Maxi-EM: To Naples in record time - "Galateia" crosses the finish line ahead of "Magic Carpet E"

It took the crew on "Galateia" just 13 hours, 19 minutes and 42 seconds to secure line honours in the Italian 150-nautical mile classic Tre Golfi. In doing so, the team on the Wallycento improved the previous record of 15 hours, 30 minutes and 1 second set by Sir Peter Odgen's "Jethou" in 2023 by more than two hours at the 70th edition of the popular long-distance race. Lindsey Owen-Jones' new "Magic Carpet E" reached the finish line around 25 minutes after "Galateia".

Kick-off to the Maxi-EM: the Tre Golfi Regatta

In the Tre Golfi long-distance race, 130 boats in maxi, ORC and multihull fleets competed in crisp winds of mostly 20 to 25 knots. The Tre Golfi regatta is part of the ORC European Championship (final), the IMA Maxi European Championship (opener), the Multihull Trophy (opener) and the heart of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week.

Bavarian sailing professional Markus Wieser is one of the drivers on "Galateia" as part of the Maxi European Championship, which has just opened with the long-distance race through the three gulfs ("Tre Golfi") of Naples, Gaeta and Salerno. In the New Zealand-influenced "Galateia" crew around skipper Kelvin Harrap, Markus Wieser forms the afterguard on the successful Wallycento of David Leuschen and Chris Flowers alongside six-time America's Cup winner Murray Jones.

"Galateia" reached top speeds of up to 28 knots. "These Wallys have nothing to do with the ones we used to have. They are real 100-foot racing machines. The winches are brutally fast. The 1000-square-metre gennaker can be hoisted below deck in five seconds. The jibes are like on a TP52," said Markus Wieser after the exhilarating overnight record run.

Three Maxi-72 rockets calculated at the front

However, "Galateia" and "Magic Carpet E" initially had to settle for fifth and tenth place in the sensational IMA Maxi European Championship opener along the islands of Ischia, Ponza, Capri and Li Galli. Three Maxi 72 rockets secured podium places in the Maxi classification at their European Championship opener.

Fauth Hap's "Bella Mente" won ahead of Peter Harrison's "Jolt" and Peter Duben's "North Star of London". "Bella Mente" finished the race a good six minutes after "Magic Carpet E". Click here for the maxi results with sailed and calculated times for the long distance. And here it goes to the Intermediate results at the IMA Maxi European Championships after the opening long distance.

The record-breaking edition of the Tre Golfi regatta was not spared any setbacks, however: Alessandro Del Bono's "Capricorno", for which double Olympic champion Torben Grael from Brazil was responsible for the tactics, retired with a damaged headsail. Alberto Leghissa's "Anywave-Safilens" had problems with the foot of the mast. And IMA President Benoît de Froidmont's "Walliño" ran aground on a rock near Ponza. Crew members were not injured, however.

Final of the ORC Mediterranean Championship

While the Tre Golfi long-distance race with its European Championship port in Sorrento's Marina Piccola only marked the start of the European Championship for the maxis until 22 May, it was already the conclusion of the ORC Mediterranean Championship. The overall podium of the ORC Mediterranean gulf was shared by the victorious Italian Italia 11.98 "To Be" of Stefano Rusconi, Jean-Pierre Joly's second-placed GP 42 "Confluence" and Massimo De Campo's ClubSwan 42 "Selene - Alifax" (Italy).

Sascha Schröder's Neo 430 "Neomind" from the Seglerhaus am Wannsee club was the only German participant to sail to 13th place. Click here for the results of the ORC Mediterranean Championship. The Tre Golfi Multihull Trophy, for which four multihulls are competing, is also running in parallel to the IMA Maxi European Championship, which is currently underway in Italy. The Gunboat 66 "Gaetana" was in the lead after the long distance. Four days of short races will follow from Monday - just like for the participants in the IMA Maxi European Championship.