At exactly 11:55 on Wednesday, the starting procedures kicked off on the line off Saint-Tropez, sending the fleet toward the Giraglia rock. A total of 97 yachts are now racing along the 241-nautical-mile course that will take them around the Corsican islet and on to the finish line in Genoa.
This morning, all attention was on expected elapsed times for the offshore leg, which this year is shaping up to be a slow and strategically complex edition. The start proceeded smoothly for all, with the Maxi yachts setting off first, followed by the two other groups. Conditions were favorable at the gun: 10–12 knots of breeze and flat seas, powered by a thermal wind that, however, is not expected to last. Once the fleet moves away from the coast, the wind is forecast to drop due to a persistent high-pressure system over the northern Tyrrhenian Sea—making this edition as slow as it is tactical.
To ease navigation, the Race Committee announced a course shortening yesterday, trimming approximately 30 nautical miles from the total distance. As a result, right after crossing the line, the fleet headed straight toward the Giraglia without the usual mandatory passage through the Îles du Levant.
For the 100-foot Maxis, arrival times in Genoa estimated this morning range from 30 to 39 hours, while smaller boats are facing potential race durations exceeding 60 hours. As Giraglia statistics show, after three particularly windy editions, a light-air race was bound to come. A familiar scenario for seasoned offshore sailors.
All information is available on the official event website:
loropianagiraglia.com
@yachtclubitaliano
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