Tough racing in medium winds

“We are not playing with kids anymore”. 66 professionals sailing in 30 X-41 yachts.

66 professionals group 3 sailors
The X-Yachts Gold Cup in Copenhagen is a mixed kind of yacht race. On one course you have the X-Yachts racing in the so called Family Class A (without spinnakers) and on the other course you will – in the X-41 Class alone - find 66 group 3 sailors – the ISAF term for professional sailors – on the 30 participating yachts.

French boat Tazkeena III
The strict class rules prohibit more than four group 3 sailors on board each boat, but that limit is reached by several of the participants. One of the toughest teams in the fleet must be the French boat Tazkeena III helmed by Filippo Patrignani, which beside the three known pros Hugues Ledore, Louis Heckly and Benoit Briand have Bertrand Pacé, the tactician and 2nd helmsman from the America’s Cup boat BMW Oracle. Their boat is number two after the first five races. 

Tactician from Italian America’s boat Mascalzone Latino
Number 9 after five races, the Italian boat Lady X, has four group 3 sailors plus one group 2 sailor on board. The tactician’s name is Flavio Favini, who was the helmsman on the Italian America’s boat Mascalzone Latino and the winning Farr40 from 2007 with the same name.

On the Italian WB Five, the former world champion in Maxi Racers Lorenzo Bressani is the tactician with three other group 3 sailors as crew. That boat is number 6 after five races.
 
The Danish team who was leading after five races “Hvor’f det” is not lacking when it comes to experienced and famous sailors on board. Peter Kampmann is helming with the four “group 3 sailors” Jens Christensen, Lars Ive, Kasper Helweg and Arndt Howard as crew. Three of the crew Christian Jensen, Kasper Helweg, Jesper Riise comes from the successful Danish Farr40 Nanoq, which helmed by Crownprince Frederik came 4th in the latest World Championship in April.

“We use the racing here as a good practice for crewing in the Farr40. The X-41 is very similar to Nanoq, so for us the boat handling in these races is “business as usual”, says Jesper Riise from the royal crew.