Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta 2025 - Day 1
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 28 May 2025 21:24 BST
27-31 May 2025
The 2025 edition of the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, organised by the YCCS with the support of title sponsor Giorgio Armani, got under way right on time today, 28 May 2025 at 11.30 a.m. on the waters off Porto Cervo.
The event, which includes the Southern Wind RendezVous & Trophy - now in its 19th edition and reserved for the yachts from the eponymous shipyard - as an integral feature, will run through Saturday 31st May.
The 14 competing yachts could not have hoped for a better conditions and were divided into three classes: Superyacht, Corinthian Spirit and Southern Wind RendezVous - with the latter completing a day sail. A Mistral wind blowing between 12 and 20 knots offered the fleet perfect conditions for racing on a coastal course of around 30 miles. The superyachts circumnavigated the La Maddalena Archipelago counter-clockwise, leaving first the island of Monaci to port, then Barrettinelli di Fuori, before returning to Porto Cervo via the La Maddalena channel, the Tre Monti shoal and the Passo delle Bisce strait.
The YCCS regatta course once again demonstrated its supreme suitability for the superyachts, which were able to express their full potential against a backdrop of unique scenery. Thanks to the staggered starts used to set each of the yachts off two minutes apart, the fleet began to come together at the Isola dei Monaci, rounding Barrettinelli di Fuori in a compact group, where the Mistral was gusting at over 20 knots. From here the fleet headed south, sailing between the islands of La Maddalena and Spargi, before hoisting their imposing gennakers at Punta Sardegna and keeping them up to the finish.
First across the line and winner of the day on corrected time by just 15 seconds in the Superyacht class was YCCS member Juan Ball with his Swan 115 Moat. He was followed by Anomaly (formerly Ribelle), a Vitters 107 designed by Malcolm McKeon. In third place, two minutes behind the winner, was the Southern Wind 96 Liberty.
In the Corinthian Spirit class, Sorvind by Giorgio Armani made her regatta debut, while the Southern Wind 82 Grande Orazio, owned by YCCS member Massimiliano Florio, came out on top. Florio was followed by the Southern Wind 108 Gelliceaux - another boat making her debut in Porto Cervo - and the Southern Wind 100 Grillo Parlante (formerly Cape Arrow) in third.
The boats taking part in the Southern Wind RendezVous sailed the same course, with no classification drawn up, in keeping with the friendly spirit of the Southern Wind family. No Rush and Sorceress, as well as Ammonite and Agapi Mas could be spotted sailing with the same passion as the racers.
Upon returning to the dock in Porto Cervo, the smiling, satisfied faces of owners and sailors from every division spoke of a spectacular day of wind, sea and sunshine. This evening in the central piazza of the charming village of San Pantaleo, Southern Wind will host a dinner for all participants.
Juan Ball, owner and helmsman of Moat: "We love coming here to Porto Cervo, last year we were lucky enough to win the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and we came back with a partly renewed crew that still needs to train together a little to get to their best. However the guys on board were very good and we won today by just 15 seconds, it was a great day for us."
Lorenzo Bortolotti, tactician on Grande Orazio: "It was a fantastic day, in the middle of the beautiful islands that this coast is famous for, with a Mistral that was stronger than expected, but still a perfect intensity, with gusts of up to 22 knots at the top at Barrettinelli, and in the channel between La Maddalena and Spargi. The competition was strong, but we had a great race, always staying away from the rest of the fleet, which was the key to today's success."
Tomorrow, 29 May, the first superyacht is scheduled to start at 12 midday CEST. Light northerly winds are forecast.
Full results