Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup gets underway

Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup gets underway

A day for the tacticians - Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup gets underway

by James Boyd / International Maxi Association 7 Sep 05:04 HKT

Owner-drivers and crews taking part in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup were eased gently into competition off Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda today as they fought to make the most of variable sub-10 knot winds out of the northeast quadrant. The light start was appreciated as due to the pandemic this is the first time in two years that the three maxi classes (Mini Maxi 60-80ft; Maxi 80-100ft; Super Maxi 100+ft) have been able to race in their pinnacle event, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with maxi yachting’s governing body, the International Maxi Association.

While the YCCS’s courses are renowned for their usually strong prevailing northwesterlies that funnel down ‘Bomb Alley’ between the Costa Smeralda and its spectacular off-lying islands, today’s northeasterly wind direction was unusual. The race committee led by Peter Craig therefore sent the fleet off to a weather mark offshore and then on an anticlockwise lap of La Maddalena and Caprera, culminating in a tactical beat up to the Monaci islands before heading south to the finish off Porto Cervo.

The Maxis were the first to get away with Wendy Schmidt’s new Botin 85 Deep Blue nailing the start to perfection midline above Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' Magic Carpet Cubed, with the 100ft Comanche, the highest rated across the fleets, close to the pin. In fact it was only on the run back from Monaci and the final short leg into the finish when the race was decided. Here, with boats coming in on different gybes, it was the Magic Carpet Cubed that beat both the mighty Comanche and George David’s Rambler 88 on the water. However under IRC corrected this was only good enough to score the navy Wallycento second with Irvine Laidlaw’s four time Maxi class winning Reichel Pugh 82 Highland Fling XI coming out on top.

Highland Fling XI’s tactician, round the world racing legend Bouwe Bekking, commented: “It helped being the smallest boat in the fleet to be clear of the others - that worked really well on the first beat and then it was just keep following the others and we did the transitions quite nicely. The run into the finish we brought up a bit of pressure.” Bekking, who last sailed with Laidlaw 22 years ago in the early IMS era, was impressed with the 82. “The boat goes well in the light stuff. The Wally 100s - they are double our weight so in every puff we probably gained more. Plus they have a solid crew who know how to sail the boat.”

In the fleet all eyes were on the new grand prix racer Deep Blue that today posted a respectable fourth in the 12 boat Maxi fleet. “It was fun because we were learned a ton, even on the first beat,” recounted tactician and project manager Rob Macmillan. “The owner had a super good time - it was the right wind speed, and her first time starting with 12 other boats around. We won the start and she had a big grin about 10 seconds after that. But the race felt like it was 100 miles long! There were lots of lead changes and back and forth between the boats, but the team sailed super well. It was tricky and fun. The final downwind was great - trading gybes with all of the boats.”

Among the 100+ft Super Maxis, it was the much anticipated re-match between the two Js where there was most action. While Topaz started magnificently, Velsheda didn’t and the race appeared to have been decided in the opening moments. However in a classic example of ‘never give up; never surrender’, Velsheda managed to gain the lead on the subsequent beat up to Monaci. “At Golf [the mark due south of Caprera], we went from a fetch to upwind back to Monaci,” explained Mike Toppa, sharing navigational duties with Andy Beadsworth this week. “They rounded and went on the wind and we rounded and tacked. So we split, which we wanted because there was more pressure, and it worked out. They had to do two extra tacks and we jumped them.” Ronald de Waal’s team then was able to hang on to win by just under two minutes on corrected time.

Toppa and Beadsworth are standing in for some of Velsheda’s Kiwi regulars, notably Tom Dodson, who have been unable to make the event due to Covid travel restrictions.

While the Swan 115 Shamanna finished just ahead of them on the water, the correct times for the Js were more than 15 minutes ahead.

Similarly in Mini Maxi 1, it was the seasoned crews on the former Maxi 72s that prevailed with all five finishing within seven minutes on the water and holding the top spots under IRC corrected time. Among the five there were some snakes and ladders with, for example, Peter Dubens' newly acquired North Star of London (formerly Rán II) leading out of the top mark with Hap Fauth’s favourite Bella Mente and then defending champion Dario Ferrari’s Cannonball sneaking ahead around the top of La Maddalena. Ultimately despite another roll of the dice on the final run, Cannonball prevailed to win by more than five and a half minutes under IRC corrected time from Jim Swartz’s Vesper.

“I think the main thing coming out of today is that we have seen five boats and any of them can win,” mused Cannonball’s tactician Michele Ivaldi, who after almost 25 years of separation has been reunited with his fiery compatriot Vasco Vascotto. Cannonball’s result is unusual given that she hasn’t raced in the last two years, while her competition has. “The boat is still well optimised,” Ivaldi continued. “But we started a bit back from the others. We knew we had to do everything perfectly to be in front. It was a good day but we managed to make most of the calls right.

