Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: Defining excellence
by Quinag 14 Sep 09:37 BST
7-13 September 2025
2025 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup © Carlo Borlenghi
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup brings together some of the finest yachts in world, combines them with elite sailing talent and sets them to compete in one of the most stunning locations yachting has to offer. First held in 1980, the regatta has been title sponsored by Rolex since 1985.
This relationship has bound the Swiss watchmaker to the maxi class for 40 years and, under the stewardship of founder, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), working in collaboration with the International Maxi Association (IMA), the event continues to inspire. The 2025 edition, featured two world titles, testing conditions and a high level of competition, right down to the final moments.
With no wind or too much wind disrupting the flow of racing, but by no means diminishing the spectacle, the YCCS should be congratulated for giving the crews what they desire most, an opportunity to display their burgeoning skills. The last day was picture perfect with blue skies and a Mistral ranging from 10 to 18 knots, offering the conditions that make the Costa Smeralda such a renowned racing venue.
Those emerging victorious after five days of competition were: Galateia, co-owned by David Leuschen and Chris Flowers, securing Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship on countback ahead of last year's winner, Leopard 3; Giovanni Lombardi Stronati's brand new Django 7X in Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix Championship; Aldo Parisotto's Oscar 3 in Maxi 3; Riccardo de Michele's H2O and Juan Ball's Moat, both with perfect scorelines, in Maxi 4 and Super Maxi respectively.
For Django 7X, the 2025 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was a testing baptism for a new boat, up against the likes of Bella Mente, Jethou and Proteus, all recent class winners at the event. With a world title at stake, even the crew were talking down their chances going into the racing. As it was, the Italian crew rarely put a foot wrong, finishing every race on the podium, to secure a two-point margin over Jolt.
Tactician Vasco Vascotto was his effervescent self on the dock, expressing the emotions of the crew for having pulled off an extraordinary achievement.
"We feel very grateful for what has happened, it is amazing. It has happened because we are a team, it is impossible to do this kind of thing alone. Every single person involved has pushed hard from the beginning, from the designers to the shore crew to everyone.
In the last race we knew all the other teams would push hard to the very end, and we would have to do the same. The last race was our best performance this year. In the end, it came down to just a few seconds, and we can be proud. We have beaten some very good crews, and our congratulations go to those teams for putting in such an effort and making this win so very special."
For Galateia, winning a world title at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup against formidable competition is also an impressive accomplishment. The yacht has form having won its class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup twice previously, in 2017 and 2023, but this was something different. Also up against an array of proven winners as well as newer, innovative boats, the pressure was on from the get-go. The last two races were something else, with the world title changing hands between two or three boats until the very last seconds. Tactician Murray Jones confirmed how tight it had been right to the end:
"It was super, super close. We started off with a great first race today to give us a buffer, but then the first beat of the second race went really badly, we went round the top mark in pretty bad shape, and we had to dig deep to get up through the fleet. It wasn't until the last run that we managed to get past Magic Carpet e and that was critical for the win. It was close at the end, and we didn't know we had won until the results came out."
Both these stories are a reminder of what it takes to win in any sport, and in team sport in particular: going beyond the expected, recognizing the strength of the opposition and being unwilling to give up until every last effort has been made.
For the YCCS, founders of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup back in 1980, this has also been a special edition. It marks the 40-year anniversary of Rolex as Title Sponsor, testament to a common approach to the pursuit of excellence. It is also the first edition since the passing of the club's founder, His Highness Aga Khan IV, who passed away in February. YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati had this to say:
"The 35th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has drawn to a close after an intense week, which involved, above all, some top-level sailing. 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. The award will be presented annually at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup from next year."
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup takes place in one of the most spectacular sailing settings on the planet. The emerald waters, rugged outcrops, and scattered islets of Sardinia's Maddalena Archipelago create a challenging stage for competition. But it is the product of so much more. The organizing club provides the highest level of race management to deliver for the crews, the Title Sponsor takes pride in its longstanding association with the regatta, the competing crews feature some of the world's finest sailors, while the yachts embody a perfect balance of power, speed, innovation and grace. With such attributes, and the competition on display over the past week, the event is set fair for the future.