COMMANDING RESULTS AT 2018 MAXI YACHT ROLEX CUP
COMMANDING RESULTS IN PORTO CERVO
Six Division Wins at 2018 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup & Maxi 72 Worlds
Forty-one of the world’s most beautiful racing yachts met in Porto Cervo, Italy for the 29th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup & Maxi 72 World Championships. North clients won six of seven divisions with their North 3Di sails. Over twenty North Sails experts participated in the regatta. Porto Cervo served up a variety of conditions and race formats, challenging teams to trust their boat handling and limit their losses. Hear what our team had to say about the regatta and their firsthand experience onboard some of the most prestigious racing yachts.
Laurent Delage, North Sails France, Tango, 2nd Place Wally Division
“We had great starts and good tactical calls that contributed to our overall performance this week. It was a tough battle with all of our competitors having excellent speed, but our crew work and perseverance paid off in the end. There is a lot to be said about not giving up and continuing to push the boat to its maximum potential. The Wally class gets faster each year while using a perfectly matched product in 3Di, which holds shape unlike other products that we’ve used.”
Alessio Razeto, North Sails Italy, SuperNikka, Winner Mini Maxi Group 1
“Boat speed, starts, and sail trim set SuperNikka ahead of our competition. We were able to improve our boat performance throughout the Maxi Worlds by focusing on sail shape and rig tune. We recently introduced 3Di RAW to the SuperNikka program and we were instantly fast and ahead of the competition. Our speed downwind dramatically improved with the addition of two new kites. Our A0 in particular was a great weapon throughout the week – we were able to sail the tighter angles with ease and gained a ton of speed.”
Eckhard Kaller, North Sails Germany, Topaz, Winner Super Maxi Division
“Competition within the J Class is tough as all boats have the same North 3Di sails, but each boat has their own set up and what they feel is an optimized inventory, which keeps things interesting. 3Di is perfect for the J Class – it gives a wide range for every sail. It wasn’t just one sail that made the difference for us; it was our entire sail inventory that made it possible to have a leg up on the fleet.
The Topaz team has been together for two years, and we are constantly working on sail trim and crew techniques for every maneuver. Our teamwork is above and beyond, and is reflected through our overall boat speed and handling. There were 15 nationalities onboard Topaz for this event and we really made a great team.”
Riccardo de Michele, Skipper, H2O winner of Mini Maxi Group 2. This is the third Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup win in four years for H2O.
“There’s something to be said about maintaining the same crew and skipper. Being able to work together and train together for some time has benefited our team greatly. We were also able to work closely with our sail designer who got us up to speed with 3Di, making it possible to win our division.”
Terry Hui, Skipper, Lyra, Winner of the Wally Division
“Being new to this class, I am learning a lot. We have a great team on Lyra. Racing in Porto Cervo is beautiful and the YCCS is the best.”
