ORC World Championship 2026 Inshore Series Day 2
by Tre Golfi Sailing Week 12 May 20:03 BST
4-28 May 2026
The ORC World Championship 2026, taking place between Naples and Sorrento from 7 to 14 May, continued at full pace today with the second day of inshore racing, once again delivering action and tight competition across all classes.
Organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa) and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, in conjunction with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), and supported by Rolex and Loro Piana, the championship continues to confirm its status as a key event on the international offshore sailing calendar.
The forecasted 19-knot breeze did not materialize, but despite this, all four classes managed to complete three windward-leeward races. Conditions varied throughout the day: from 10-12 knots in the first race, dropping to 8-9 knots, before building again for the final start. Crews returned ashore tired under the warm May sun, but enthusiastic about the high level of racing.
Once again, the racing was extremely competitive, particularly in Class 0, where the TP52 Summer Storm of Andrew Berdon strengthened her provisional lead by winning all three races of the day. In the opening race, tied on points with Xio of Marco Serafini (with Gabriele Benussi on tactics), the latter was forced to retire due to a broken spreader at the start of Race 2.
Second overall after five races is Italy's RocketNikka of Roberto Lacorte, with Lorenzo Bressani calling tactics, following a strong day with a third and two second places. The Australian TP52 Vudu of Mauro Gestri sits just behind.
"It was a very tactical day, with lighter wind than expected and very similar boat speeds, so every decision made the difference," said Lorenzo Bressani, tactician of RocketNikka. "We made good calls, with a bit of luck as well. In these conditions, it takes very little to gain or lose several positions. Everything is still wide open and can change again tomorrow."
In Class A, the Carkeek 40+ Ran of Sweden's Niklas Zennström maintains the lead with a solid margin over the Swan 42 Morgan V of Nicola De Gemmis, while another Swedish entry, the Garm 42 of Roman Per, remains in third place.
"Three races and very variable conditions - a full-on day," commented Adrian Stead, tactician of Ran. "The wind dropped significantly in the first race, making things tricky. We managed the situations well and posted consistent results, including a win in the final race. The level of competition is extremely high, and racing here in the Gulf of Naples is always special. Now we're focused on tomorrow's coastal race."
In Class B, the Maltese X-41 Technonicol of Georgi Kolesnikov leads the standings with a solid margin after winning two races today. Eight points behind is Argentina's Katara of Julian Somodi (PG390), while To Be, the Italia Yachts 11.98 of Stefano Rusconi, sits in third place.
"After getting through the offshore race, we feel more relaxed, and today we gave everything in the inshore races," said Mati Sepp, helmsman and skipper of Technonicol, ORC Class B European Champion in 2025 and 2018. "We started well in all three races and adopted a conservative approach, pushing only when needed. Conditions were difficult to read and different from the forecasts, but we managed them well. We've been sailing this boat for over 15 years, and that allows us to get the most out of it - that's our real strength."
Class C was the last to finish racing and return ashore. Cyprus' Vrolijk 37 Freedom 24 of Evgenii Tiapkin currently leads, followed by Italy's Italia Yachts 9.98 Lady Day 998 of Corrado Annis, with Spain's Salona 37 Diputación de Huelva DE/6 (Asociación Deportiva Canaleta) in third.
Tomorrow will see the coastal race around the island of Capri, one of the most anticipated moments of the week, before the final inshore races on Thursday.
The regatta is supported by leading partners including Rolex and Loro Piana, alongside North Sails, Wally Yachts, Deloitte, Ferrarelle, Ottogas, Garmin, Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., Caffè Borbone and Azimut Investimenti.