Baptism by Spray: Admiral’s Cup Opens With a Brutal Channel Test
In AC1, Rán, Niklas Zennström’s Carkeek 52 flying KSSS colours, was first home on the water. But once the IRC numbers were crunched, it was Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s Django — the new Wally Rocket 51 — that topped the leaderboard. Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste (TP52, RHKYC) corrected into second, just minutes ahead of Rán.
Key to Django’s win was navigator Bruno Zirilli — a name stitched into the history of Azzurra, Luna Rossa, and the TP52 circuit. “We planned hard the night before,” Zirilli said. “Worked closely with Vasco [Vascotto] to build a strategy. We knew the weather could go sideways, so we stuck to clean air and played the shifts along the north shore. When the wind flicked southeast, we were ready. That last leg — wet, fast, full canvas, and the A2 tore clean off — but we managed it. No big damage. Just good sailing.”
The win is made sweeter by Django still being new to the team. “We’re learning her, but we’ve already found her legs,” Zirilli said. “And the Admiral’s Cup? It’s special. I’ve raced everywhere — but this one? This one matters.”
Over in AC2, it was Callisto (B&C 42) that stole the show. James Murray’s Kiwi-flagged boat nailed both line honours and corrected time. With Moose Sanderson in the afterguard and Ian Moore on navigation, this is a boat with bite.
“We knew the beat out of the Solent would be brutal,” Sanderson said. “So the plan was to survive it and strike on the return. Once we hit open water, it was game on. Big breeze, tight battle with Jolt and Beau Ideal. We didn’t use a watch system — just full sprint. Everyone dug deep.”
Moore, no stranger to offshore chess, said the beat was mostly even — “tiny gains from good timing” — but the race turned on the run. “The breeze built fast — faster than I thought. We handled it well. That’s where the race was won.”
Looking ahead, Moore expects the inshore racing to be a knife fight. “The boats are all different. Some like it upwind, some down. You’ve got to strike when the conditions favour you, and hang on when they don’t. Callisto is built for versatility, but we’ll be defending hard against the likes of Jolt and Beau Ideal. Nothing is given in IRC.”
The numbers back that up. Of the 30 boats, the top six corrected-time results all came from AC2. That’s no fluke — and no comfort to the rest of the fleet.
There’s a lay day now before racing resumes on Tuesday, July 22. One thing’s for sure: the Admiral’s Cup is wide open, and no one’s holding anything back.
This isn’t just a regatta — it’s a war of attrition with wind shifts, spreadsheets, and soaked foulies.