Giovanni Soldini and Maserati Multi 70 set sail from San Francisco today, at 13.00 local time (20.00 UTC and 22.00 Italian time), for the first edition of the CA 500, which is the last event of the California Offshore Race Week.
Maserati Multi 70 crossed the starting line in the San Francisco Bay right behind her competitors, Argo and PowerPlay, under a cloudy sky with 10 knots of wind. The three trimarans passed under the Golden Gate Bridge and are now sailing close-hauled towards Farallon Island Light, before setting course to San Diego.
Maserati Multi 70, in flying asset, is racing for the first time against MOD 70s, in classic MOD asset, both already challenged individually last year: the American Argo, skippered by Jason Carroll, and the English PowerPlay, skippered by Peter Cunningham.
A few minutes before setting sail, Giovanni Soldini said: «We’re very happy to participate in this race, this is the first time there are three trimarans racing: it will be a great challenge. Both PowerPlay and Argo’s Teams are very good and they’ve been training a lot in the past months, we have an amazing race ahead of us!»
According to the weather forecasts, Maserati Multi 70 and her competitors will sail for the first 12 hours of the race with 15 knots of NW wind, with gusts up to 20 knots, and rough sea: it will be difficult for the Italian trimaran to fly steadily. Afterwards, in the last 100 miles before the finish line, the wind will drop abruptly to 3-4 knots.
Aboard Maserati Multi 70, skipper Giovanni Soldini is sailing with 6 professional sailors: the Italians Guido Broggi, Nico Malingri and Matteo Soldini; the Spanish Willy Altadill and Oliver Herrera Perez; the French François Robert.
Photo ©Erik Simonson
