ARRIVAL DAY AFTER RAMBLER'S LINE HONOURS

As expected, Rambler 88 took line honours with the American owner George David and the helmsman and tactician Brad Butterworth. In the twelfth edition of the Palermo-Montecarlo Regatta, an off shore race of 500 miles. The entry list included 57 boats from 11 different countries, representing Italy, USA, France, Monaco, Germany, Spain, UK, Malta, Turkey, Russia and Hungary. Also 6 Maxi yachts took part in the race as a consequence of the inclusion of the Palermo-Montecarlo Regatta in the IMA (International Maxi Association) calendar, which includes also the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Volcano Race and the Giraglia Rolex Cup.
The Palermo-Montecarlo Regatta departed Sunday morning at noon from the Gulf of Mondello, under the organization of both Circolo della Vela Sicilia and the Yacht Club de Monaco, in collaboration with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

As sometimes happens during long distances, there was a double course: while Rambler in particular run into a light wind for most of the race course, the majority of the fleet bumped into a strong north-east wind during the second night of the navigation. The wind in this case, reached a peak of nearly 30 knots on the way to Porto Cervo, where they had to cross the gate. The wind was so strong that some crews had some parts of the equipment broken. This has caused more than 10 retirements: Ville de Genève/FRA was laying in the third position, when it had to face up some difficulties with the mast; Extra 1 with Massimo Barranco and Matteo Ivaldi had to pull out from the competition because of a damage of the mainsail (the boat was the winner of the Palermo-Montecarlo Regatta 2015).

Rambler 88 is definitely one of the fastest boats in the world: all-carbon, it is an hi-tech project, with canting keel, long dagger boards, a deep chine and a mast 41 metres tall. On board a crew composed of 20 champions of America’s Cup and Round the World Races.
The crew list included: George David (skipper), Brad Butterworth (helmsman and tactician), Brad Jackson (helmsman), Joca Signorini (helmsman), Rodney Ardern (mainsail trimmer), Andrew Cape (navigator), Silvio Arrivabene (navigator), Lorenzo Mazza (trimmer), Robbie Naismith (trimmer), Stu Wilson (trimmer), Curtis Blewett (bowman/pitman), Josh Belsky (pitman), Nathan Hislop (bowman), Jerry Kirby (bowman), Scott Beavis (bowman), Brian Giorgio (onboard Engineer), Dean Phipps (crew boss), Will McCarthy (Runner).

Satisfied the owner George David, who received the Trofeo Tasca d'Almerita for the overall winner. "This was a great race, I'm very happy for this victory - said George David at the arrival -. Despite a few moments with no wind, the race was pleasant, we had fun".
“The Palermo-Montecarlo had been exactly the race we expected to have – added Brad Butterworth –. In the Bocche di Bonifacio we reached our max speed, 26 knots”.

Currently most of the boats of the fleet are still on the way to approach Montecarlo.


SAIL N° NAME Start 21 at 1200 (Day) TIME
1 USA 25555 Rambler (23.08) 22 14’’ 11
2 HUN 7002 Wild Joe (24.08) 03 21’’ 09
3 GER 7007 Black Pearl (24.08) 09 52’’ 07
4 GBR 4945R Maverick Infinity 46 (24.08) 10 28’’ 05
5 ITA 16426 Buena Vista (24) 10.0840’’ 51


Prize-giving is on Friday 26th August at 7.30pm at the Yacht Club de Monaco.