Four Wallys on the starting line
Among the best-known yachts in the fleet were “Perseus”, “Mari-Cha III”, “Windrose of Amsterdam”, “Galma” and “Almyra II”. A particular highlight was the presence of no fewer than four Wallys – “Galma”, “Barong D”, “Vantanera” and “Wally B” – one of the Italian brand’s strongest line-ups at a Mediterranean regatta this season. The largest yacht in the fleet was the 49.8-metre ketch “Perseus” by Perini Navi.
Light winds at the Cyclades Cup
The first day of racing did not go to plan: although the race committee had forecast a west-north-westerly wind of 8 to 12 knots and the fleet had been split into two courses, the wind dropped significantly as the race progressed. Consequently, the decision was taken to abandon the race, as a large wind hole had brought the rear of the fleet to a standstill and a fair scoring would not have been possible.
Short courses, intense duels
On the second day of racing, following a delay in the morning, the fleet set off shortly after 1 pm on a shortened course. Despite light wind conditions, the race produced intense tactical battles, as the short legs required numerous manoeuvres and tacks. ‘Perseus’ came out on top in the Apollo class, ‘Nostromo’ won in the Cyclades class, ‘Barong D’ took the win in the Meltemi class, ‘Windrose of Amsterdam’ triumphed in the Nireas class and ‘Aiolos’ won in the Skyphian class.
At last, the Meltemi!
The final day of racing finally brought classic Aegean conditions: with a northerly wind of 15 to 25 knots, significantly longer courses of 23 and 27 nautical miles respectively were sailed. ‘Almyra II’ secured the day’s victory in the Apollo class ahead of ‘Perseus’ and ‘Fivea’, whilst ‘Nommo’ held the upper hand over ‘Nostromo’ in the Cyclades class. The closest race of the day came in the Meltemi class: ‘Barong D’ beat ‘Mari-Cha III’ by just 1 minute and 28 seconds on corrected time, followed by ‘Galma’ less than two minutes behind. In Nireas, “La Belle” won ahead of “Windrose of Amsterdam”, and in Skyphian, “Aiolos” prevailed ahead of “Sentinel” and “Cool Turabi” – with just three minutes separating the top four yachts.
“Barong D” clinches the “Head of the Fleet” trophy
At the closing ceremony, the 33.51-metre-long “Barong D” was crowned the overall winner of the regatta. The Wally had triumphed in both scored races in the Meltemi class, thereby securing the regatta’s top honour through consistent performance. Alongside the sporting programme, the event offered an extensive supporting programme featuring beach barbecues, cultural tours and exclusive dinner evenings – thereby confirming its reputation as one of the social and sporting highlights of the superyacht regatta season in the Mediterranean.
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT
