Dublin Bay, Howth and Cork Harbour crews will race the latest 29-metre Aragon in Sardinia next week at the prestigious Italian superyacht Loro Piana Regatta.
Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Cian Guilfoyle fresh from last week's RC 44 Cup as Afloat reported here, joins the Aragon team for the first time. His knowledge of handling 400+ square metre spinnakers will see Guilfoyle assisting a bow army of six crew.
There is a further Irish connection this year for the Aragon crew given the fact that the latest Aragon is in fact ex-Windfall, Mick Cotter's Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race record-breaker.
Just to ensure there’s Irish presence at every part of the Southern Wind 94-footer, Royal Cork Yacht Club's Nin O'Leary is overseeing the tactical role in the afterguard of Aragon.
As regular Afloat readers will know, O'Leary is a regular tactical presence on the Aragon crew having most recently competed in the 2020 Middle Sea Race.
Aragon, the 29-metre superyacht, previously known as Windfall, was a record-breaker in the 2019 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race
All three areas will be in a loop of headsets/walkie talkies for clear communications and crew work to coordinate the 25 crew members during the Loro Piana Cup.
Racing begins at the Mediterranean venue on June 2nd to 6th under the ORC–Super Yacht rule and rating system.
Pursuit races will be set over a course length with the smaller vessels going off first. If everyone sails to their handicap without any hiccups all boats should cross the finish-line bow to bow.
To add to the tactical conundrum of manoeuvring a 60ton sloop, the Superyacht rule does not allow competing craft to come within 40 metres of each other.
Range finders bow and stern will be deployed as well as the assistance of AIS for judging passing distances.
Cork Harbour's O'Leary is currently delivering Aragon from Palma to Sardinia for next week's regatta.
