S.R.: LPG 2026 73° Giraglia - Day 5: La LUNGA!!! + Update included
S.R.: LPG 2026 73° Giraglia - Day 5: La LUNGA!!! + Update included
Last update: 2026Jun18 – 07:30 UTC
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| Starting line with the megayacht is covering the view from the shore - copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri |
Giraglia Update (1): new entries, wild cards, and the shape of the fleet
The inshore is over. The numbers have been crunched, the ratings have been weighed, and the lessons have been learned. Now it's time to point the bow towards Giraglia and see who has the nerve to match the navigation.
The wind will shift, the breeze will drop, and the night will test every crew. Some will read the sky better. Some will hold their course when others chase shadows. And when the sun comes up over the Ligurian coast, we'll know who chose the right side of the channel.
This is not a coastal race. This is the long one. There are no second chances, no discards, no comeback races tomorrow. You either make the right call when it matters, or you spend the rest of the day watching the boats that did.
So here's what the data tells us — and what the wind might have in store.
Wild cards: the new entries to watch
| Class | Boat | Rating | Why dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maxi A | MAGIC CARPET E (GBR1001R) – Verdier 100 | 1.944 | Highest rating in the fleet. Flies in wind >12 kts, parks if it drops. Extreme wild card. |
| Maxi A | BIANCA II (ITA-80001) – Grand Soleil 80 | 1.389 | Much lower rating than V or Galateia. In light air, she's the one to beat. |
| Maxi A | ARCA SGR (AUS-10) – Don Jones 100 | 1.901 | Same as Magic Carpet: flies in wind, suffers in calms. |
| Maxi A | STAR SAPPHIRE (57) – Giles/Beltrami | 1.066 | Lowest rating, but a 1957 design. Could surprise in light air, but not a win contender. |
| IRC 2 | FASTNET (ITA-17378) – Sun Fast 3600 | 1.021 | Light boat, low rating. Can slip into the top 5 if the breeze drops. |
| ORC 1 | SHANTI (ITA-18091) – Solaris 58 (ORC_0) | 1.3724 | Higher rating than Thetis. A podium threat if wind rises above 10 knots. |
| ORC 1 | BLACK PEKOE 3 (ITA-18195) – Grand Soleil 52 | 1.3196 | Same as Shanti. Wild card for the podium. |
Class by class: favourites, chasers, wild cards
Maxi A
Favourite: V (CAY-111) – Wally Cento, rating 1.798, 16 pts (3,5,1,1,6). Won the inshore series. Needs wind above 10 knots to convert her rating.
Chasers: JETHOU (rating 1.657, 18 pts), MY SONG (rating 1.700, 20 pts).
Wild cards: BIANCA II (light air specialist), MAGIC CARPET E and ARCA SGR (wind seekers).
Maxi B
Favourite: ATALANTA II (ITA-204) – Farr/Felci 70, rating 1.396, 5 pts (1,1,1,1,1). Perfect. Untouchable.
Chasers: CIPPA LIPPA X (14 pts), WALLYNO (16 pts).
Wild card: FINCANTIERI – VOR 60. Only one race, but a promising second place.
IRC 1
Favourite: DJANGO WR (GBR-51X) – Wallyrocket 51, rating 1.410, 6 pts (1,2,1,2). Beat Lorina on corrected time.
Chasers: SPIRIT OF LORINA (rating 1.398, 10 pts), LISA R (rating 1.293, 21 pts).
Note: Lorina has the lower rating. In light air, she becomes the favourite.
IRC 2
Favourite: FLYING DOLPHIN (NED-7935) – Dufour 40, rating 1.034, 7 pts (1,4,1,1). Consistent, low rating.
Chasers: INVICTUS (13 pts), SELMA RACING (22 pts).
Wild card: FASTNET – Sun Fast 3600, rating 1.021. Light boat, low rating. Top 5 potential.
ORC 1
Favourite: THETIS (ITA-2945) – Swan 45, rating 1.2686, 8 pts (3,1,3,1). Experienced, consistent.
Chasers: CRABX (rating 1.2137, 11 pts), L'IMMENS (rating 1.1460, 21 pts).
Wild cards: SHANTI and BLACK PEKOE 3 – both with higher ratings. Podium threats if the wind rises above 10 knots.
ORC 2
Favourites: FREMITO D'ARJA (ITA-109) – J-109, rating 1.1058, 9 pts (1,1,6,1) and CHESTRESS (ITA-14339) – J-109, rating 1.1029, 9 pts (2,2,3,2). Two J-109s, separated by a tie-break.
