Loro Piana Giraglia 2025 at Yacht Club Italiano - Day 2
by Yacht Club Italiano 9 Jun 07:37 NZST
7-14 June 2025
Right on schedule, the Mistral swept into the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, starting at 20 knots in the morning and building to over 30 by early afternoon.
It was a spectacular Sunday, featuring two races for the Maxi class and a long coastal course for the IRC/ORC fleet.
The weather forecast was spot-on, with the Mistral arriving in the morning and reaching its peak around 3:00 PM. Starting from a steady 20 knots at the starting line, the wind intensified throughout the Gulf, with gusts well over 30 knots. The race committee mandated lifejackets for all sailors and kicked off a thrilling day at sea—challenging, with some breakdowns and retirements, but hugely rewarding for everyone. Among the standouts was FlyingNikka, Roberto Lacorte's foiler, which hit a breathtaking top speed of 39 knots during the second race of the day.
"We did our best to dial things back and avoid exceeding 40 knots," said owner-helmsman Roberto Lacorte at the finish. "A memorable day—the boat is proving increasingly reliable in extreme conditions like today, with gusts approaching 35 knots."
Back on the Maxi course, in Group A (the largest yachts), Wallycento V owned by Karel Komarek held on to the top of the provisional leaderboard with a 6th and a 1st place. In Group B, the Botin 69 Spirit of Lorina skippered by Jean Pierre Barjon continues to dominate.
On the IRC/ORC course, similar conditions played out over a 22-nautical mile route, and the provisional rankings are beginning to take shape. Adrien Follin's Cape 31 continues to lead IRC1 (with scores of 1 and 6), while Willem Ellemet's Flying Dolphin is ahead in IRC2. In the ORC division, the German Swan 48 Elan delivered an outstanding performance: not only is it leading the standings, it's also the oldest boat in the fleet—a magnificent 1973 Sparkman & Stephens design. In ORC2, Farfallina 3, the ItaliaYachts 9.98 helmed by Davide Noli, continued its winning streak by taking the day's victory.
After racing, the crews gathered at the Loro Piana Giraglia Village for the daily prize-giving ceremony and a lively happy hour that lasted until 8:00 PM. Racing resumes tomorrow at 10:00 AM, with lighter winds forecast.
Full results here