A punchy Mistral between 16 and 26 knots gave sailors sunshine and real pressure on day two of the 23rd Rolex Swan Cup, the kind of conditions that have made the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena Archipelago one of the world's favoured regatta destinations.
The ClubSwan 50 and ClubSwan 36 fleets completed three windward-leeward races apiece in what organisers described as challenging conditions. The ClubSwan 42, 43 and 28 classes got through their two scheduled races.
For everyone else, the Race Committee set two courses through the archipelago, one of 27 miles and a shorter 15.5-mile option. The Swan Maxi, Mini Maxi and Maxi Pure Cruising classes went clockwise around La Maddalena, leaving Barrettinelli di Fuori to starboard before hoisting gennakers along the eastern coasts of La Maddalena and Caprera, leaving Isola dei Monaci to starboard and finishing in the Passo delle Bisce. The Cruiser Racer, Legacy and Pure Cruising fleets sailed upwind into the Gulf of Arzachena, leaving the Secca di Tre Monti shoal to starboard before rounding a mark off Caprera, reaching to Isola dei Monaci, and turning for the finish in the Passo delle Bisce.
Freya, a Swan 90, took out the Swan Maxi division. Arobas (Swan 601) won the Mini-Maxi class, and Wavewalker (Swan 58) led the Cruiser Racer division. Among the Legacy classes, Shirlaf (Swan 65) topped the larger Sparkman & Stephens boats, Pride (Swan 44) won the smaller division, and Lunz am Meer (Swan 651) took the Classics by Frers category. Black Zero (Swan 51) won Pure Cruising, with Azzurro (Swan 78) taking Maxi Pure Cruising.
Further up the fleet, the One Design classes are tightening into genuine contests as the regatta progresses.
Earlybird leads the ClubSwan 50s on 6 points after a 1-1-4 scoreline, just ahead of Hatari on 10 and All in One on 14. Leonardo Ferragamo's Cuordileone won today's third race and sits fourth overall on 15 points.
Pez de Abril has been untouchable in the ClubSwan 42 class, winning both races today to lead on 2 points. Nadir sits second on 4, with Raving Swan third on 6.
Cuordileone also swept all three ClubSwan 36 races to lead on 3 points. Fra Martina, skippered by Edoardo Pavesio, is second on 6 points from three runner-up finishes, with Goddess third on 9 after a hat-trick of third places.
Black Swan holds the ClubSwan 28 lead on 5 points after a 1-2-2 scoreline. Anya Race, winner of today's second race, trails by two on 7, with Marcello third on 13.
Racing resumes tomorrow at 12 noon CEST, with lighter Mistral winds forecast. The One Design classes race windward-leewards again, while the rest of the fleet tackles a coastal course.
