It’s 10:00 pm in the evening of Wednesday that Rambler 88, skippered by Brad Butterworth, arrived the first to the finish line of the 12th Palermo-Montecarlo. This sloop of 27 meters, already winner of the Voiles de Saint Barth in 2015 and 3rd in the Rolex Sydney Hobart that year, thus extending his record.
As he sensed before the start and due to weather conditions headwind upwind exist along for the head of the fleet, the New Zealanders, four-time winner of the America’s Cup, fails to break record the test speed. It was established last year by the maximum of 100 feet Esimit Europa 2 in 47 hours, 46 minutes and 48 seconds.
After a beautiful mass start, given Sunday in the Gulf of Mondello, with a breeze of 7 to 8 knots of wind, the competitors then met with tough conditions, at the approach of Porto Cervo with 25 knots established. Weather conditions that forced seven crews abandoned, like City of Geneva, then third or Extra 1 Massimo Barranco, winner of the event in 2015. The next arrivals are expected in the day, including that futurist Monegasque yacht Infinity, the only monohull foil-produced, owned by Gordon Kay, actuellemement in 4th position.
The award ceremony is scheduled this Friday August 26 at 19:30 at the Yacht Club.