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The start of the 67th Tre Golfi Regatta was as picturesque as ever, thanks to the event's second ever sunset departure in place of the traditional midnight kick-off.
The Gulf of Naples, with Capri and Vesuvius illuminated by the warm light of the setting sun, provided a stunning backdrop.
A fleet of 130 boats that took to the starting line were clearly visible even from the streets of Santa Lucia, leaving passers-by amazed by the beautiful sight unfolding along the seafront.
Alongside Maxi, Swan and classic yachts, this year the renowned race organised by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia also marks the return of the most famous of oceanic skippers as Giovanni Soldini took to the starting line of the “Tre Golfi Regatta” with his highly successful Maserati Mod70 trimaran.
His toughest competition will likely be Riccardo Pavoncelli's Mana, with Paul Larsen at the helm - king of the world speed sailing record.
A fascinating regatta, but certainly a highly technical and complex one, thanks to the various wind changes the crews will encounter over the 150-miles course, determined in part by the ever-changing geography of the coastline.
The afternoon wind, a thermal breeze of 8-10 knots at the start, quickly dropped to 6-8 knots.
The large high pressure system affecting the area over the coming days will force the tacticians to make some difficult and perhaps daring choices along the way, with various episodes of dead calm expected. It will be crucial to be the first to interpret all the individual breezes in time, while the morning and evening winds will also be important.
After a clean but somewhat arduous start, the fleet headed for the island of Ponza, the first mark in the race.
After passing the Cavallara mark, the tacticians then had to make a strategic choice, deciding whether to take the Procida channel, the Ischia channel, or sail outside Ischia. The approach to Ponza will also require thought, particularly in light of the wind forecast for the coming days.
Only tomorrow will we see whether sticking to the coast or choosing a more central route paid dividends. After reaching Ponza, the boats will descend towards Capri, taking care not to get "sucked" towards the island of Ischia where they could be left loitering for some time before picking up speed.
Fortunes, as past editions have often shown, can once again change in the passage by the Li Galli islet: the fresh wind coming from behind it has on several occasions allowed boats further back in the fleet to regain ground. The race will end as per tradition, in Capri.
The first boats are expected to finish in the early afternoon of tomorrow.
67th Tre Golfi Regatta.
Line Honours for Giovanni Soldini's Maserati trimaran. Furio Benussi’s ARCA SGR is first among the monohulls. The bulk of the fleet is still at sea.
Yesterday evening was an extraordinary one. The city of Naples stood still to watch the fleet of 130 boats sailing along Posillipo at sunset, turning streets like Via Caracciolo into stadium viewpoints. The beauty of this unique spectacle thrilled the entire city.
This edition of the race has been characterised by good weather, with the tacticians having to work hard to take advantage of the light breezes in the Gulf, as forecast. The fleet was pushed along by the sea breeze during the day, but then saw a big drop in the wind during the night, a scene that will most likely be replayed tonight.
Multihulls
A real match race was underway between Maserati and Mana, with the latter in the lead up until Ponza. Riccardo Pavoncelli's boat with Paul Larsen on board was ahead up to the rounding of the island, but Soldini's trimaran managed to overtake between Ponza and Ischia.
"This crew is new to me and it's the first time I have sailed with someone I met two days before" commented Paul Larsen, "the team has worked very well, we sailed Mana at a very high level, she's a fast boat that can achieve really amazing results. I'm in this part of the world for the first time and I can't wait to discover it.”
The two 20 x 16 metre "monsters" are moored, to the delight of tourists and passers-by, in Marina Piccola in Sorrento and Vico Equense.
Maxi Yacht
The first boat across the finish line in this category was Furio Benussi's Arca SGR, despite some damage to the keel management system. “A long navigation with light wind, a bit complex but very beautiful” commented the owner. “It was the first outing of the year and we suffered significant damage around Capri. Nevertheless, we were always ahead of the trimarans as far as Ischia. I am very happy to have achieved this great result.”
Another match race took place between the M72 North Star and the M74 Jethou, with the latter in the lead up until the island of Ventotene, when Duben's North Star pulled ahead.
ORC Classes
In the ORC Group A, the boats are still close to Ischia, headed for the islet of Li Galli.
The TP52s Blue and Xio (ahead in Category A), have been racing neck and neck in real time. How they manage the rounding of the islet of Li Galli and the channel to Capri will be decisive.
The smaller boats in the fleet, gathered in Groups B, C and D, have suffered the most from the weather conditions in this edition, with the bulk of the fleet still sailing between Ventotene and Ponza.
