After a week dominated by the force of the Mistral, the 35th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup came to a close today in Porto Cervo, with decisive racing across all divisions and champions confirmed in each of the five classes.
In the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship, victory went to Galateia (David Leuschen & Chris Flowers, New York YC), whose consistency across the series allowed her to edge out Leopard 3 (Joost Schuijff, Y.C. Monaco) on countback, both finishing on 18 points. Bullitt (Andrea Recordati, YCCS) took third with 19 points, just one behind the leaders. The WallyCento V (Karel Komarek, YCCS/Royal Thames YC), so strong in the early stages, slipped back to fourth when it mattered most.
Also in this class, My Song (Pier Luigi Loro Piana, YCCS) – a ClubSwan 80 steeped in history and prestige – proved one of the disappointments of the week. Although she showed flashes of speed, she lacked the consistency to challenge the leaders and finished fifth overall, a result far from the front-runners and below the expectations surrounding her return to Porto Cervo.
The Maxi Grand Prix World Championship was dominated by Django 7X (Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, YCCS/Royal Thames YC), who secured the title with 11 points. Jolt (Peter Harrison, YCCS) and Bella Mente (Hap Fauth, New York YC) both finished on 13, the tie resolved in Jolt’s favour. Vesper (Jim Swartz, St. Francis YC) placed fourth.
In Maxi 3, Oscar 3 (Aldo Parisotto, Porto di Mare Padova) held firm with 10 points, followed by Grande Orazio (Massimiliano Florio, YCCS) on 12 and Ganesha (with South African Mark Sadler on tactics, Bayerisher YC) on 15. Fourth went to Nice (Alex Laing, Cayman Islands SC).
The Maxi 4 class was dominated by H2O (Riccardo de Michele, YCCS), who closed the regatta with an outstanding total of just 4 points from four races. Yoru (Luigi Sala) placed second on 8 points, while @Robas (Gérard Logel) and Manticore (Silvia de Longhi & Franz Wilhelm Baruffaldi Preis) completed the top four.
Among the Supermaxis, Moat (Juan Ball, YCCS) proved unbeatable, winning every race for a perfect 4-point score. Inti (Marcos Vivian, Royal Freshwater Bay YC) was second, ahead of Inoui (Marco Vogele, YCCS) and Viriella (Vittorio Moretti, YCCS).
This edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will be remembered not only for its champions but also for the relentless power of the Mistral. The wind produced thrilling conditions but also too much intensity at times, forcing the cancellation of the penultimate day. When racing did take place, however, the spectacle lived up to the regatta’s reputation, once again confirming Sardinian waters as the ultimate stage for maxi yacht competition.
The 35th edition also marked the 40th anniversary of Rolex’s partnership with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, a collaboration that has helped establish this regatta as one of the most prestigious fixtures on the international sailing calendar.
The week ended with the prize-giving ceremony in Piazza Azzurra, where owners, crews and guests celebrated not only the champions but also the enduring spirit of maxi yacht sailing in Porto Cervo.
See you in 2026 for the next Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
