Mistral sidelines Rolex Swan Cup

Porto Cervo, Italy (September 12, 2014) – The only star of race day four of the Rolex Swan Cup & Swan 45 World Championship was the Mistral wind gusting at over 40 knots off the north-eastern coast of Sardinia. After a long postponement for participants ashore, and with no signs of the gale abating, the Race Committee was forced to hoist the Answering Pennant over Alpha to indicate no racing today. The event, which marks the 30th anniversary of the collaboration between the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Nautor’s Swan and Rolex, will conclude on Sunday.

YCCS Sports Director and Race Committee member Edoardo Recchi commented on the impossibility of racing today: “The forecasts were not very accurate for today, instead of the 20 knots predicted, we had 40 knots at La Maddalena and 1.5 miles outside of the harbour we had 30-32 knots. We waited until 13.30 and conditions were getting worse if anything so it just was not feasible to send the boats out today. The forecast for tomorrow is for 10-12 knots so we should get be able to get some races in.”

The provisional classifications for the six competing divisions therefore remain unvaried with Roberto Lauro’s Wohpe leading the Swan 60 class and the Swan 80 Selene heading up the Swan Maxi fleet. The Swan 56 Yasha and the 1970 Swan 43 Cisne lead the Grand Prix and Classic fleets respectively while Germany’s Earlybird, owned by Christian Nagel and Hendrik Brandis, leads the fleet competing for the Swan 45 World Championship. The Swan 42 class is currently led by Nautor’s Swan Chairman Leonardo Ferragamo aboard his Cuordileone.

Racing is scheduled to continue tomorrow with the first signal at 11.30. Winds of around 12-14 knots are predicted and the Swan 60, Swan 45 and Swan 42 classes will complete windward leeward races while the remainder of the divisions will be sent on coastal courses.

Event website – Results – Photos

Report by event media. Photo by Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi.