PRESENTATION
Testo italiano

Porto Cervo, 13th September 1999

ROLEX IMS OFFSHORE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Sultry heat and a sullen calm temporarily held up practice for the Rolex IMS Offshore World Championships, in Porto Cervo this morning. But there was still plenty to do. The dockside was criss-crossed by crews dragging sails into vans, en route to sail measurement. Others, perhaps a little wan and hungry looking under their tan, made their way to the weigh-in.

On some boats there were still the tell-tale signs of final preparations - tool boxes open and contents strewn across the deck. Those who were a little better prepared, were able to stand and watch, or perhaps catch up on the latest dock gossip. The news here centres around the strong Dutch challenge for the title, headed by Hans Eekhof's Innovision 7. And the dockside chatter, is all about the changes undergone since she was part of the winning Dutch Admiral's Cup team.

The boat has changed its conventional, in-line spreaders, topmast and running backstays, for swept-back spreaders and just a topmast backstay, with non-overlapping headsails.

Though still shrouded in some mystery, Innovision's rating certificate has undergone some radical changes as a result. Her IMS GPH has gone up by about ten seconds, and the rumour is that elsewhere on the certificate, the changes are as much as twenty seconds. Of course, what really counts is how her performance has altered relative to the rating changes - and that we won't really know about until tomorrow. Among those most interested in the answer, will be Pasquale Landolfi's Brava Q8 - top IMS Boat at the Admiral's Cup.

Landolfi has also made some changes, removing the scoop from the back of Brava Q8 to shorten her. And he has gathered some talented new crew, as well as the regulars, around his Admiral's Cup helmsman, Flavio Favini. Chris Larson has joined as tactician, and Prada coach Stevie Erikson has got some time off to rejoin his old boat, this time as navigator. Other strong Italian challenges will come from Tomasso Chieffi, back in charge of last year's hot boat - Vittorio Rava's Winterthur Yah Man. While the top Sydney 40 crew at the Admiral's Cup, Vasco Vascotto and his Merit Cup team, will be sailing their fifty footer - formerly known as Breeze. Admiral's Cup team mate, owner of the Mumm 36 Moby Lines, Vincenzo Onorato, has entered his fifty footer, and the thirty foot, Moby Lines. There is also a strong Spanish challenge, the former Beau Geste is here, now sponsored by the province of Valencia, and called Costa Azahar.

While former 470 World Champion and 1992 Olympic gold medallist, Jordi Calafat, is sailing with Jose Luis Suevos' Terra Mitica. A Judel/Vrolijk 44, and winner of the King's Cup in Palma in 1997. The navigator is Whitbread and America's Cup sailor, Juan Vila. Along with the Sydney 46, Valencia Terra Mar, skippered by Dani Guitart, these three boats are all representing Valencia.

Germany is another strong IMS country. Their Admiral's Cup entry, Rubin, with her largely amateur crew has not been able to fit this event into her crowded season. But Hans Otto Schumann's previous boat is here, now racing as Struntje Light and owned by Wolfgang Schaefer. He has got some local knowledge on board, with Italian Admiral's Cup Team Captain, Bruno Finzi. From Argentina, Alberto Roemmers has stayed on after the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup, to race his ILC Maxi in the big boat class. Australian Michael Coxon is the tactician. By far the biggest boat in a class dominated by fifty footers, Alexia is a real danger in light air, her best condition.

The regatta has a strongly international flavour, other countries responding to the challenge of the first ever IMS World Championship, are: Austria (Astro 2K, the former Provezza, owned by Rainer Wilhelm); Croatia (DSK, a Beneteau 40.7, owned by Darko Keser, and Karuba III, an X482, owned by Goranko Fizulic); Greece (Okyalos X, a Judel/Vrolijk 49, owned by Yannis Costopoulos); Mexico (Lola Bombon, the ILC 40 and former Pinta, owned by Antonio Elias).
Photo: Carlo Borlenghi/SEA&SEE

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