We are in spring and like every year, COVID 19 aside, preparations are underway by the boats and the organizers (the Italian Yacht Club of Genoa, the Yacht Club Sanremo and the Societe Nautique of Saint Tropez) for the Giraglia Rolex Cup this year. it will be the 69th edition.
It is a regatta, it is perhaps the most important regatta in the Mediterranean.
This year we will return to the “classic” program which includes departure at midnight on Friday 10 June in the waters of Sanremo. The boats will set sail for Saint Tropez. Once in the beautiful village symbol of the Var region, there will be three days of coastal regattas in the gulf and in front of the beaches of Pampelonne and then on Wednesday at the stroke of noon there will be the departure of the so-called “long”. The actual Giraglia regatta that starts from Saint Tropez towards the rock of “La Formigue” located in front of Le Levandou. From here the boats will head for the Giraglia, a small islet in front of Capo Corso around which they will turn and then turn their bow towards Genoa where the finish line will be.
The Giraglia is a mythical regatta and every self-respecting sailor, on the quay, tells of some adventure that happened to him “in Giraglia” while the owners of the regatta boats use the number of victories as cockades for their boats. In his career Francesco (our captain) says he has heard at least 300 owners talk about their victories in the regatta, by now there should have been at least 150 editions!
Our beautiful Nababbo, the sailing yacht that we rent for sailing holidays in Corsica and French Riviera with captain and crew, won an edition, that of 1994, but not overall, only in class. Since ours, we have participated in only one edition, that of 2016. Our customers have been able to try their hand at managing maneuvers and organizing life on board. Despite the rather demanding conditions we all had a great time.
A memory will always remain indelible in our minds: almost when we were turning the Giraglia we had to change sail and just as we hoisted the new sail, a whale came to urge us no more than 5 meters from the boat, an incredible thing !!
And what do we of Nababbo Sail do at the Giraglia Rolex Cup in Sanremo? Like every year, we organize an evening boat trip to see the departure. Watching a hundred boats sail away in the middle of the night is a breathtaking sight.
We will probably go out to sea with Peter Pan, our Pursuit 3400 motorboat, the boat that we rent for magnific day trips on a boat in french Riviera, around 20.30 / 21.00, before they close the port of Sanremo and once we leave we will anchor in the 3 Ponti area where we will have a nice barbecue and a nice swim in waiting for the fireworks. Watching the fires from the sea has a unique charm, then around 11.15 pm we will head towards the mouth of the harbor where the boats will begin to leave for the first preparations. We will then follow the departure and around 00.15 / 00.30 we will return to the port.
Do not miss the opportunity, come with us to live this unique experience!
In the photo our splendid Nabab moored in Saint Tropez, right in front of the famous Senequier waiting for the start of the “long” regatta of the Giraglia 2016.
See you soon and good wind
