Winner of the IMA’s 2018-19 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge (MMOC) was Miguel Galuccio’s Vera. As usual this series kicked-off with the 2018 Rolex Middle Sea Race and continued on into 2019 with May’s Regata dei Tre Golfi (the offshore feeder race to Rolex Capri Sailing Week), the 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar from Livorno to Punta Ala via the Giraglia Rock, culminating in the offshore race of Rolex Giraglia and Palermo-Montecarlo in August.
London, UK - 10 October 2019 - Winner of the IMA’s 2018-19 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge (MMOC) was Miguel Galuccio’s Vera. As usual this series kicked-off with the 2018 Rolex Middle Sea Race and continued on into 2019 with May’s Regata dei Tre Golfi (the offshore feeder race to Rolex Capri Sailing Week), the 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar from Livorno to Punta Ala via the Giraglia Rock, culminating in the offshore race of Rolex Giraglia and Palermo-Montecarlo in August.
A Reichel/Pugh-designed and Cookson-built Nauta 84, Vera began life as Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s My Song, but was acquired by her present London-based Argentinean owner three years ago. Although relatively new to sailing, Galuccio has surrounded himself with an excellent team and has taken some smart steps to fast track his knowledge, including gaining experience in smaller race boats such as the Melges 32.
This season Vera has proved exceptional offshore. During the 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar she repeated her previous owner’s success from 2016, winning overall under IRC but did so in an elapsed time of just 15 hours 10 minutes compared to My Song’s 17 hours 57 minutes. She followed this up with a disappointing Rolex Giraglia, due to a park-up off Monaco, but set this right by claiming both line and IRC corrected honours in the Palermo-Montecarlo.
If the MMIC was close, the MMOC was closer still with Vera finishing tied on points with George David’s Rambler 88, but winning on countback. Third place went to Marietta Strasoldo's Swan 651 Lunz am Meer.
While integral to Vera’s success and Galuccio’s development have been his regular tactician, Italian former Laser Olympian Michele Regolo, Vera’s success offshore owes much to Volvo Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking. “There are people in this team who are very young and who will be very good,” said Galuccio, who enjoys watching his crew cohese and develop as a team. “Michele is super bright and his starts are like he is on a Laser. Bouwe has been instrumental to putting the processes in place and he has worked very well with the Italians. He also brought in Aksel [Magdhal] in to navigate.”
Vera was also in the running for MMIC until a broken rudder at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup curtailed this, still leaving her finishing a respectible third overall behind Wallyño and Lorina 1895. Galuccio admits he prefers racing offshore: “I love the offshore because it is more diverse, there is more wind and much more strategy. And in strong wind when you are on watch you get to see people like Bouwe and Michele driving – they don’t drive the inshore.”
The IMA’s Mediterranean Maxi Inshore and Offshore Challenges will continue with the same events and format in 2020, but the MMOC beginning with next week's Rolex Middle Sea Race starting on 19th October.
For more information on the International Maxi Association visit www.internationalmaxiassociation.com
excerpt from James Boyd / International Maxi Association
Photography © Carlo Borlenghi
@imamaxi