“The first beat was hard because it wasn’t clear which side would pay. We got in front and then we just had to stay between them and the mark. It was a good fight until the end.”

Mini Maxi 2 was a two horse race today in which waterline length paid. Winner was Alessandro Del Bono aboard his ILC maxi, the Reichel-Pugh 78 Capricorno, from Twin Soul B, the 80 footer from Mylius Yachts owner Luciano Gandini. The Capricorno team has been together since Del Bono’s father used to compete in events such as the Admiral’s Cup. Tactician Flavio Favini has been with them since this time.

“We did okay today,” said Favini. “We made some mistakes close to Monaci island, where we weren’t close enough to the Caprera shore where there was less current. We had to go out a couple of times to avoid being cut down by the J Class and there we lost a little bit.

“It is very good to be here. Everyone is excited to be back.”

Winning by the biggest margin across all of the classes was Canadian Terry Hui’s Wally 77 Lyra which claimed Mini Maxi 3 by almost 35 minutes from Luca Scoppa’s Dehler 60 Blue Oyster. Lyra has won the Wally class in the last two editions of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

New Zealand tactician Hamish Pepper explained: “It was a tricky day because it was pretty light and the breeze was shifting a bit. Through the Strait with the islands influencing things, it was quite tough.

“We had a little bit of a hiccup at the start - we didn’t ping the pin properly. We got back into it and went the right way for the second half of the beat and after Golf we passed a few boats when there was a bit more breeze inland. Then we came into the finish with dying breeze.”

Racing continues tomorrow with more coastal races scheduled. According to Costa Smeralda regular Flavio Favini, the forecast for the remainder of the week has the wind remaining in the northeast as it was today. “The best conditions are northwest with flatter water and drier air, but I don’t think we will see that this week.” Races will continue until Saturday, with a lay day scheduled for Thursday.

Full results available here.

‘The Last Of The Best’: The Smartest Rolexes To Collect In 2021

Rolex, the world’s most successful watch manufacturer and most famous luxury brand, has been producing timepieces for well over a century. In that time, they’ve come out with dozens of models and literally thousands of different references, spanning from tool watches like the anti-magnetic Milgauss to dress watches like the Cellini King Midas.

Virtually anything sporting a Rolex badge is hot property… But not all Rolexes are made equal. Some models and references are naturally more desirable than others – indeed, even within references, there’s a hierarchy of collectability that dedicated Rolex collectors (of which there’s quite a few) get hot under the collar over.

With new Rolexes harder to get your hands on than hen’s teeth right now, many watch fans have been inspired to look to vintage or discontinued references of popular Rolex models to get their ‘Rollie’ fix. Which raises the question: what references should an aspiring (or even veteran) Rolex owner look for when shopping for the Crown’s most popular models?

To answer that question, DMARGE spoke with Paul Altieri, the founder and CEO of Bob’s Watches – one of the world’s largest and most respected online watch exchanges and Rolex specialists – to get his take on what the best references are for three of Rolex’s most iconic models.

Rolex Submariner

First up, we have the Submariner: arguably Rolex’s most famous model and in many ways, the archetypal wristwatch full stop. At the time of its launch in 1953, it was one of the first-ever modern dive watches and remains one of the most popular dive watches on the market (even if it’s been superseded on a technical level by other watches such as Rolex’s very own Sea-Dweller or modern dive computers).

Altieri argues that the reference to collect is the ref. 14060/14060M, a reference he termed “the last of the best” in this brilliant article. Produced between roughly 1990 and 2010, these references sit in a real sweet spot that makes them perfect for daily wear as well as a convincing investment/collection opportunity.

To broadly summarise Altieri’s article, newer Submariner references are much chunkier than the classic references – in line with the modern taste for larger watch sizes – and their Cerachrom bezels won’t age and develop a patina like older references’ aluminium ones. On the other hand, truly vintage references lack many of the modern creature comforts later references benefit from, such as sapphire crystal glass, unidirectional bezels, and advances in movement technology.

RELATED: Heartwarming Moment Man Discovers Staggering Value Of Late Father’s Rolex Submariner

The 14060/14060M is already well-known to collectors, but Alteri expanded upon his article exclusively with DMARGE, explaining that there’s actually even more to it – there’s a “best of the last of the best” that collectors should look out for:

“Early variants of the Submariner 14060 still used tritium for lume, which really adds to the vintage appeal of the watch – especially if it’s developed a warm patina. Dials with tritium are denoted by ‘Swiss-T<25’ text below the 6 o’clock marker. Rolex eventually switched to modern Super LumiNova during the production of the Submariner 14060/14060M.”

