A two-time America's Cup winner Bertarelli gives the impression that all victories are important, not just because of the trophies but because the win is so often the culmination of preparation, hard graft and teamwork. He describes helming Number's as child's play, but in case you are fooled into thinking anyone could have won this week with this boat, he soon puts you right.

Numbers is well balanced, beautifully designed and attentively built. But if the accident on Alegre this week proves anything, it is that Maxi yachts - Mini, Super or Cruising - are unforgiving in the face of operator error or mechanical failure. Both are to be avoided. And issue avoidance is achieved through surrounding oneself with top-class sailors, and importantly building team spirit and understanding.

Since Valencia, Bertarelli said that "I have sailed with some of the (Alinghi) crew in regattas like Key West Race Week and Rolex Farr 40 Worlds, but it's been a while to see the whole team together. It's really nice. It's a crew that works like a Swiss clock, it's on time on the manoeuvres, the trimming is precision, it's good and it's fun."

Bertarelli has every reason to be proud of the victory. Numbers is absolutely Dan Meyer's boat. But the design is Rolf Vrolijk and the engineering concept involved Dirk Kramer - both part of the Alinghi team. "A lot of the things we learned in the last America's Cup have been introduced in this boat and the result shows on the water" said Bertarelli.

In the Wally Division, Lindsay Owen-Jones could be forgiven for having hoped it would be a no wind day. Holding a one point advantage over Irvine Laidlaw's Highland Fling X (GBR) and two points over Jean-Charles Decaux's J One (FRA) and Thomas Bscher's Open Season (GER), the opportunity to fail at the final hurdle was apparent. All the more so, since all four boats had shown themselves capable of winning this week as well as suffering a drop in performance to post a poor result. As it is, Owen-Jones takes his third win at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup.

"It was very, very close this year. We've had four or five boats within one and half minutes almost every day and seconds separating the first two. The key thing has been never to have a really negative result," said Owen-Jones.

"What we really like is good breeze and smooth water. The first day out with north westerlies and smooth seas through the channel was an ideal day for us. But then you've got to manage the less favourable days when it is stiff breeze and lumpy. That's difficult since ours is a light boat, but we managed well enough never to finish worse than fourth."

Owen-Jones was suitably impressed to have won again. "It is the (regatta) we all want to win. Let's be simple about it, every year we think we like Saint-Tropez, but the one we all want to win is the Rolex because it's the most prestigious, it's existed for so long, it is a fantastic place, there's always wind up through the channels and it is the most incredible natural harbour and area to race."

The secret to success on this boat is the same as the others - managing the crew, maintaining team spirit and avoiding errors. And Owen-Jones has a preferred method for achieving this.

"It really does help tremendously having women in the crew. It keeps a better level of courtesy and quiet, the boys are just a little bit more restrained. Girls are also just a bit more careful about not breaking things. Boys do tend to just go on pushing buttons until something goes bang and the girls tend to look up when they hear things grinding to see why and before it breaks!"

In the Cruising Division, John Williams and the J Class Ranger (CAY IS) cruised seemingly effortlessly to their second consecutive Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup victory. Four races, four bullets tell their own story.

The reality on the race course was quite different with competition coming from the other J Class Velsheda (GBR), the massive 44-metre Salperton (GBR), Hamilton II (GBR) and Hetairos (CAY IS). Management of the boat and team was once again crucial to success, as America's Cup and round the world race winner, Erle Williams confirms.

"They are very powerful boats, they're very challenging and upwind, especially with 39 crew, there's a lot of people to coordinate around the boat to make sure no one gets hurt and to sail the boat well is quite a challenge."

Like the other owners crowned this week, John Williams puts their success down to people and the management of the boat.

"We have a crew that's mostly stayed intact for five years, and I think we just sailed the boat exceptionally well. Erle did a great job on the starts and once you have a good start, sometimes you can control the race, but frankly we just had a good crew effort, a wonderful crew effort."

Like the other owners, Williams truly enjoys sailing on the Costa Smeralda. "It's wonderful -- without a doubt it's the best regatta we compete in and we did a number of regattas this year and it is the number one regatta. You have great boats, great conditions, great sails up among the rocks. It's a wonderful place to sail boats."

So there it is, the ingredients for success at one of the most spectacular regattas around. Pick a great boat and pick a great team. Manage them well. And hope Mother Nature lets you perform.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is organized by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association (IMA). From the most luxurious through to the most traditional and to the most advanced monohulls afloat today, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is nothing if not an astonishing line up of sailing power.

For further information on the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the entire YCCS sporting season please visit www.yccsmaxi.com.