Argentario Sailing Week 2025 at Yacht Club Santo Stefano - Day 3
by Joseph Sawyer 21 Jun 19:00 BST
18-25 June 2025
With just one day to go before the final day of the 24th Argentario Sailing Week, organised by the Yacht Club Santo Stefano with the support of the Municipality of Monte Argentario, the rankings are starting to take form, framed by continued ideal weather.
Calm water and blue skies met westerly winds starting out at 8 knots, gradually increasing to over 14 knots. All the starts went ahead without issue and the spectacle was incredible, as shown in the photos and videos of stunning classic and vintage yachts that crowded the event's social channels, featuring even a few images from the crews themselves.
Marco Poma, Vice President and Sports Director of the Yacht Club Santo Stefano and racing judge, steers clear of drawing his final impressions too soon but does emphasise with satisfaction that "this year the Jury has not seen a single protest. All the crews have shown exceptional sportsmanship and exemplary fair play, contributing significantly to the success and image of the event."
Today's winners:
- Big Boats: HALLOWE'EN - Inigo Strez (NZL)
- Classic IOR: ENCOUNTER (FRA)
- Classic: CRIVIZZA - Ariella Cattai (ITA)
- Vintage: SPARTAN (USA)
- Vintage Marconi: FALCON - Paulo Mirpuri (POR)
- Cruiser Yachts: VISTONA - Gian Battista Borea d'Olmo (ITA)
- Spirit of Tradition-Open: LULUNIKKA - Roberto Lacorte (ITA)
Overall Rankings after Day 3:
Big Boats:
1. HALLOWE'EN - Inigo Strez (NZL)
2. MARIELLA - Carlo Falcone (ANT)
3. ORLANDA - Iginio Angelini (ITA)
Classic:
1. CRIVIZZA - Ariella Cattai (ITA)
2. PENELOPE - Marina Militare
3. OPTIMISTA - Antonio Del Balzo (ITA)
Classic IOR:
1. MATRERO - Rafael Pereira Aragón (ARG)
2. ENCOUNTER (FRA)
3. MONTOMBI - Ollie Graffy (GBR)
Vintage Marconi:
1. LEONORE - Mark Faulkner (GBR)
2. FALCON - Paulo Mirpuri (POR)
3. SANTANA - Wendy Schmidt (USA)
Vintage:
1. SPARTAN (USA)
2. CHINOOK - Paolo Zannoni (USA)
3. ROWDY - Donna Dyer (USA)
Cruiser yachts:
1. VISTONA - Gian Battista Borea d'Olmo (ITA)
2. BARBARA - Roberto Olivieri (ITA)
3. EL ORO - Timothy Wilson (GBR)
Spirit of Tradition-Open:
1. LULUNIKKA - Roberto Lacorte (ITA)
2. FREYA - Luca Celenghini (ITA)
3. RROSE IV - James Cavagnari (GBR)
The complete rankings can be found at: www.argentariosailingweek.it/en/result
Today's name of the day is Roberto Lacorte, co-owner with his wife Luisa of LULUNIKKA, a classic wooden hull built with traditional materials and with which Lacorte has already claimed three wins in a row at the 24th Argentario Sailing Week. The clear excitement and passion of a sailor raring to get out to sea shine in his eyes. We sat down with him this morning, at the end of the daily skipper briefing, and asked him to tell us more about how this latest sailing endeavour came to be.
"I love being at sea," Roberto Lacorte explains, "in every way possible. And for me there is no better way to express this passion than sailing. There may be significant differences between sailing a classic yacht and boat with foils from a technical point of view, but none of those differences affect the charm or emotions I feel every time I am out sailing. The decision to have a classic yacht built was guided by a specific aim: I wanted something that was fast and, at the same time, beautiful. Giovanni Ceccarelli was able to interpret my vision to perfection, taking care of every detail of the design, which was then magnificently realised by the shipwright Checchi. LULUNIKKA has been a project shared with my wife Luisa from the very start, who is also a keen sailing enthusiast. We race together on board, side by side.
When asked about his experience at the Argentario Sailing Week, Roberto added: "Being a part of this fleet of vintage and classic yachts, which I consider to be absolute works of art, continues to be a source of great passion and pride. I never imagined the speeds and the technical side could be so demanding. There can be no doubt that foiling adds an entirely different dimension to sailing, one I experience as a boundary that is always being pushed forward, continuing to offer new and exciting challenges. But this shouldn't be in conflict with traditional sailing: both are two souls of the same world, and neither can ever replace the other. I am deeply attached to the Argentario, from so many points of view. I have been coming here for forty years, I have so many friends here, and I consider this racecourse - like Punta Ala - to be one of the best there is. I really am having the time of my life."
An overview of tomorrow's schedule:
Sunday 22nd June
8:30 am | Skippers' briefing @ Race Village
11:00 am | Races start
5:30 pm | Award Ceremony & Fair Winds Cocktail
Partners of the Argentario Sailing Week 2025
The 2025 edition is organised with the patronage and tangible support of the event's institutional partner Municipality of Monte Argentario, and with the contribution of high-end hospitality brand Miramis by Swedish group Qarlbo AB, independent multinational investment bank Jefferies Group LLC, Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., ColleMassari Wine Estates, Mureadritta and casual clothing company Sea Dog-NYL FTS.
The 2025 Argentario Sailing Week enjoys the patronage of the Region of Tuscany, the Province of Grosseto, the Municipality of Monte Argentario, the Italian Navy, the Italian Vintage Sailing Association and the International Mediterranean Classic Yachting Committee. In addition to its patronage, the Municipality of Monte Argentario also provides tangible support to the event.
The Argentario Sailing Week is one of ten regattas part of the 2025 International Mediterranean Classic Yachting Committee Championship (CIM)
This year will also see the "Trofeo Voscià - Giancarlo Lodigiani" challenge trophy, inspired by the memory of the late president of the Italian Vintage Sailing Association, Giancarlo Lodigiani. The trophy will be awarded to the Yawl-rigged yacht with the best score at the Argentario Saling Week.
The Argentario Sailing Week: a story of passion, tradition and success
The history of the Argentario Sailing Week begins in 1992, when a group of members of the Yacht Club Santo Stefano organised a regatta for classic yachts called Le Vele d'Argento (The Silver Sails). Over the years, the constant increase in registered boats, the area's hospitality and consistently favourable weather conditions eventually contributed to the event becoming a central date on the international calendar of classic and vintage yacht regattas. In 1999 the event took on the name we know today: Argentario Sailing Week, confirming its role as a high-profile regatta and, at the same time, as a moment of refined culture and hospitality, where passion, history and craftsmanship come together on the Mediterranean, in the sublime setting of Monte Argentario.