Chaser: SALVORA (15 pts).
Now it's down to the sea, the sky, and the choices made in the dark. May the breeze hold, and the ratings be kind.
Long Race Update (2): The start, the 82-metre obstacle, and the first moves
The start of the long race was, to put it mildly, visually questionable. The committee chose to position the line in the only spot in the bay where only the public in St. Maxime could see anything – and after announcing the offset mark, they removed it. Result: the fleets started on a tight beat, exiting the bay with no room for manoeuvre.
To complicate matters, a private 82-metre yacht – parked exactly on the left side of the line – hid the start from most of the fleet and from all the spectators on shore. The distance from the coast for this floating object of questionable aesthetic interest was well over half a mile.
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| La linea di partenza con l'82-metri che nasconde la visuale |
On the tactical side, ARCA SGR read the situation immediately: she started with a port tack to gain the right side of the course. Most of the fleet, with MY SONG leading the way, continued on starboard tack. A choice that, looking at the early leaderboard, paid off for ARCA SGR and those who followed her line.
Giraglia Update (2): The fleet stretches, ARCA SGR leads
Two hours into the race, the Line Honours leaderboard already has a surprise. ARCA SGR (AUS-10) is leading at 8.8 knots, followed by MAGIC CARPET E (8.5) and PROTEUS (8.5).
MY SONG is fourth at 8.4 knots, with an estimated arrival at 12:31 UTC on 18 June. ATALANTA II, the inshore dominator, is ninth at 7.3 knots – perhaps playing a different strategy, or the 1.396 rating in SW 8 is weighing more than expected.
FINCANTIERI – seventh at 7.7 knots – is confirming the good feelings from her debut. DJANGO WR and SPIRIT OF LORINA are paired at 7.7 and 7.6 knots: the duel is already on.
The wild cards we flagged earlier (ARCA SGR, MAGIC CARPET E, PROTEUS) are already making their presence felt. The fleet is stretching, and the night will decide.
Note: V and Jethou are not racing. Leopard 3 retired at the start due to mechanical issues.
What happens next: Sanremo, the South wind, and the lottery of the night
As the fleet approaches Sanremo, the wind will drop. The transition from SW to South is already starting. The leaders, currently on the edge of the breeze at 7-8 knots, will feel the pressure fade.
By midnight (22:00 UTC), the wind will be South and falling. From that latitude, it's no longer tactics – it's luck. The fleet will stretch out: those who find a puff will gain miles, those who stop will lose hours.
At the Giraglia, the local high-pressure cell will rotate the wind depending on distance from its centre. The first boats to arrive may find the worst hole. The ones that come later might catch a passing breeze.
Then, the descent to Genoa. If the night thermal from the North activates, it will be a slow crawl. The boats that stayed on the edge of the pressure – outside the high-pressure centre – will reach the Tuscan-Ligurian coast with an advantage. The rest will wait for dawn.
From Sanremo onwards, it's no longer about strategy. It's about luck, persistence, and the ability to find a puff when everyone else is parked. The night will decide.
From Giraglia to Genoa: the North wind changes everything
After rounding the Giraglia, the wind shifts to North, with difficult gusts between 5 and 10 knots. The descent to Genoa becomes a tight beat or a cross, not the light downwind we expected.
This changes the picture entirely. Light boats with low ratings – J/109, X-35, Wallyrocket, Swan 42/45 – can recover in a North wind beat. The maxis with high ratings (ARCA SGR, MAGIC CARPET E, PROTEUS) may see their lead shrink.
If the leaders reach the Giraglia first but then face a North beat, the boats that played the rating game could come back. The final miles will be decided by who handles the transition best and who has the freshest crew for a tight beat to Genoa.
The race is long, but the first hours have already told a story. Now it's about the night, the shifts, and who can stay on the edge of the breeze.
Giraglia Update (3): the fleet stretches, the ratings speak
(Aggiornato il 18 giugno 2026, 05:00 UTC)
Eolo, god of the wind, is not torturing the fleet on the climb towards the Maritime Republic. So far, everyone has chosen a direct approach.
Our forecast for the leaders has proven correct: those who held the edge of the breeze made it cleanly around the rock, while those who lost it had to fight their way to the mark. The night made its selection, as we anticipated.
No one has yet chosen a course under the Tuscan coast (which would make sense to shorten the distance). The closest to the Corsican coast so far is SEARCHER. CIPPA LIPPA X is the one that drifted furthest east of the Giraglia before finding her course again. AEGIR and FINCANTIERI are currently the most easterly of the fleet.
