Wally wants to establish cruiser class

The initiative came from Luca Bassani, who founded Wally Yachts 25 years ago and the Wally Class 20 years ago. With the class association, the Monaco-based Italian wanted to give his minimalist and easy-to-sail yachts a competitive platform. The overriding rule from the outset was: The owner steers himself, otherwise there is a risk of time penalties. Nevertheless, the budgets for professional crews, hull modifications and constantly changing sailing wardrobes have skyrocketed in recent years. "It was exciting to see how passionate owners raised the bar higher and higher over the years," says Luca Bassani, describing an arms race that was primarily driven by a few wallycentos such as "Magic Carpet Cubed". Bassani's push can also be seen as a reaction to ever-shrinking fields. In 2017, 14 wallys crossed the line at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, this year there were only four.

"We believe that it is time to return to a 'Corinthian attitude' in regatta sailing, the basis for the creation of the Wally Class," Bassani alludes to the "Corinthian Class" already established in superyacht regattas. What do the Corinthians have to do with sailing? Corinthian Yacht Clubs were founded by British sailors in the mid-19th century so that they could sail on club boats they maintained themselves and not pay others to do so, as had previously been the case. The name is ironic, as according to tradition, the inhabitants of the Greek harbour city of Corinth were regarded as fine gentlemen and the sailing Corinthians did not want to be just that. Nowadays it is a collective term for amateur sportsmen. And that is exactly what the owners of the "Corinthian Class" unite. They are characterised by mostly white sails and the absence of light but difficult to control downwind sails such as gennakers or spinnakers. Details of the rules for the new cruising offshoot of the Wally Class are not yet known, but it can be assumed that the Wally panels on downwind courses will be far less colourful in future.