Maxis Enter Home Straight

With just one more race day left in the 26th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, all will be decided for four of the five competing divisions in Saturday's final showdown. 

All forty participating yachts completed coastal courses today which allowed Bella Mente (Maxi 72) and Grande Orazio Pioneer Investments (Maxi RC) to move to the top of their respective divisions while Open Season (Wally), Shirlaf (Maxi RC/SOT) and Supernikka (Maxi Racing) held firm in their top positions. Owners and crews participating in the event, organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the International Maxi Association, will have the chance to rest and recuperate during tomorrow's lay day before everything comes down to the crunch on Saturday.

The light air forecast for today,  prompted the Race Committee to move the lay day back in order to get a fourth race day in today. While a promising 10 knot north-north easterly breeze accompanied the 40 competing yachts on the starting line, the wind died out later in the day leaving some boats struggling to cross a foreshortened finishing line.

A heated battle continues for the World Championship in the Maxi 72 class which has seen four leadership changes over four days. Only two points separate the top three boats and with the possibility of several windward-leeward races being held on Saturday, all teams will need to bring their top performances on Saturday. Second place today and a discard left Hap Fauth's Bella Mente in first place overall today ahead of yesterday's leader Robertissima and Dieter Schön's Momo.