Grand Soleil Cup at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Grand Soleil Cup at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 23 June 22:46 HKT
21-23 June 2024

The Grand Soleil Cup, an event organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with Cantiere del Pardo, came to an end today as the strong Mistral wind in Porto Cervo interrupted the sailing events scheduled for the 22nd edition of the event.

Yesterday, on the first day in which the fleet of nearly 40 participating yachts was scheduled to sail in company around the archipelago of La Maddalena, the Sail in Company committee, after monitoring the conditions at sea and noting the increasing wind intensity – more than 28 knots and up to 35 knots – cancelled the sailing at 11 a.m.

Although the on-water program was affected by weather conditions, participants were able to meet at the YCCS last night for the gala dinner on the club’s panoramic terrace. One of the most eagerly awaited social moments of the weekend was a pleasant evening in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

This morning, at the 9.30am meeting in Piazza Azzurra, the Sail in Company Committee informed the participants that they would be heading out to the water to observe the weather conditions. The intention was to sail a short coastal course, protected from the Mistral, with the fleet heading towards the islands of Mortorio and Soffi, leaving them to port, and sailing to the finish line in front of the islets of Li Nibani. At 10.15am, the fleet was instructed to gather at the start line about 2 miles from the entrance to Porto Cervo, in view of a possible warning signal at 11.30am. Unfortunately, the weather conditions at sea deteriorated and the Sail in Company Committee took the decision to send the fleet back to the docks.

“The weather conditions, with Mistral winds averaging 28 to 30 knots and strong gusts, prevented us from sailing together. In such situations, the safety of the participants is paramount and the right decision was not to sail. We hope that all participants had a good time on land and in our clubhouse,” commented Edoardo Recchi, Secretary General and Sports Director of the YCCS.

This afternoon, the participants gathered in Piazza Azzurra for a final farewell and the awarding of special prizes. The Grand Soleil 34 Why Not of Matteo Stella received the Arsenal Trophy for the yacht with the most years of sailing; the Grand Soleil 72 Shanti of Flavio Piccolomini was awarded the Alba Trophy, dedicated to the most recently launched yacht; the Latitude Trophy for the boat that travelled from far away went to the Grand Soleil 44 Athirat of Ugo Loeser; the Grand Soleil 46 Le Vent Perdu of Sonia Capobianco and Bianca Maria Terracciano received the Rosa dei Venti Trophy for the most female crew members.

The next sporting event at the YCCS is the Invitational Smeralda 888, which is scheduled to take place from June 28th to 30th.