The delay in social posts is due to travel and the utterly useless one-hour traffic queue to get out of the village of Saint-Tropez.
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| La flotta in risalita verso la Giraglia |
Wind update: now and next
At the moment (05:00 UTC), a SSW breeze is blowing, below or just above 5 knots.
If the leaders manage to stay in the pressure, they may be able to use one last puff of wind in the Gulf, about 10 miles from the coast.
For the rest of the fleet, from 12:00 UTC (14:00 local) the thermal breeze should establish itself, starting to fill from the W. By 15:00 UTC (17:00 local), competitors will face a more northerly wind direction.
It will be interesting to see if, from 15:00 UTC, anyone tries to catch the "Spezia wind" – the breeze that comes down from La Spezia – significantly stronger at 9-10 knots, but from the NW. The hope is to gain precious positions in the final miles to Genoa, but it will depend on VMG – and on a tired crew's ability to handle a change in trim and heading.
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| Previsione vento: la transizione da SW a South |
Overall standings – by DTG
Legenda: DTG = Distance To Go (nautical miles remaining to Genoa). Lower is better. Times are UTC.
| Pos | Boat | DTG (NM) | Speed (kn) | VMG (kn) | Giraglia (UTC) | Delta | ETA (UTC) | Rating | ETA Comp (UTC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAGIC CARPET E | 179 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 17/06 21:39 | — | 18/06 07:37 | 1.944 | 19/06 04:32 |
| 2 | ARCA SGR | 175 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 17/06 21:45 | +6' | 18/06 07:43 | 1.901 | 19/06 04:56 |
| 3 | MY SONG | 166 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 17/06 22:08 | +29' | 18/06 08:43 | 1.700 | 18/06 23:23 |
| 4 | PROTEUS | 159 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 17/06 22:14 | +35' | 18/06 09:32 | 1.634 | 18/06 22:14 |
| 5 | CAPRICORNO | 155 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 17/06 22:24 | +45' | 18/06 10:36 | 1.710 | 19/06 01:01 |
| 6 | ROCKETNIKKA | 140 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 18/06 01:02 | +3h23' | 18/06 12:38 | 1.407 | 18/06 20:38 |
| 7 | SPIRIT OF LORINA | 140 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 18/06 01:04 | +3h25' | 18/06 12:36 | 1.398 | 18/06 20:20 |
| 8 | DAGUET 5 | 142 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 17/06 22:25 | +46' | 18/06 12:47 | 1.450 | 18/06 20:44 |
| 9 | DJANGO WR | 141 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 18/06 01:15 | +3h36' | 18/06 12:47 | 1.410 | 18/06 21:05 |
| 10 | CIPPA LIPPA X | 140 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 18/06 01:12 | +3h33' | 18/06 13:01 | 1.426 | 18/06 22:03 |
| 11 | ARKAS BLUE MOON | 136 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 18/06 01:36 | +3h57' | 18/06 13:10 | 1.399 | 18/06 21:49 |
| 12 | AEGIR | 137 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 18/06 02:16 | +4h37' | 18/06 13:59 | 1.486 | 19/06 03:22 |
| 13 | AROBAS 2 | 132 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 18/06 02:34 | +4h55' | 18/06 14:33 | 1.391 | 18/06 22:44 |
| 14 | FINCANTIERI | 136 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 18/06 04:00 | +6h21' | 18/06 13:37 | 1.456 | 19/06 01:04 |
| 15 | ATALANTA II | 135 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 18/06 04:03 | +6h24' | 18/06 13:57 | 1.396 | 18/06 22:22 |
| 16 | TEAM GUENIFEY | 129 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 18/06 02:50 | +5h11' | 18/06 15:02 | 1.388 | 18/06 23:00 |