Among the Swan 42s in the ORC B group, Mela and Be Wild were together up to the island of Ischia, but have now taken different paths.
Scugnizza, an Italia Yacht owned by Neopolitan Enzo De Blasio, is leading Group C, ahead of her sister ship and long-time rival Sugar.
The boats will continue to cross the finish line throughout the night until the early hours of the morning. The Maxi fleet will be hosted in Marina Piccola, while the ORC boats will be in Piano and Sant'Agnello.
Having crossed the finish line, the boats will be hosted in Sorrento, Sant'Agnello and Piano di Sorrento for the week of regattas that runs through 21st May, in which three high-profile events will be held: the first ever European Maxi Championship, the ORC Mediterranean Championship and the Tyrrhenian National Championship.
The flag-raising ceremony which took place at 1 p.m. today officially opened the event. Among those present were the President of the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) Francesco Ettore, accompanied by Federal Councillor Antonietta De Falco and the President of the V Zone, Francesco Lo Schiavo, who declared: "The Tre Golfi Sailing Week this year represents a strategic opportunity for sailing in Campania: the V Zone FIV has collaborated with the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia to make one of the oldest and most charming regattas in the Mediterranean an important opportunity for the region. A team that has seen the sporting world together with the institutions doing everything possible to ensure a great show at sea and ashore."
A few tips on some of the favourites.
For the ORC Class A category XIO and Ice Blue, the Swan 42 Mela in Class B, and Sugar and Scugnizza in Class C.
Jethou is hotly tipped in the Maxi division, but Manticore could upset the apple cart.
In a challenging week for all of the crews, we can expect very interesting racing.
Our historic Tre Golfi regatta is 67 years old, and it is 20 years since the first "sailing week" bearing its name was held. Over the years, the event has enjoyed the support of major sponsors in sailing, from Zegna to Loro Piana and Telecom, before joining the elite of international yachting under the Rolex banner.
In the last four years, despite the suspension caused by the pandemic, the Sailing Week - together with its opening long-distance race - has grown at an exponential rate. No change in 2022: same racecourse and start time, at 7:30 PM, a pandemic necessity in 2021 very much appreciated. The sunset sailing along the Posillipo coast is such an unforgettable experience!
Tre Golfi is quite a difficult race: the evening start, the path around many islands with their inevitable sheltered areas, the varying climates in each of the different bays, and the predominance of often light breezes that make the job quite complex even for expert crews, so that the overall victory is open to anyone, regardless of the size of the boats.
The first decision comes after the start while approaching Cape Posillipo: is it better to stay closer to the shore and benefit from the coastal night breeze (but be careful of the shallow waters of Gaiola!) or sail in open sea? But it’s quickly on to the next; there is no time to enjoy; Miseno is close by, a high mythological cape often sheltering the wind. Dawn is breaking now, and a few miles ahead, we have a new tactical option as we need to set the course to Ponza: how far should we stay from Ischia with its almighty mount Epomeo? Once Ischia is behind us, it is time for the tacticians to rest: the course towards Ponza is often pleasant navigation in the predominant western winds.
Ponza is littered with little traps; I’m not referring so much to the shallow waters between the islands of Ponza and Zannone, but more to a long series of edges close to the shore during the course to cape La Guardia.
Be careful not to take your eye off of your adversaries who might be benefitting from more sustained winds further out in the open sea.
After having passed the lighthouse overhanging the rocks, we have to face the long course back to cape La Campanella: during the sixty miles to the southern edge of the Bay of Naples, the sun and its western breezes will be progressively replaced by the dark with coastal thermal winds, and Mount Epomeo is here again! While the concern for its shelter usually brings the fleet far away to the south, Capri is a few miles ahead. Usually, yachts tend to sail 2-3 miles north to the Island, but there is no time to rest: the last fifteen miles are scattered with the most complicated choices! Entering the Bay of Salerno, the breeze is always different from the Bay of Naples; therefore, the course to Li Galli islets dictates another option between the coastal winds (or the calms?) and the apparently safer course far out. The route back to Capri presents the same dilemma, and the last few miles around the Island are full of new pitfalls. Coming from the east, we need to round Capri on starboard till the finishing line, and at least one wind-sheltered side is waiting for us! After the magnificent Faraglioni, it is anyone’s guess: it is up to your instinct to seize the opportunity to win (or lose?) this unique regatta.
Line Honours for Giovanni Soldini's Maserati trimaran (tregolfisailingweek.com)