Irish sailor Shane Diviney has made a perfect start to the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Sardinia, with the newly launched North Star III scoring two bullets from two races on her competitive debut in the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship.
The Irish challenge was prominent throughout Monday's opening racing off Porto Cervo, with Cian Guilfoyle, Oisin McClelland and Ian Moore aboard Bella Mente, second to North Star III in the day's second race, while James O'Mahony's V led the Maxi 1 fleet on the water ahead of Galateia, which carries a five-strong Irish contingent.
As Afloat reported in its championship preview, Irish sailors are spread across several of the leading campaigns competing this week in Sardinia.
Power Play: James O’Mahony is among the crew of V, which led the Maxi 1 fleet around much of the opening 31-mile coastal race before finishing first on the water. Photo: IMA / Studio Borlenghi
Double Bullet Debut for North Star III
Peter Dubens' new 76ft North Star III made an emphatic entrance to competition as the former Maxi 72s began racing for the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship.
With Diviney among the crew, North Star III won the opening windward-leeward race by one minute 44 seconds on IRC corrected time from Filip Balcaen's Balthasar.
The new Judel/Vrolijk design followed that with another victory in race two, finishing one minute 25 seconds ahead of Hap Fauth's Bella Mente, which has Guilfoyle, McClelland and Moore among its crew.
“To get from a brand-new boat to ready to race has been good, but it is a long week ahead,” North Star III tactician Nick Rogers said.
“Today the course was not easy – it was a bit shifty in the gradient breeze.”
The 76-footer is the highest-rated boat in the Maxi Grand Prix class and incorporates a limited-cant keel designed to remove the need for water ballast and allow quicker manoeuvres.
“We’re pleased with the boat and the team. It's been a joy,” Rogers said. “In less than seven knots, we don't really know, but above that, it seems really strong, and we've never sailed it over 20 knots.”
The defending world champion Django 7x, carrying Ireland's Grattan Roberts, had a more difficult opening. Following protests after racing, including one involving what organisers described as “hard contact”, Django 7x was disqualified from race one.
Irish Crews Prominent in Maxi 1
Irish interest was also concentrated near the front of the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship.
Karel Komárek's 100-footer V, with O'Mahony among the crew, led for most of the 31-mile coastal course and finished first on the water.
V crossed just 50 seconds ahead of David M Leuschen and Chris Flowers' Galateia, which has **Nin O'Leary, Justin Slattery, Simon Johnson, Kelvin Harrap and Rory Harrap** among its crew.
Joost Schuijff's Leopard 3, carrying Irish sailors **Will Byrne, Tom McWilliam and Mark Petticrew**, was another 78 seconds behind Galateia.
Alessandro Del Bono's 82ft Capricorno had initially prospered by taking the right side of the opening beat before being overhauled approaching the first windward mark.
“We dipped Capricorno up the first beat and then we managed to just get ahead of them around the top mark. They sailed a great race,” V's Paul Willcox said.
“The guys are sailing really well. It feels like we can do the things we need to do on the boat to be competitive.”
Light Sardinian Start
A light easterly provided the opening conditions off northwest Sardinia, with the Maxi Grand Prix fleet racing two windward-leewards in winds that frequently hovered around six knots.
The other fleets were sent towards the La Maddalena archipelago on coastal courses.
In Maxi 3, James Neville's Botin 65 Artemis Bleu emerged as the winner after Luciano Gandini's Twin Soul B received a penalty following an incident at the first top mark.
Vincenzo Addessi's Fra Diavolo opened strongly in its division, while defending champion H2O recorded a commanding corrected-time victory in Maxi 5.
Among the multihulls, Marcos Sirota's Irens 63 trimaran Sophia produced the standout corrected-time performance, beating Adrian Keller's Allegra by more than 20 minutes.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup continues on Tuesday, when all classes are scheduled to sail coastal courses. The forecast indicates light conditions immediately off Porto Cervo and to the south, with stronger breeze expected farther north.
