Mariquita Book - mk2.5

VELE D’EPOCA DI IMPERIA
11 – 14 SEPTEMBER 2014
Our only hope with a starboard rounding at the leeward end of
the downwind leg was to get down on one gybe. John Caulcutt
Just up the coast from San Remo the
mountainous province of Imperia with its
beautiful 18th-century cathedral welcomed
the classic fleet for the penultimate Panerai
regatta of the season.
Still smarting after
the disqualification
in Mahón, which
cost them the regatta,
Moonbeam IV was
in impressive form in
Imperia winning the
first race and putting
the pressure back on
Mariquita. Race 2 was going to be crucial.
A small area of low pressure to the south of
Imperia intensified to give some strong winds
for the start of the race. It felt like the season
came down to this regatta, this race and this
leg. David Bedford takes up the story, “It got
really windy and sailing by the lee is quite
dangerous. But in the event John did such a
good job we did get to the left of the mark for
a starboard rounding. Afterwards John said it
was so difficult on the wheel that he wouldn’t
have given the helm
to his worst enemy!”
As John himself
explained, “We were
in dire danger of that
mainsail coming
sweeping across the
deck and with it the
mainsheets, which
could take a number
of crew off the deck
with them. It was frighteningly close but it
was our only chance. We had to do it if we
were going to stay in the race.”
Thankfully Mariquita made the mark on
one gybe while her great rival Moonbeam IV
took two. The risk paid off and Mariquita
won the day.
168