Gazprom powered yacht breaks Giraglia Cup record

The Esimit Europa 2 boat, sponsored by Russian gas major Gazprom, has set a new course record at the prestigious Giraglia Cup regatta.

The 100-foot maxi, managed by a crew of 17 European sailors, needed just 14 hours, 56 minutes and 16 seconds to cover the distance between the French city of Saint-Tropez and Italy’s San Remo. The Esimit Europa 2 was 3 hours and 6 minutes better than the previous best time.  “This year’s Giraglia Rolex Cup regatta was absolutely one of the greatest sailing experiences in my entire life,” Igor Simcic, founder of the Esimit Europa project, told Esimit.com. “It was not easy, since the race was rough and fast not allowing us to relax even for a second. I am extremely proud of the crew, they did an amazing job, and happy that all our investments in the yacht very well paid off. I am hoping for new course records at the upcoming regattas.” Esimit Europa 2 took the lead from the start, leaving 170 regatta participants behind, and when the Gazprom boat crossed the finish line, their nearest rival was some 30 miles behind.     “We were pushing the yacht to its limits, reaching a top speed of more than 30 knots, but at the same time we were very cautious not to break something on the yacht,” Jochen Schümann, skipper of the Esimit Europa 2 yacht, said. “Thanks to the perfect weather conditions and exceptional crew onboard we set a fantastic course record and I am very happy for that.” The Esimit Europa 2 is “one of the fastest and technologically most advanced yachts in the world”, and has so far won all the regattas it has entered. It’s sponsored by Gazprom and sails under the flag of the European Union, having President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso as its patron.