Rob Weiland
The first WallyRocket 71 Django 70X schooling the Maxi Grand Prix class at St Tropez with an easy port tack start. The light Botín design features more water ballast than any of her rivals and has also yet to race with the trim tab her high-stability hull was designed around. Exceptional sailing in both Porto Cervo and St Tropez made up for expected potential weaknesses on inshore windward-leeward courses
Laissez-faire, less fair?
At the end of September the IRC Technical Committee issued a warning that after continued review of the performance of (keel) trim tabs throughout 2025, particularly in the maxi fleet, it is highly likely that the rating ‘price’ of trim tabs will be increased further for 2026. The commit- tee will also review the use of automated control
systems on trim tabs, rudders and other appendages; this may not be ready for 2026 but they have served notice that they are reviewing these automated systems and their performance effect. So having closely followed the Maxi racing among the Grand Prix
fleet, the former Maxi72s, at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo and Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, what are my conclusions? l Jolt – rating 1.668 – with trim tab and water ballast, racing windward-leeward courses in decent breeze in Porto Cervo was quite easily outperforming her near 40pt trim tab rating penalty versus the non-trim tab boats. Due to the conditions it was less easy to judge her on the coastal courses with a lesser percentage of upwind work, but the trim tab configuration looks a good bet for being the better option based upon its 2025 rating status. However, in the very light to light conditions in Saint-Tropez it seemed quite a different story, almost like a different boat – Jolt finishing dead last in each race, til the breeze picked up the final day when she handily took the win! l Django 70X (WallyRocket 71) – rating 1.616 – with more hull stability and more water ballast (2,700kg) than the others in this elite fleet of eight boats, so considerably less bulb weight (5,764kg) and lower boat weight (12,162kg). Django still comes out close in rating to the majority of the Maxi GP fleet and showed her potential by outperforming her rivals on corrected time in the coastal races – but she was less competitive inshore on W/L courses. l Being 0.5-1.0m shorter in overall length to the rest of the Maxi GP fleet, and the lowest-rating boat, is rarely a good combination for the first mile of any race. Also, having to tack more water ballast than the rest makes accelerating out of a tack harder and encourages tacticians to avoid tacking duels –
which in turn limits their options. However, in Saint-Tropez’s light conditions, being able to vary all-up weight and righting moment more than the competition proved to be a bonus. With a very high standard of sailing winning both events certainly
shows more than early promise even if work remains to identify the best all-round mode. Django is designed for a trim tab and had she had it fitted in time she may have been even harder to beat in Porto Cervo? But probably would not have won in the light conditions of Les Voiles. And once a few more in her class have followed the trim tab road how will it all balance out for the Maxi Grand Prix fleet? l The rest of the fleet, all former Maxi72s, all with water ballast but in varying amounts (Balthasar 1,000kg, most others nearer to 2,000kg). Some with extended hull length, some still at 72ft, rating between 1.621 (Balthasar) and 1.638 (Bella Mente). Still resulting in close results as in the Maxi72 days, but the racing itself is a little less close. The empty boat weights are now considerably lower than before the days of water ballast, the fleet weighing in at 14,300-16,300kg depending on water ballast volume. Similarly, corresponding bulb weights range from 6,200kg to 7,650kg. l If we take Proteus, still very much a standard Maxi72, before water ballast in the period 2017-2019 she weighed around 16,400kg (bulb weight around 8,500kg), then came down a bit to 15,900kg for 2022/2023 and now with 1,980kg of water ballast her empty weight is down to 14,340kg (bulb weight 6,421kg). Similarly, Bella Mente now weighs 14,697kg, down from her original dry weight of 16,100kg. In the absence of changes being made in the IRC treatment of
trim tabs and water ballast I feel that several things are likely: l Other boats in Maxi GP, but also in other classes, will be seriously considering adding trim tabs to their inventory, but… l Most of those may then choose to optimise regatta by regatta, changing between a trim tab/fin and a non-trim tab/fin depending on the regatta format and weather expectations… l Further increase of water ballast capacity (and the resultant measured heel angle) and so further reductions in both bulb and so empty weight.
SEAHORSE 37
INGRID ABERY
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