The prestigious Russian Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg is preparing for the second stage of their 2012 campaign with the delivery of both their Swan 60 sailing yacht Bronenosec as well as race crew to Italy to take part in the Rolex Volcano Race 2012. Running for the second time this year, the event will be a race through history of sailing with participation of eleven different nations.
Swan 60 yacht Bronenosec competing in the Mapfre PalmaVela 2012 Credit: MartinezStudio.es
Starting on May 19th the Swan 60 sailing yacht Bronenosec, will take part in windward leeward in-shore racing with the Rolex Volcano fleet halfway between Rome and Naples which will require fixed boat handling skills acquired during training. The team will then commence leg one of the 400 nautical mile offshore race on May 20th. This will start from the medieval seaport town of Gaeta and head past the Pontine Islands to reach Capri. On reaching Capri all race teams will berth on the island during the night of May 21st in preparation for the most arduous part of the overall race which includes a 300 nautical mile second leg.
This will be the most challenging leg for the Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg crew as this segment of the race classified as an ‘adventure’ will take the team around eight volcanic Aeolian Islands. This volcanic archipelago is named after the Greek demi-god Aeolus, just north of Sicily, Stromboli, Vulcano and Alicudi listed at UNESCO World Heritage sites. This will be the first overnight race for the team as a unit and will be a good test of their overall performance during long distance racing in an area that is renowned for light and challenging meteorological conditions.
The Gazprom sponsored Swan 60 yacht will then head towards the finish line back at Capri where this year’s winner will receive the highly coveted Rolex Trophy and timepiece during the traditional party to be held at the iconic La Canzone del Mare.
Vladimir Liubomirov, Commodore, Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg and helm on board the Swan 60: “I am personally very much looking forward to such a special race in Europe’s most volcanic region. I know that this will be our most testing event to date due to the conditions we will be experiencing including light and fickle winds if we have similar conditions to the previous year’s race. We are up against a fleet of 22 race boats out of which 9 of the crews took part in 2011 and therefore know the waters and metrological secrets of this region. I am confident that our Italian contingent on board our Swan 60 will be a huge asset to us, especially during the overnight section of leg two and I feel adept at helming the Swan 60 in lighter conditions.”
Yacht Club of Saint-Petersburg, Swan 60, Event Agenda 2012
Palma Vela 18-22 April
Rolex Volcano Race 19-25 May
Giraglia Rolex Cup 9-16 June
Copa del Rey 16-21 July
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 3-8 September
Rolex Swan Cup 10-16 September
