The Maxi 72 reigned in real time

250 ships participated in the week of races that make up the Giraglia Rolex Cup and 209 accepted the challenge of the main event, the 241 nautical mile test that part of Saint-Tropez (France), surrounds the rock Giraglia and reaches Genoa (Italy). The absolute victory was the TP52 Freccia Rossa of the Russian shipowner Vadim Yakimenko. The real-time victory was for the Maxi 72 Momo of Dieter Schön. Patience, mental strength and an irrefutable desire to overcome the challenges offered by a capricious meteorology have marked the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2017. A test designed like a whole sailing party, and that over a week (9-17 June) combined a prologue from Sanremo and Marseille to Saint- Tropez, a series of coastal tests in the bay of the French port, and a long-distance race between Saint- Tropez, the Giraglia rock and the Italian town of Genoa.

In the absence of 100-foot maxis on the exit line in Saint-Tropez, the real-time victory struggle focused on the three Maxi 72 participants. Each of them was based on their own arguments to aspire to the triumph: the Caol Ila R of Alex Schärer, as the fastest in the series of three days of barlovento-sotavento tests held in the Bay of Saint- Tropez; the Jethou of Sir Peter Ogden, as the most experienced on this journey; the Momo of Dieter Schön, for having focused all his efforts on preparing for this height test. The failure to manage the decile wind conditions was what led the Jethou to withdraw in the approach to the Giraglia rock. This left the battle for victory in real time as an exciting duel between the other two Maxi 72, especially in the stretch between the rock and Genoa, alternating in the head until Momo took over 30 miles from the arrival. The German ship crossed the arrival on Thursday at 21: 39h, stopping the crone in 32 hours, 52 minutes and 4 seconds, just eight minutes ahead of Caol Ila R. On board the Momo competed as a trimer the Vigo Víctor Mariño, who stressed that the key to the victory was how the team managed the first stretch of the tour and the different wind transitions that were found in its advance to Genoa.

The Freccia Rossa is the second TP52 in the last season of the Rolex Challenge Trophy and a Rolex Submariner as the absolute winner; the Near Miss of Franck Nöel did so in 2012. To achieve this, he had enough to arrive in Genoa on Friday morning in fifth place in real time. The wind would play in his favor by showing itself elusive for the ships that still managed the final stretch between Giraglia and Genoa. The light breezes and changing weather models provided a whole resource test. For the bulk of the fleet, the race was slow, a constant "stop & go" that caused a considerable effort: more hours at sea, constant changes of candles and the incessant search for a minimum breeze to drive the ship in the right direction. The mere fact of completing the journey became a challenge in itself, a lesson of persistence and dedication. Many crews would arrive just in time for the award, after more than 60 hours in a race.

16 / 06 / 2017: The German Maxi 72 "Momo" with the vineyard Victor Mariño wins in real the Giraglia Rolex Cup

The 65 Giraglia Rolex Cup will not go through history as a quick edition. The weather that advanced light breeze conditions was fulfilled, and after a slow exit from the historic French port of Saint- Tropez on Wednesday, the fleet had to manage a low wind along the 241 miles of a tour that led them to surround the iconic Giraglia rock before the arrival in Genoa, Italy. The forecasts that the fight at the front of the platoon was to be starring the Maxi 72 were also right. A duel that would start with three teams and that would be reduced to two in the final stretch to Genoa after the withdrawal of British Jethou by Sir Peter Ogden. The final battle was resolved between the German Momo de Dieter Schön and the Swiss Caol Ila R by Alex Schaerer.MomoHe would lead this half-marathon that has been held annually since 1953, crossing the line of arrival just eight minutes ahead of his rival. The German ship stopped the crone in 32 hours, 52 minutes and 4 seconds, far from the brand established in 2012 by the 100 feetEastern Europe 2that keeps the record of the test in 14 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds. With this triumph,Momoit was proclaimed real-time winner of the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2017, being the smallest ship to achieve that achievement since the Mills 68Joyde Andrés Soriano won in 2009. At noon today, Friday, ten ships have crossed the line of arrival in Genoa, six have withdrawn and 193 remain in race. The absolute champion of the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2017 in compensation is still to be decided.

The German Maxi 72 Momo has been declared a real-time winner of the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2017. The ship of Dieter Schön, which has on board the Galician Victor Mariño, completed the 241 miles of journey between Saint- Tropez and Genoa in 32 hours, 52 minutes and 4 seconds.

In order to increase its competitiveness in light breezes conditions, the German Maxi 72 competed with a reduced crew of 13 regatists, almost half as much as the 22 that it usually incorporates. Among the chosen, the Galician trimer Victor Mariño. "The key has been in a large first part to La Formiga and in the transitions between wind zones, which we have managed very concentrated and with great success," he explains from Genoa. This is the first victory in the Giraglia Rolex Cup for the vineyard in three participations. "I like all of the race, especially the tour. It's short to be offshore, but intense." Victor is now heading for Porto Cervo, where he will compete with the German TP52 Platoon at the 52 Super Series Audi Sailing Week, the fourth event of the 52 Super Series season, the high-level circuit that also has Rolex sponsorship.

14 / 06 / 2017: 220 ships in the Giraglia Rolex Cup, the largest Mediterranean show

The first time in 1953, the Giraglia Rolex Cup celebrates this week its 65th consecutive edition faithful to a unique format that combines coastal tests with a 241-mile high race that links the French port of Saint- Tropez with the Italian of Genoa via the Giraglia rock, on the northern end of Corsica. The departure of his test reigns, which gives name to the event, will bring together tomorrow, Wednesday, a heterogeneous fleet of about 220 ships. The light wind forecast adds an extra uncertainty to a test in which, literally, anyone can win.

The Giraglia Rolex Cup has unique and differentiating elements that attract an annual outstanding selection of the best professional and amateur teams. Created in 1953 with the aim of improving relations between France and Italy after the Second World War, it has always exercised a natural attraction on the sailing community, but it was from the incorporation of Rolex as the main sponsor in 1998 when it reached the status of inevitable quote in the calendar of great Mediterranean races. Since then it has not stopped growing. In 2016 it brought together a record fleet of 268 ships and about 3,000 regatists; this year, the number of registered ones is around 220.

The Giraglia Rolex Cup is the essence of the majesty of the Mediterranean

The sports program of the Giraglia Rolex Cup is very wide, an interesting combination of long distance tests with short barlovento-sotavento clashes in the beautiful bay of Saint- Tropez. The most important of all, which has been the essence of the event since 1953, is the 241 nautical mile race linking the French port of Saint- Tropez with the Italian of Genoa via the Giraglia rock, an icon of navigation in the Mediterranean, located on the north end of Corsica. A relatively short tour compared to more than 600 miles from the Rolex Fastnet Race or the Rolex Sydney Hobart, but it is a challenge for those who dare to face it.

The participants face the test with different objectives: absolute victory, class victory or mere fact of completing the journey and being part of history. The battle for the absolute title has as many candidates as the participants. Literally. In recent years, victory has corresponded to ships with a range of length between 33 and 100 feet; virtually, anyone can win. The bravest, however, dare to point to the ships with 30-40 feet length as favorites for this 65th title. The current record for the Giraglia Rolex Cup was set in 2012 by the 100-foot Esimit Europe 2 Supermaxi, which completed the tour in 14 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds. The part seems to indicate that the assault on this mark will have to wait at least one more year. The final award of the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2017 will be held on Saturday, June 17, at the Yacht Club Italiano of Genoa. Both the real-time winner and the absolute champion of the Giraglia Rolex Cup will receive a Rolex engraving, the respected symbol of race success.