Perfect conditions on Day 2 of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta

5 June 2013 • Written by Tim Thomas

If the wind gods were slow to wake up on Day One of the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, they certainly weren’t shy about coming forward on Day Two. The fleet of 21 sailing superyachts were blessed with near perfect conditions on Thursday, as the breeze built from 12 knots at midday to around 18 knots by early afternoon. Hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and co-organised by Boat International Media, the regatta reached its halfway stage today, and with two days of racing left to go there is all to play for in all three classes.

The race committee opted to reverse the starting sequence for Race 2, sending the fastest yachts away first. The course, a similar track for all three classes, was a corker – a downwind start with a run to Monaci, then another downwind leg through bomb alley, before rounding the northern tip of La Maddalena and beating back to the finish off Porto Cervo.

The 45m Visione, the fastest yacht in the fleet under the medium wind rating selected for today, was first to cross the line and hoisted her giant spinnaker for the run to Monaci. With the rest of the fleet following at two minute intervals, the yachts charging on the run with kites filled made for a spectacular site.

By the time the yachts had reached the entrance to bomb alley – the passage between the main island of Sardinia and the islands of Caprera and La Maddalena – Visione had stretched her lead to a full eight minutes over the next yacht, the Baltic 112 Nilaya. As the fleet reached the tip of La Maddalena it split in two, with the faster Class A yachts being sent around Isola Barrettinelli, while Classes B and C effectively cut the corner.

It was the 38m Perini P2 that led the Class B yachts on the water, with Salperton, Zefira and Sarafin not far behind. Visione pressed on to take line honours by a convincing margin, but today was all about corrected time. When the results came in, it was the 25.4m My Song that had come through to take Class A, her second bullet of the regatta. In Class B, Salperton held off strong challenges from Southern Wind Cape Arrow and Zefira, who also tore their kite, to claim victory. Day One’s Class C winner Bequia held off the competition to take first once again.

‘It was a really good day,’ said Tom Davies, captain of Salperton. ‘We had a good start, and made a good call rounding Monaci. Off La Maddalena we worked hard through the puffs and timed every shift really well.’

Nilaya ended the day with a second place in Class A. ‘It went really well today,’ her captain Tom Weiss enthused. ‘The yacht sails really well in more breeze, and it makes a big difference starting third and having clear air – so deciding to alternate the start sequence makes the regatta fairer. It was a perfect day, with perfect conditions – everyone on board is happy with the way we sailed.’

Tonight owners, their guests and crews are enjoying a pizza party in the Piazza Azzurra in front of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, sponsored by Sardinia Yacht Services. Racing continues on Friday with the first start scheduled for 1200 local time.

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