The Nations League - Swan One Design Worlds in Porto Cervo - Day 0
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 17 Jun 21:45 BST
18-21 June 2025
The ClubSwan 50s will compete for their class World Championship © YCCS / Daniele Macis
The Nations League - Swan One Design Worlds, a regatta organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with ClubSwan Racing, will get under way tomorrow, 18 June, with the first warning signal for racing scheduled for 12 noon.
The event will conclude with the final day of racing on Saturday 21 June, followed by the prize-giving ceremony in Piazza Azzurra.
This is the second leg of The Nations League 2025 circuit, reserved for Nautor Swan One Design models. Thirty-five boats have enrolled across the four classes taking part: 12 ClubSwan 50s, 7 ClubSwan 42s, 9 ClubSwan 36s and 7 in the new ClubSwan 28 class, which made its official debut at last year's Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo.
A practice race was held for all classes today, followed by the Skipper's Briefing and the traditional Welcome Cocktail on the YCCS terrace. An Owners' Dinner is scheduled for 20 June at the YCCS and crews will enjoy refreshments after racing each day, with prizes awarded to the top teams of the day.
Returning to Porto Cervo to defend their respective titles are reigning champions Mamao, in the ClubSwan 36 class, and Nadir in the ClubSwan 42s. For the ClubSwan 28s this will be their first Gold Cup event, while the ClubSwan 50 class will battle for the title of World Champion.
Among the seven ClubSwan 28s taking part is Japan's Swing, owned by Keisuke Suzuki and fielding Australian Will Ryan on tactics, a two-time Olympic medallist and five-time 470 world champion. Marcello, owned by YCCS member Philippe Ligot, returns to Porto Cervo after winning the class debut here on equal points with Giulio Gatti's Anya Race, with Enrico Zennaro on tactics. Italian sailor Lorenzo Bortolotti, whose career has included one America's Cup and five Admiral's Cup participations, is a regular on the Porto Cervo race course and will be helming Black Swan alongside team mates Dede De Luca, Branko Brcin and Flavio Grassi.
Brazilian Haakon Lorentzen's ClubSwan 36 Mamao, the class defending champion, will face eight other contenders, including G Spot, owned by Giangiacomo Serena di Lapigio and with Michele Paoletti on tactics, and the Pavesio brothers' Fra Martina, with tactician "Rufo" Bressani.
The seven ClubSwan 42s taking part include Nadir, owned by Spain's Pedro Vaquer Comas, Jose María Meseguer's Pez de Abril, Barry Sampson's Long Echo, and Italian boats Selene Alifax, Canopo and Koirè-Spirit of Nerina.
The majestic ClubSwan 50 class sees twelve yachts competing, including 2023 world champion Cuordileone, owned by YCCS member Leonardo Ferragamo, with Federico Michetti, Head of Sport Activities at Nautor Swan, Daniele Cassinari and "Ciccio" Celon also on board. Graeme Peterson's Moonlight, which placed second in last year's championship, will also take part, with a crew boasting Hamish Pepper, Chris Hosking and Emily Nagel. YCCS member Marcus Brennecke's Hatari, winner of the Rolex Swan Cup 2024, will field Michele Ivaldi on tactics, along with Federica Salvà, Ross Halcrow, Dirk De Ridder and Marcus Wieser. Hendrik Brandis's Earlybird has Manu Weiller as tactician, joined by "Pigi" De Felice and Elliot Willis. Lady Ghada will be steered by owner Ghada Barsoum, who moved from the ClubSwan 36 to the ClubSwan 50 class this year, along with Diogo Cayolla on tactics, Pietro Sibello on the mainsail and Andrea Visintini as navigator.
The weather forecast for tomorrow, 18 June, gives a northerly breeze of around 14-16 knots. A moderate Mistral wind is expected for Friday and Saturday. The classes will complete a maximum of eight races during the event, with the exception of the ClubSwan 28s, who may complete up to 10 races.