After three days of racing in Porto Cervo for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup the 34-boat fleet enjoyed a lay-day yesterday. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda organisers must have a direct line to the Weather Gods who would have told them to place the lay-day on the Thursday when they were planning this mid-September event. A 40-knot Mistral blew across the North of Sardinia all day and sailing, had it been scheduled, would have been cancelled.

The flurry of protests lodged by Leopard and Alexia the previous day following their unfortunate mast-locking incident at the start of the second windward-leeward race, saw average points for her races so far awarded to Alexia. This puts Alexia in the lead overall in the IMS Class but with the top section of her mast missing the Argentinean boat will not be racing again and may well submit a request for redress for the rest of the regatta.

The results of of Wednesday’s two windward-leeward races for the IMS and IRC Classes were combined to make one set of points for the day and this has been added to the scores for the first two days’ races.

Today’s forecast is again calling for fresh Mistral conditions, although less than the recent storm force winds.

Overall Results (provisional after 3 days)

Class IMS

1st Alexia Reichel/Pugh 75 Alberto Roemmers 2,1,2/5

2nd Idea SAI Reichel/Pugh 80 Raffaele Raiola 3,2,1/6

3rd Bumblebee 5 Sydney 62 John Kahlbetzer 1,4,4/9

Class IRC

1st Alfa Romeo Reichel/Pugh 90 Neville Crichton 3,1,1/4

2nd Virtuelle Proto C/R Carlo Perrone 1,3,1/4

3rd Unfurled Frers 112 Harry Macklowe 2,2,3/7

Wally Class

1st Wallyño Wally 60 Luca Bassani 1,3,1/5

2nd Genie of the Lamp Wally 77 Gianlua Vacchi 1,4,3/9

3rd Magic Carpet2 Wally 94 Lindsay Owen-Jones 6,2,4/12

Jongert & Spirit of Tradition Class

1st Adela Spirit of Tradition George Lindemann 1,1,2/4

2nd Whitefin Spirit of Tradition Alfredo Canessa 2,2,1/5