The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup’s 52-strong fleet was meant to race through the La Maddalena archipelago yesterday but failed to even reach the starting line after strong mistral winds prevented the boats from leaving Porto Cervo. Read on for more details: The following is a press release from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Porto Cervo, Italy. 5th September 2016. Proceedings in a record edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will get underway tomorrow as strong mistral winds prevented the 52-boat fleet from leaving the docks in Porto Cervo today. Racing in the event, which also plays host to the Rolex Maxi 72 World Championship, is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) in collaboration with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and will continue through Saturday 10th September.

After a long wait ashore while support boats monitored wind and sea conditions at various points throughout the La Maddalena archipelago – home to the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s renowned regatta course – teams were forced in the early afternoon to give up all hopes of getting down to business today.

Edoardo Recchi, YCCS Sports Director, commented on the conditions: “The forecasts indicated that the wind would drop off in the afternoon. The Race Committee waited at sea until 2.30 p.m. but the Mistral wind never fell below 28 knots, with gusts of 32 to 34. The Race Committee then decided to cancel today’s races. Tomorrow the forecast is for northerly winds of 15 to 20 knots and we have windward-leeward races in programme for the Maxi 72 and Wally divisions while the other divisions will complete a coastal course. The northerly breeze will leave the sea a lot more choppy than what we normally have with our usual mistral winds.”

The fleet of sailing giants is scheduled to be back on the starting line tomorrow morning for a first warning signal at 11.30 a.m.