ROLEX GIRAGLIA 2019 – INSHORE RACES START
ROLEX GIRAGLIA 2019 – INSHORE RACES START – The fleet of the Sanremo-Saint Tropez race has arrived and the winners in the first leg were X-Wave in the ORC class and Solsting in the IRC. There was a magnificent day of wind in the Gulf of Saint Tropez to welcome the crews who took advantage to train for the inshore races
There were different interpretations of Saturday by the crews who began crowding the Gulf of Saint Tropez. The 104 yachts who entered the Sanremo-Saint Tropez, with the start at midnight yesterday, began arriving in the morning – 11:04:51 was the real time of Ange Transparent, the Swan 45 that was the first across the line in Saint Tropez – and there was a double for small yachts in the ORC and IRC classes, with victory in compensated time for X-Wave,
Marco Roccatagliata’s X 332 in the ORC class and for Stanislav Pechenkin’s Grand Soleil 34 Solstingin the IRC.
An afternoon’s rest for these crews who had been racing all night in the inshore race, but a day of intense training in the Gulf for the rest of the fleet which took advantage of a good stiff breeze for a final tweaking of boats and crews.
The first to cross the line of leg one in the Rolex Giraglia was the Swan 45 Ange Transparent, which arrived from St Tropez at 11:03 this morning after just over 11 hours of racing. “We managed to keep up a good speed – said Vittorio Zaoli, helmsman of the Swan 45 – we held about 6 miles off the coast to avoid calm patches and we always sailed well. The wind picked up just before the Gulf of Saint Tropez so we had a good sprint to the line”. Stronger wind arriving in the late morning favoured the smaller yachts, which had remained further back but were able to catch up on the faster yachts in compensated time.
And so the games are on tomorrow, with three days of inshore races starting at 11 o’clock and the spectacle of 297 yachts that from tomorrow will bring colour to the Gulf of Saint Tropez.
Here is how the President of the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez Tony Oller welcomed the Rolex Giraglia crews to his home waters: “The SNST is always happy and enthusiastic about helping organise this prestige event with the Yacht Club Italiano. I am very satisfied about this collaboration between three historic clubs, the Yacht Club Italiano, the Yacht Club de Monaco and the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez. There has always been great understanding among these three clubs and the fact of having the finish in Monaco this year perfects this connection in this atmosphere. With a prestige partner, the Rolex Giraglia is increasingly modern and attracting more entries. All eyes will be on such beautiful yachts as the Maxi Rambler which is hoping to be the real-time record in the offshore race. Since I am a habitué of regattas and above all of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, I would like to spare a special thought for Pier Luigi Loro Piana and his yacht My Song which suffered an unfortunate accident. And let’s not forget all the volunteers of the SNSM, all these men and women who give their lives to help sailors at all times. Our thoughts go above all to the families of the three rescuers who died during an operation at Les Sables-d’Olonne during the storm Miguel”.
World Oceans Day
The first day of the Rolex Giraglia coincided with World Oceans Day. The sea as a uniting force is also one of the commitments of this regatta, an event that unites thousands of yachtsmen representing more than 30 different countries, all ready to play their part in preserving the most precious part of the planet, the sea.
SLAM technical sponsor of the 2019 edition
Slam, thanks to an agreement with the Yacht Club Italiano, has created this year a limited edition dedicated to this important event: T-shirts printed with the course of the long race, technical jerseys, sailing jackets, caps, belts, sunglasses and a special flask have been produced by Slam with the official logo of the Rolex Giraglia. The limited edition can be purchased from May 23 to June 30 online and in Slam flagshipstores in Genoa, Sanremo and Monaco, while in Saint Tropez there will be a stand at the Rolex Giraglia village.
THE ROLEX GIRAGLIA
The Giraglia was conceived in 1953 as a 241 mile offshore race. Since then it has grown and today includes races towards Sanremo and three days of inshore races in the Bay of Saint-Tropez. In 2019 this classic regatta celebrates its 67thanniversary. The Rolex Giraglia is organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Yacht Club Sanremo and, for the 2019 edition, with the Yacht Club de Monaco, the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez and the Yacht Club de France. Rolex has been a partner of the Rolex Giraglia dal 1998 and this year celebrates 22 years of collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano.
THE YACHT CLUB ITALIANO
Founded in Genoa in 1879, the Yacht Club Italiano is the oldest sailing club in the Mediterranean. Based in the Porticciolo Duca degli Abruzzi, the YCI has always aimed to popularise yachting and organise regattas. The Rolex Capri Sailing Week, the Rolex Giraglia, the World Cup Series and the 2.4 Worlds, the last to arrive in chronological order, are just some of the international regattas organised by the YCI. The Coppa Carlo Negri, the Trofeo SIAD Bombola d’oro, the Millevele and many other events distinguish the present and future of the Club, which is always ready to accept new challenges. As is traditional, BMW will be alongside the YCI as a partner also for this regatta with the much appreciated shuttle service for guests, press and yacht owners.
