Today, 7 September, marks the opening of the 35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of the International Maxi Association and under the title sponsorship of Rolex. Running through to 13 September, this year’s edition carries a special significance: it celebrates 40 years of partnership between the Swiss watchmaker and maxi yacht sailing, and comes only months after the passing of His Highness the Aga Khan IV, the visionary founder of the YCCS. The programme opens with a skippers’ briefing and welcome cocktail, followed by the first starting signal at 12:00 on Monday 8 September. Social highlights include the Gala Dinner on the YCCS terrace on 11 September and the Crew Party in Piazza Azzurra the following evening, open to all participants. The regatta will close with the official prize-giving ceremony on 13 September.
Last year’s event crowned the 100-foot Leopard 3 of Joost Schuijff as the inaugural Maxi 1 world champion, with Ed Baird, America’s Cup winner with Alinghi, serving as tactician. Other winners included Proteus in Maxi 2, Oscar 3 in Maxi 3, H2O in Maxi 4 and Gaetana in the Multihull division, while Svea triumphed in the Supermaxi class. The competition confirmed once again the exceptional level of talent and technology that defines this regatta.
This year the stakes are raised with two world championships to be decided: the Maxi 1 World Championship and the Maxi Grand Prix World Championship. Among the 47 yachts on the start line will be international names such as Peter Harrison with Jolt and Giovanni Lombardi Stronati with Django 7X, while the Maxi 1 class will feature Bullitt, the Wally 93 of YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati, and Tilakkhana, campaigned by Pascale Decaux with an all-female crew led by British sailor Dee Caffari. Anticipation is also high for the debut of Magic Carpet E, the new 100-footer of Sir Lindsay Owen Jones designed by Guillaume Verdier with interiors created by Hermès. The line-up is completed by three Baltic 68 Café Racers, Open Season, Ganesha and the newly launched Scorpione Hormar, as well as the 36-metre Viriella of Vittorio Moretti, with Mauro Pelaschier at the helm and rising talent Maddalena Spanu on board for selected races. Racing will take place along the spectacular coastline of northern Sardinia and through the La Maddalena archipelago, with a mix of coastal and offshore courses designed to test both speed and strategy.
One of the most notable changes to the line-up is the absence of Svea, a consistent front-runner in recent years. In April it was announced that the yacht would take a year off after several intense campaigns, using the time for an extensive refit. This absence opens a gap at the top of the fleet and naturally raises the question of whether Pier Luigi Loro Piana with his ClubSwan 80 My Song can be the one to take advantage. The challenge, however, will be considerable, with Galateia, Leopard 3 and H2O all considered strong favourites to dominate the standings.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has always represented more than a race. It is a stage where tradition meets innovation, where the elegance of superyachting is matched by the intensity of world-class competition. As this year’s fleet takes to the waters of Porto Cervo, the absence of Svea and the presence of My Song add an extra layer of intrigue to a regatta that, four decades on, continues to define excellence in sailing.
