Maserati Multi70, the state-of-the-art ocean racing trimaran skippered by Giovanni Soldini, has finished in second place in the RORC Caribbean 600 Race after a race-long high-speed match race with the American trimaran, Phaedo3.
Soldini and his seven-man international crew brought Maserati Multi70 across the finish line off Charlotte Point in Antigua at 21.33 local time Tuesday February 21, (02.33 on Wednesday 22 in Italy), 13 minutes behind Phaedo3.
The Italian multihull completed the course in 1 day, 9 hours, 53 minutes and 55 seconds.
Lighter, less consistent winds than are characteristic of the Caribbean at this time of year meant neither team was able to improve on the race record time of 31 hours, 59 minutes and four seconds, set by Phaedo3 in 2016.
The Phaedo3 and Maserati Multi70 crews were locked in close combat for virtually the entire race as they matched each other’s every move around the course play for play.
Earlier today, when Maserati Multi70 was slowed by a calm patch on the approach to Guadeloupe, Phaedo3 scooted away into a 13-mile lead – the greatest distance the two boats had been separated by since the start.
The Italian trimaran came storming back immediately and by the next turning point – Iles des Saintes at the southern end of the racecourse – Soldini’s crew were back challenging for the lead.
A freshening breeze for the final 100-miles of the 600-mile racecourse saw Maserati Multi70 scorch around the last two legs at over 30 knots as Soldini’s crew tried everything they knew to overtake their rivals before the finish.
But it was not to be. When Phaedo3 was first to make the final turn around the miniscule Redonda Island and point her bows at the finish line, there were no tactical options left for the Maserati Multi70 crew to try to exploit.
After the finish Soldini was quick to congratulate the winning crew on Phaedo3 who he said had made virtually no mistakes during the race. Exhausted but happy, the Italian skipper also paid tribute to his own crew who he said had sailed a great race.
«We are very happy and I think we sailed a good race», Soldini said on the dock in Antigua. «We didn’t have very much time when the conditions suited us. Mostly it was around 10 knots so our foiling gear in the water slowed us down».
«This has been an important race for us», Soldini said. «Sailing so close to Phaedo3 has allowed us to try things out and I think we have learned a lot about how to get the most out of our boat».
On board Maserati Multi70 with skipper Giovanni Soldini for the RORC Caribbean 600 race were: Guido Broggi, Vittorio Bissaro, François Robert, Oliver Herrera, Carlos Hernandez, Francesco Malingri and Matteo Soldini.
credit@RORC/Tim Wright photaction.com