Rolex GMT-Master

Next up we have the GMT-Master. Visually similar to the Submariner, the GMT-Master was designed for the skies, not the seas. Designed in collaboration with Pan American Airways for use by their pilots and navigators, it first hit the market in 1954 – its Pan Am-inspired red and blue bezel since garnering the nickname ‘Pepsi’ by the watch community.

In the early 1980s, the Rolex GMT-Master II was released, although production of the original GMT-Master continued alongside it until 1999. The original black and red bezel of the GMT-Master II has been nicknamed the ‘Coke’, although Rolex now manufactures GMT-Master IIs with the GMT-Master I’s original ‘Pepsi’ bezel.

RELATED: ‘Counterintuitive’ Rolex Aftermarket Trend Renews Age-Old American Rivalry

This is all some important context for understanding why Altieri’s pick for the must-have GMT-Master reference, the ref. 16700, is worthy of your attention.

“Rolex produced the GMT-Master 16700 from the late 1980s until the late 1990s. As the very last GMT-Master model ever made, the ref. 16700 is truly one of the ‘last of the best’ Rolex watches,” he explains.

“The watch combines fantastic classic design traits such as aluminum bezels, lug holes in the cases, and tritium on the dial (until about 1997) with modern touches like scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and an updated movement.”

“Although the ref. 16700 is exclusively available in stainless steel, there are two bezel colourways (blue and red ‘Pepsi’ or all-black) and two bracelets (Oyster or Jubilee) to choose from, which makes it a fun Rolex reference to collect.”

Rolex Cosmograph Daytona

Finally, we have the Daytona: Rolex’s only chronograph and the focus for some of the most valuable Rolexes in existence, such as the famous ref. 6239 “Paul Newman”. First introduced in 1963, any Daytona is hard to get one’s hands on – but there’s still good buying to be found, if you know where to look.

RELATED: ‘Sporty’ Watch Selling Trick Can Make You Thousands

“Any stainless steel Daytona chronographs, whether vintage four-digit references, Zenith El Primero-based ones from the eighties and nineties (ref. 16520) or those that run on the in-house made Rolex Caliber 4130 (ref. 116520 and 116500) will always be highly collectible Rolex watches due to their immense popularity,” Alteri explains.

“However, a particularly interesting model to consider is the two-tone Daytona ref. 16523 from the 1990s. Not only does this Rolex chronograph combine stainless steel and 18k yellow gold but it also houses Rolex’s first automatic chronograph calibre, which was based on the famed Zenith El Primero movement.

“Rolex ‘Zenith’ Daytona models are a favourite among collectors but the two-tone versions are often overshadowed by the full steel or full gold variants.”

“If you’re a fan of two-tone Rolex sports watches, the Daytona ref. 16523 is one worth looking at as it’s still quite undervalued in the current market compared to other Daytona references from the same decade.”

Check out the 2021 Daytona’s meteorite dial [Watch Below]

Of course, buying a vintage or discontinued watch comes with its own challenges. Provenance aside, even the most immaculately kept watch will require maintenance of some sort – and you can’t expect an older reference to necessarily keep up with the performance of a modern Rolex, for example.

Still, if you’re looking for something a little different – or just can’t stand the idea of having to wait years for a new Rolex – consider these prime references from Rolex’s most popular models.

Read Next

Conor McGregor purchases $50,000 Rolex watch

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Away from the Octagon, Conor McGregor is a man that likes to flaunt his wares to those that are fans of his, and perhaps most importantly, those that aren’t.

His watch collection, in particular, would leave many a timepiece owner green with envy and the latest item from his portfolio is no different.

Whilst The Notorious One continues to lick his physical and metaphorical wounds after defeat to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight back in July at UFC 264, the Irishman has nevertheless sent a gentle reminder of his superior wealth, flashing one of his prized possessions on social media.

Taking to Instagram, the Dubliner posed with his full gold Rolex Yacht-Master II, which is thought to have set him back around $50k, believed also to be the biggest one of the brand.

“The biggest Rolex there is,” McGregor bragged with glee in a post.

“The yacht master 2. A 44mm size face. Full gold. A solid gold beast with a white face. This one takes me back. Timeless!”

McGregor’s liking for personal bling is no secret, indeed, the 33-year-old now possibly has enough watches to open up his own emporium.

It was before his first defeat to Poirier at UFC 257, however, that the former lightweight champion made his most expensive acquisition to date, laying a cool one-million-plus dollars for a Jacob & Co’s Astronomia Tourbillon Baguette.

McGregor is, of course, still recovering from a broken tibia sustained against his Louisianan foe, but once more, his private toy collection appears to be his own source of therapy.

ENTER GIVEAWAY

Without a win in MMA since 2017, whilst McGregor’s career appears to be at a crossroads, the Irishman will likely never be a wallflower in public.

His penchant for shiny new things will put pay to that.

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