The morning cloud has burnt off, the temperature is climbing, and excitement is mounting as the final day of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta in Porto Cervo gets underway.
With so much of the silverware still up for grabs, it will be a tense wait for the owners of the 19 sailing superyachts taking part in the racing and their crews as the start at 1200 draws closer.
The wind is light today, which may well favour a different group of yachts to the last three days of racing. The F Class Firefly looks secure at the head of Class A with three wins out of three, but things are closer in Class B with the 37m Moonbird, 34m Unfurled and 30.3m Cape Arrow separated by just three points after yesterday’s race. In Class C, the Southern Wind Grande Orazio is a clear leader with three wins out of three, but both the 24.4m Swan Selene and the 27m Oyster Karibu are still within touching distance should the Class order be overturned in the lighter conditions.
For the crew on the WallyCento Magic Carpet 3, today is all about securing a bullet in the final race. ‘We’ve just got to sail our own race,’ says Edward Bell, one of the permanent crew aboard. ‘We’re out here to learn as much as we can and it’s hard to beat a boat like Firefly with the rating they’ve got, so we’ll do our best to sail this boat as fast as we can and get round as quick as possible. I wish Firefly all the best but we’ll be looking to get a final win on the last day.’
Last night, owners and their guests enjoyed the stunning location of Phi Beach for the legendary Sunset Party. This morning, all thoughts of the revelry will be pushed to the back of the mind as the crews focus on one aim – taking home the trophy on the final day of the regatta.