The seven teams competing in the Sardinia Rolex Cup, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, set out from the Italian quays of Porto Cervo’s new marina to complete two windward leewards yesterday in the second day of racing.

After five races, the scoreboard sees Team Sardegna, composed of Stuart Robinson’s TP52 Santa Ana, Stefano Polti’s Swan 45 Mintaka and Vincenzo Onorato’s Farr 40 Mascalzone Latino, move into first place on 43 points, ahead of Team Germany with Michael Illbruck’s TP52 Pinta, Wolfgang Stolz’ Swan 45 Opus One and Wolfgang Schaefer’s Farr 40 Struntje Light on 46.

Team Italy, including Alessandra Pirera’s Orlanda, Lorenzo Bortolotti’s Swantastic and Alessandro Barnaba’s Fiamma, is sitting in third place on 57 points. Italy and Monaco are tied on 57, and Spain follows with 58. Team USA’s second place in race five for the Swan 45s wasn’t enough to pull her up from sixth place, where she remains on 75 points, followed by Alpe Adria with 96.

The first race of the day was postponed for around 90 minutes while the race committee waited for shifty winds to stabilise. The fleet then set out on a course of around eight nautical miles – with a single start for the competing TP52s, Swan45s and Farr 40s making up each team – in eight to nine knots of north-easterly breeze.

Pinta led the TP52s around the first leeward mark; the Swan 45 fleet followed with Swantastic in first place while the Farrs were fairly bunched at that stage. Pinta held on to her lead to cross the finish line first, bringing her to a total of three first places in four races run. Following the Germans were the Transpacs Bribon Movistar and Anonimo. Among the Swans, T?Too took first place while Swantastic dropped back to third behind Mintaka. The Farr 40 fleet saw Nerone Mutua Madrileña come in first, her best performance of the event thus far.

At the beginning of race two, winds were still from the north-east at around nine to ten knots. Leading the TP52s round the first leeward mark and for most of the race was Team USA’s Santa Ana. Opus One led the Swan 45s from the start, ahead of Carlo Perrone’s Atlantica of Team USA, while Fiamma headed up the Farr 40 fleet. In the TP52 fleet, Bribon moved up from fourth at the end of the second leeward leg to take first place over Santa Ana. The Swan 45 Opus One held on to first place ahead of Atlantica Racing. Racing among the Farr 40s, Mascalzone Latino took the lead from Fiamma.

Following the jury’s decision on Tuesday’s protests, La Marachella was disqualified from the regatta, leaving Team Alpe Adria with only T?Too, the Swan 45, racing today. (The team started the regatta with only two boats.)

Current positions

1. Sardegna – 43

2. Germany – 46

3. Italy – 57