35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda - Overall
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 13 Sep 20:35 BST
7-13 September 2025
Maxi 3 class sailing off Capo Ferro - Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 © Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi
The 35th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup concluded with a final day of top-class sailing, followed by the traditional prize-giving ceremony in Piazza Azzurra. The Mistral wind, blowing at around 10 knots at the start and strengthening to 18 knots with a northward shift by the finish, allowed for two hard-fought windward-leeward races for the Maxi 1 and Maxi Grand Prix classes, competing in their respective Rolex World Championships. The remaining classes took on a coastal course, rounding Caprera and La Maddalena counterclockwise, before returning to Porto Cervo via Bomb Alley with gennakers hoisted.
Organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of the International Maxi Association and long-time partner Rolex, this year's Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup celebrated its 35th edition and the 40th anniversary of Rolex's title sponsorship, which began in 1985.
The Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship was fiercely contested to the very end, with final victory going to the WallyCento Galateia - owned by David Leuschen and Chris Flowers, with America's Cup veteran Murray Jones calling tactics. Galateia finished tied on points with the Farr 100 Leopard 3, whose win in the sixth and final race was not enough to clinch the title, with victory coming down to countback and Galateia's two race wins outweighing Leopard 3's single bullet. Third place went to YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati's Wally 93 Bullitt, just one point behind. The WallyCento V, which had led the provisional standings prior to the final day of racing, endured a decidedly difficult finale: a broken gennaker in race one left her at the back of the fleet, and a fourth place in race two kept her off the podium.
Simon Fisher, navigator on Galateia: "It's hugely satisfying for us to win the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship. This is a really competitive class and we saw that again today as it came right down to the wire. We're very very happy to come away with the win!"
It was a battle to the finish in the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship too, which ended with victory for Italian yacht Django 7X, owned by YCCS member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati and with Vasco Vascotto as tactician. Peter Harrison's Jolt, with Ed Baird as tactician took second place, while third place - tied on points with Jolt - went to Hap Fauth's Bella Mente with tactician Terry Hutchinson. Like the Maxi 1 class, this first world championship for the boats from the former Maxi72 class was hailed as a resounding success.
"This victory is a very important result for us." commented Vasco Vascotto. "It was a team achievement, everyone contributed to performing at our best. I would like to thank our owner for giving us this opportunity and Guille Parada for organising everything. I'm really happy, and I'd like to dedicate a thought to Matteo Auguadro because he was with us, pushing the boat to the last few metres before the finish line that gave us the victory. He is still our bowman."
Today's win in the Maxi 3 class, the largest with 13 entries, brought Aldo Parisotto's Mylius 65 FD Oscar 3, with Paolo Cian as tactician, to the top of the leaderboard, two points clear of YCCS member Massimiliano Florio's Southern Wind 82 Grande Orazio. Third place went to Ganesha, one of three Baltic 68 Café Racers competing in Porto Cervo.
The winner in the Maxi 4 class, with an unblemished record of four straight wins across four races, was Riccardo De Michele's Vallicelli 78 H2O, with tactician Lorenzo Bodini. Luigi Sala's Vismara 62 Yoru took second place on the podium with a run of four second-place finshes, while Gerard Logel's Swan 601 @robas came third.
The Supermaxi class was also dominated from start to finish: Juan Ball's Swan 115 Moat, with Gonzalo Araujo on tactics, claimed a perfect scoreline of four victories. The Wally 94 Inti finished in second, while the Briand 108 Inoui, owned by YCCS member Marco Vogele, completed the podium.
As ever, the prize-giving ceremony in Piazza Azzurra was a busy affair. In addition to prizes for the top three yachts in each class, two special memorial trophies were presented. The Commodore Alberini Perpetual Trophy, for the team that best represented the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, was presented to YCCS members Riccardo Genghini and Marietta Strasoldo, owners of the Swan 651 Lunz Am Meer. The Paolo Massarini ORC Challenge Trophy was presented to the winning yacht in the Supermaxi class: Moat, owned by Juan Ball.
"The 35th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has drawn to a close after an intense week, which involved some moments of standing by, but above all top-level sailing and two World Championship competitions. I would like to congratulate the winners and extend a special thank you to Rolex, with whom we are proudly celebrating 40 years of title sponsorship of this great regatta, thanks to a shared passion for sailing and the values that define it. This year also carried particular significance with the establishment of a new trophy in memory of His Highness the Aga Khan IV, founder of the YCCS, news which I had the honour of announcing during the prize-giving ceremony. The award will be presented annually at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup from next year." said Andrea Recordati, YCCS Commodore.
The next event on the YCCS sporting calendar will be 52 Super Series - Porto Cervo - Range Rover. The final leg of the 52 Super Series, the world's leading professional sailing circuit, will run from 21 to 27 September. This event will close the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's 2025 sporting season.
For further information, results, entry list, the programme, the news and the photo gallery please visit the YCCS website.