IRC Europeans, patience rewarded
Much patience was needed from crews and organisers to kick off the IRC Europeans in Sanremo finally. Despite the warning signal being scheduled for the early morning, in the hope of getting some thermal breeze, the wind refused to materialise until the late afternoon, keeping the sailors waiting in the Race Village until then. Eventually a westerly of around 4 to 6 knots filled in, enabling racing for the 40+ strong fleet to get underway.
The gun for IRC O, 1 and 2, comprising the bigger boats, was fired at around 18:00 but with several over the line early, the Race Committee was forced to sound a general recall. This first attempt also saw a number of incidents and collisions, resulting in one boat retiring and several protests that the Jury discussed until late evening. The second starting procedure was tidier and the bigger boats were swiftly followed by the IRC 3 and 4 on the first leg of the coastal course, heading to the top mark close to Capo Nero, the wind light but enough to keep the boats moving.
On the leg back to Sanremo, the wind was progressively falling and the Race Committee opted to shorten the course, setting the new finish line just off Sanremo’s old port breakwater, reducing the total course length to 6.5 miles.
The first boat to cross the line, shortly after 19:00 was Howard Dyer’s TP52 Rowdy Too, followed by two other TP52s: Russian Vadim Yakimenko’s Freccia Rossa and Italian Gianpiero Russo’s Macchia Mediterranea. On corrected time though, it’s Freccia Rossa that got the fist win of the Championship. The rest of the fleet managed to finish in slow succession, with the last boat crossing shortly after 20:00.
After Race 1 the provisional class leaders are: Freccia Rossa in IRC0, the Italian Ceccarelli 46’ MC Seawonder skippered by Andrea Zaoli in IRC1, French J/111 Michel Buffet’s Merlin in IRC2, and Italian Grand Soleil 34 Sagola Aigylion in IRC3 and First 34.7 Faster 2 in IRC4.
Full results are available here
After racing, the crews were welcomed at the historic Casinò di Sanremo for an aperitif, where some also tried their luck at the gambling tables.
The fleet will convene again for the IRC European Championship’s third day at 13:00. The weather forecast is for light winds that should progressively build enabling the fleet to race a maximum of two windward-leewards.
The Championship, open to offshore boats with an IRC endorsed rating, comprises five days of racing, a minimum of four inshore or windward-leeward races and an offshore lasting approximately 10 to 18 hours. On Friday 28 the crews will gather in the historical rooms of the Casinò di Sanremo for a buffet dinner. On Saturday 29, at the end of the last racing day, the Yacht Club Sanremo will host the prize-giving ceremony.
