S.R.: LPG2026 73° Giraglia - Day 2: The wind dances, ratings weep (and someone flies)
Day 2: The wind dances, ratings weep (and someone flies)
written by: Alexander Panzeri – assisted by Nostroma Analitica Digitale
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| Panning of DAGUET 5 (FRA-36000) - copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri |
Maxi A and B: endless wait, then cancellation
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| Traffic at the first mark- copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri |
The giants went out, waited, hoped. Around 15:00-15:15 the decision came: races cancelled due to inadequate conditions. A Day 2 to forget for them. Standings unchanged from Day 1: MY SONG (ITA-2311P) of Pier Luigi Loro Piana with Paul Cayard tactician leads Maxi A with 5 points, chased by LEOPARD 3 (MON-100) (6 points) and CAPRICORNO (ITA-30303) (8 points). In Maxi B, ATALANTA II (ITA-204) of Carlo Puri Negri left no doubt: two races, two wins. Perfect.
IRC 1: Wallyrocket flies, TP52 wins
Here everything happens. On paper, the two Wallyrocket 51s – DJANGO WR (GBR-51X) (rating 1.410) and KILARA II (SUI-5103) (1.411) – were the favourites. On the water, they crushed the TP52s. For the first time in Giraglia history? Perhaps.
The numbers tell this: in R2 (19 NM coastal course, start 12:44:00), DJANGO WR covered the course in 2 hours, 25 minutes and 17 seconds. SPIRIT OF LORINA (FRA-2030) – Jean-Pierre Barjon's TP52 (rating 1.398) – took 2h24'17". One minute less. Just one minute. KILARA II finished in 2h27'46" (+3'29"). The other TP52s? MUSICA (SUO-52111) lost 12 minutes, TEAM GUENIFEY - ALIZEE (FRA11152) 17'36", DAGUET 5 (FRA-36000) 15'13".
The Wallyrocket was the fastest on the water. Point.
But the scoreboard tells another story. SPIRIT OF LORINA won the race. Why? Rating. DJANGO WR has a higher coefficient (1.410 vs 1.398). In compensated time, a lower rating gives precious seconds. LORINA lost on the water (one minute) but won on points.
After two races: SPIRIT OF LORINA 3 points (2,1), DJANGO WR 3 points (1,2) – but LORINA wins the tiebreak. KILARA II third with 8 points. KUKA 4 (SUI-2211) – Franco Niggeler's MAT 1220 with Mitch Booth tactician – far behind, 21st.
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| ROSSKO Racer and an unknown orange lady- copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri |
Moral: you can be the fastest, but if rating doesn't help you, the podium remains a dream.
IRC 2: the classic holds, then yields
SKYLARK OF 1937 (21) – 88 years old, designed by Olin Stephens, rating 0.986 (lowest in class) – was second after Day 1. An old boat still waltzing with her granddaughters.
Then came R2. 13 NM, start 12:56:00. SKYLARK finished in 2h48'57", 9th on the day. In the standings, she slips to fifth.
SELMA RACING (FRA-9687) – Wiktor Kobryn's J/122 – wins the race in 2h20'37" and takes the lead with 4 points (3,1). FLYING DOLPHIN (NED-7935) (Dufour 40) is second with 5 points. INVICTUS (USA-1050) – American Nico Popp's JPK 10.50 – takes third.
The J/112s (rating 1.059) confirm their competitiveness: JEDI (KAZ-36) fourth, JENIS (KAZ-112) seventh.
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| SPIRIT OF LORINA (FRA-2030) TP-52 and the Wallyrocket DJANGO WR (GBR-51X) and KILARA II (SUI-5103) - copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri |
Moral: low rating helps while the wind is light. When the wind picks up, the moderns eat you.
ORC 1: THETIS undisputed queen
THETIS (ITA-2945) – Luca Locatelli's Swan 45 – wins the second race as well. 19 NM, start 12:44:00, finished in 3h12'52", over 14 minutes ahead of second. Standings: 4 points (3,1), solo lead.
The two XR-41s – CRABX (ITA-1777) of Roberto Bosio and DXARMA (TUR 4111) of Dmitry Gavrilov – dominated R1 (1st and 2nd). Today they struggle: 5th and 4th. They sit second and third on equal points, but already adrift.
ELO II (ITA-11970) – the YCI youth team prototype with Tommaso Chieffi – is seventh. Off the podium, but learning. And at the start of R2, she offered a sight to remember: perfect on the committee boat, above the entire fleet. Then the weather caught her, but the signal is clear.
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| SKYLARK OF 1937 (21) - copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri |
Moral: in ORC, when the wind dances, ratings aren't enough. You need experience. And THETIS has plenty.
ORC 2: the J-109s run away
Here there's no contest. FREMITO D'ARJA (ITA-109) (Marcello De Gaspari) and CHESTRESS (ITA-14339) (Leonardo Petti) – twin J-109s, ratings 1.1058 and 1.1029 – dominate. After two races, they are first and second with a gap.
In R2 (13 NM, start 12:56:00), FREMITO wins in 2h19'07", CHESTRESS second just 49 seconds behind. SALVORA (ESP-8466) – Gonzales Agudo's Salona 37 – moves to third (2h29'39") taking advantage of GIANBURRASCA (ITA-13944) dropping to sixth.
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| TEAM GUENIFEY - ALIZEE (FRA11152) at the second mark for the second lap - copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri |
Moral: when you have the right boats, the right rating, and you know how to sail them, the result is mathematics. The J-109s are writing a manual.
The big picture
After two days, the championship is still open. The maxis await their moment. The Wallyrockets proved they are the fastest, but the TP52s proved they are smarter (or better, luckier with rating). The J-109s are teaching a masterclass. The classics resist but yield.
Tomorrow, back on the water. The weather? Who knows. Charlie Flag is always lurking.
One thing is certain: Giraglia 2026 is already a spectacle.
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