Bailli de Suffren 2016
- June 24, 2016
Henri Christian Schroeder and Christian Benoit, founders of the Mare Nostrum Racing Club, created the Bailli de Suffren 15 years ago as “The Mediterranean’s most beautiful yacht race”. Under the support of Analia, Lelantina, Moonbeam III, Orion, Owl, Susanna II, Veronica, Volterra. The race hosts come off the Mediterranean’s most beautiful classic yachts.
Leg one races from Saint-Tropez, France, one of the Mediterranean most picturesque ports to Proto Rotondo, Sardinia, a stunning port in the North East of Sardinia. Famed as a place to be seen in the summer, and lined with beautiful classic yachts in it’s almost perfectly circular marina bay. The leg is 193 Nautical miles competing for The Quattro Mori Cup, the Cup of the Four Moors, named after Sardinia’s flag. Set in 2013, yacht Atlantic maintains the current record of 22 hours 24 minutes and 30 seconds for this leg.
From Porto Rotondo leg two heads for Palermo, Sicily, a 252 nautical mile trip across the Tyrrhenian Sea competing for the La Coppa dei Gattopardi, The Leopards Cup. A strategic leg that isn’t as simple as heading South East to Palermo, this leg could be won or lost in the last few miles into Palermo. Mariska holds the record for this leg, set in 2013, taking a swift 1 day 15 hours 40 minutes and 40 seconds.
A departure from Palerno on leg three takes a 233 nautical mile passage round the west of Sicily for 90 nautical miles to then turn South East and head 120 nautical miles towards Malta and Grand Harbour competing for La Coppa dei Corsari, The Corsairs Cup. Also known as the Port of Valletta, Grand Harbour is one of the oldest ports in the Mediterranean having been in existence since the Phoenician times, approximately 1500BC – 539BC. Mariska holds the record for leg three at 1 day 4 hours 47 minutes and 18 seconds.
The three legs will decide who wins The Sword of Honor of Admiral Satan, named after the 18th century French Admiral, Pierre André de Suffren de Saint-Tropez, nicknamed “Admiral Satan” by the British at the time. He is often spoken about and considered the French equivalent of Brittan’s Viscount Horatio Nelson.
The patron yachts of the race will be lining up on the 22nd of June at 10:00 (UTC) for their 15th straight race.
To follow the action on follow this link to the YB Tracking Race Viewer
To find out more about the race follow this link
