Allegra third.

2023 Maxi Rolex Cup J-Class – Valsheda and Svea

The only class where the winner has already been decided is among the three Js where Niklas Zennstr?m and Filip Engelbert’s 43.6m Svea has scored a perfect five bullets from five races.

Of the week, IMA President Beno?t de Froidmont said: “We can only be pleased and proud when we look at the fleet at this edition. We are used to large fleet but the high level here is exceptional. It has been a beautiful week with different weather conditions every day.”

Saturday is the final day of racing for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association.

 After a strong start, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup crews regrouped after their layday for Friday’s shifty winds that barely touched 10 knots and were more typically 5-6