| 17 | CARBONITA | 129 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 18/06 03:23 | +5h44' | 18/06 15:18 | 1.420 | 19/06 00:52 |
| 18 | LISA R | 126 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 18/06 03:30 | +5h51' | 18/06 15:22 | 1.293 | 18/06 20:15 |
| 19 | BIANCA II | 125 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 18/06 04:11 | +6h32' | 18/06 15:47 | 1.389 | 18/06 23:56 |
| 20 | WALLYNO | 124 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 18/06 04:12 | +6h33' | 18/06 16:01 | 1.314 | 18/06 21:45 |
Maxi A
| Pos | Boat | DTG | Speed | Giraglia (UTC) | Delta | ETA | Rating | ETA Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MAGIC CARPET E | 179 | 9.5 | 17/06 21:39 | — | 18/06 07:37 | 1.944 | 19/06 04:32 |
| 2 | ARCA SGR | 175 | 9.5 | 17/06 21:45 | +6' | 18/06 07:43 | 1.901 | 19/06 04:56 |
| 3 | MY SONG | 166 | 9.0 | 17/06 22:08 | +29' | 18/06 08:43 | 1.700 | 18/06 23:23 |
| 4 | PROTEUS | 159 | 8.7 | 17/06 22:14 | +35' | 18/06 09:32 | 1.634 | 18/06 22:14 |
| 5 | CAPRICORNO | 155 | 8.3 | 17/06 22:24 | +45' | 18/06 10:36 | 1.710 | 19/06 01:01 |
| 6 | BIANCA II | 125 | 6.9 | 18/06 04:11 | +6h32' | 18/06 15:47 | 1.389 | 18/06 23:56 |
Maxi B
| Pos | Boat | DTG | Speed | Giraglia (UTC) | Delta | ETA | Rating | ETA Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIPPA LIPPA X | 140 | 7.6 | 18/06 01:12 | — | 18/06 13:01 | 1.426 | 18/06 22:03 |
| 2 | ARKAS BLUE MOON | 136 | 7.6 | 18/06 01:36 | +24' | 18/06 13:10 | 1.399 | 18/06 21:49 |
| 3 | AEGIR | 137 | 7.3 | 18/06 02:16 | +1h04' | 18/06 13:59 | 1.486 | 19/06 03:22 |
| 4 | FINCANTIERI | 136 | 7.4 | 18/06 04:00 | +2h48' | 18/06 13:37 | 1.456 | 19/06 01:04 |
| 5 | ATALANTA II | 135 | 7.3 | 18/06 04:03 | +2h51' | 18/06 13:57 | 1.396 | 18/06 22:22 |
| 6 | WALLYNO | 124 | 6.8 | 18/06 04:12 | +3h00' | 18/06 16:01 | 1.314 | 18/06 21:45 |
IRC 1
| Pos | Boat | DTG | Speed | Giraglia (UTC) | Delta | ETA | Rating | ETA Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DAGUET 5 | 142 | 7.7 | 17/06 22:25 | — | 18/06 12:47 | 1.450 | 18/06 20:44 |
| 2 | SPIRIT OF LORINA | 140 | 7.8 | 18/06 01:04 | +2h39' | 18/06 12:36 | 1.398 | 18/06 20:20 |
| 3 | ROCKETNIKKA | 140 | 7.7 | 18/06 01:02 | +2h37' | 18/06 12:38 | 1.407 | 18/06 20:38 |
| 4 | DJANGO WR | 141 | 7.7 | 18/06 01:15 | +2h50' | 18/06 12:47 | 1.410 | 18/06 21:05 |
| 5 | TEAM GUENIFEY | 129 | 7.1 | 18/06 02:50 | +4h25' | 18/06 15:02 | 1.388 | 18/06 23:00 |
IRC 2
| Pos | Boat | DTG | Speed | Giraglia (UTC) | Delta | ETA | Rating | ETA Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AROBAS 2 | 132 | 7.2 | 18/06 02:34 | — | 18/06 14:33 | 1.391 | 18/06 22:44 |
| 2 | LISA R | 126 | 7.0 | 18/06 03:30 | +56' | 18/06 15:22 | 1.293 | 18/06 20:15 |
ORC 1
| Pos | Boat | DTG | Speed | Giraglia (UTC) | Delta | ETA | Rating | ETA Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ELO II | 106 | 6.0 | — | — | 18/06 22:30 | 1.2455 | 19/06 04:30 |
ORC 2
| Pos | Boat | DTG | Speed | Giraglia (UTC) | Delta | ETA | Rating | ETA Comp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHESTRESS | 94 | 5.3 | — | — | 19/06 02:44 | 1.1029 | 19/06 06:55 |
| 2 | FREMITO D'ARJA | 94 | 5.3 | — | — | 19/06 03:06 | 1.1058 | 19/06 07:19 |
| 3 | SALVORA | 92 | 5.3 | — | — | 19/06 03:01 | 1.1028 | 19/06 06:55 |
The race is not over. The North wind awaits, and the final miles to Genoa will be a tight beat. The Giraglia has spoken, but Genoa will have the last word.
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