Rolex Capri Sailing Week
- May 13, 2014
A captivating island located in the Gulf of Naples, Capri is a unique venue that has hosted the Rolex Capri Sailing week since 2005. The event is a yearly rendezvous for first-class yachts and sailors from all over the world. The traditional opener for Rolex’s Mediterranean yachting calendar celebrates its 10th edition from 19-24 May with an exceptional programme comprised of one week of inshore and coastal sailing off Capri and a testing offshore race.
Competing yachts will be divided into three different classes: Mini Maxi (18.29m to 24.08m), Maxi (24.09m-30.5m) and TP52 (15.85m). For the Maxi fleet, action on the water starts on 19 May at 10:00 CEST with the ‘Volcano Race’, a 250 - 300-nautical mile offshore race to the volcanic Aeolian Islands and back. The TP52 fleet will make its debut on 20th May with the first in a series of inshore and coastal races.
Organised by the International Maxi Association the event will comprise of separate courses for the Maxis and 52 Super Series over the first three days. While the 52s will be racing windward-leewards on the waters off Capri, the Maxis will be competing on the Volcano Race. Provided conditions allow, this will take the Maxis some 130 miles south to the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily, famous for their active volcanoes such as Stromboli, before returning to Capri. For the second half of Rolex Capri Sailing Week, the Maxis will join the 52 Super Series sailing windward-leewards.
As ever at Rolex Capri Sailing Week, a magnificent social program is being laid on, including a Rolex reception at the Grand Hotel Quisisana on Sunday, 18th May; the Rolex Owners' dinner on 22nd May and the ‘Canzone del Mare’ evening on Friday 23rd May.
21 crews from 11 countries have so far registered to take part including 12 Maxis and nine TP52s. All of the participating boats will have a YB tracker onboard which will transmit information every two minutes meaning that loved ones left on shore will be able to follow the race in almost real time as the race tracker is updated almost instantly once the tracker has obtained GPS position, speed and direction.
Photo Credit: Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo
