After three days of thrilling inshore racing on the Côte d’Azur, nestled in the gorgeous South of France yacht charter location, the focus at the 2015 Giraglia Rolex Cup now turns to today’s 243-nm offshore race start. Running from Saint-Tropez to Genoa, the offshore race represents the oldest race in the Mediterranean. This year, it is expected to host a record fleet of almost 250 yachts, surpassing the total number of 220 yachts in 2010. The breath-taking fleet will include yachts from over 20 countries, measuring up to 100 feet in length.

Teamwork at the bow of ESIMIT EUROPA 2 Yacht – Photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Igor Simčič’s 100-ft Maxi yacht Esimit Europa 2 is undoubtedly the favourite for line honours in this year’s offshore race, although the current weather forecast suggests the record Esimit herself set in 2012 of 14 hours, 56 minutes will not be threatened.

Esimit Europa 2’s main rivals will include a host of highly competitive Maxi 72s, including sailing yacht Caol Ila R, Jethou yacht, as well as sailing yacht Robertissima III (ex Ran 2).

Sailing yacht CAOL ILA R during the second inshore race – Photo by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Caol Ila R yacht was a star performer in the inshore series, although the crew are cautious about their chances for the offshore race. “I don’t think it’s going to be a record breaking race,” confirmed afterguard Gordon Maguire. “The forecast has been consistently showing light weather. This area of the Mediterranean is classically unpredictable. We are preparing for a light to moderate race. The computer is currently predicting a 28-hour race.”

The Giraglia Rolex Cup 2015 offshore race start is scheduled for approximately 12:00 CEST today.