From Saint-Tropez to Genoa: The Loro Piana Giraglia 2026 begins
by Yacht Club Italiano 11 Jun 10:25 BST
12-16 June 2026
Loro Piana Giraglia 2026 Inshore Racing © Loro Piana / Studio Borlenghi
The 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia opens in Saint-Tropez on the 12 June, bringing together one of the Mediterranean's most celebrated gatherings of yacht owners, sailors, crews and supporters for a regatta that combines world-class racing with the unmistakable atmosphere of the Côte d'Azur.
Organised by Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, under the guidance of the Federazione Italiana Vela and the Fédération Française de Voile, the 2026 edition runs from 12 to 20 June. The programme begins with the Inshore Regatta in Saint-Tropez from 13 to 16 June, followed by the offshore race from Saint-Tropez to Genoa via the Giraglia Rock, starting on 17 June.
First held in 1953, the Loro Piana Giraglia has always had a character of its own. It is a race shaped by two great sailing cities and one iconic Mediterranean landmark: the style and colour of Saint-Tropez, the magic of the Giraglia Rock and the historic welcome of Genoa. The event is elegant ashore, intense on the water and deeply rooted in the traditions of yacht racing.
Registration and inshore racing
Saint-Tropez will be the beating heart of the opening week. Registration takes place 11 to 12 June before four days of inshore racing 13 to 16 June. The fleet will race in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez and the Bay of Pampelonne, with a programme designed to offer both technical inshore racing and the tactical challenge of coastal courses.
IRC and ORC Classes
The inshore series is open to yachts racing under IRC and ORC, with Group 0 for the Maxis and Groups 1 and 2 for the wider fleet. Depending on class and conditions, the programme may include coastal, triangle and windward-leeward racing. For the Maxi fleet, the spectacle of powerful yachts racing close to Saint-Tropez will be one of the defining vistas of the week, while across the fleet the racing is expected to be close both on the water and after corrected time.
The inshore regatta has its own importance and forms part of the wider story of the event. The Combined Ranking, for boats entered in both the inshore and offshore parts of the Loro Piana Giraglia, are part of a scoring series. All races count, with no discard, and the inshore regatta carries coefficient 1 while the offshore race carries coefficient 2. That creates a compelling sporting balance: consistency and boat handling in Saint-Tropez, followed by endurance, navigation and seamanship offshore.
Full Details of all of the Racing Classes can be found on the 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia Official Notice Board
Daily prize-givings in Saint-Tropez
Ashore, the daily prize-givings will provide the natural meeting point for the regatta. After each day's racing, crews will gather at the Race Village for the Inshore Races Daily Prize Giving, with entertainment scheduled. These moments are an important part of the Loro Piana Giraglia atmosphere: a chance for sailors to meet, celebrate the day's racing and share stories from the water.
The daily prize-giving schedule begins on Saturday 13 June and concludes on Tuesday 16 June, the final day of inshore racing. The final inshore prize-giving will continue later into the evening and will recognise the leading performances across the classes and the presentation of the Ville de Saint-Tropez Trophy.
Competitors will also be kept up to date through the Official Notice Board and the dedicated Loro Piana Giraglia 2026 WhatsApp channel, which has been created to share regatta information and social event updates throughout the regatta.
Loro Piana Giraglia Offshore Race
The offshore race from Saint-Tropez to Genoa begins on Wednesday 17 June with the first warning signal scheduled for 11:55. All of the boats will be fitted with satellite tracking with a free to view player on desktop and smart devices. The course takes the fleet from Saint-Tropez, leaving Ile du Levant to port, rounding the Giraglia Rock to port and finishing in Genoa. At approximately 241 nautical miles, the classic Mediterranean offshore race is short enough to be sailed at full intensity, but long enough to reward patience, judgement and tactical precision.
Sailors' Logistics from Saint-Tropez to Genoa
For sailors, the organisers have put practical support in place. Boats will be moored free of charge in Saint-Tropez, Marines de Cogolin or Port Grimaud from 13:00 on 12 June until 12:00 on 17 June, subject to availability and allocation. In Genoa, boats will be moored free of charge after the finish until 15:00 on 20 June, subject to available space. A bus service from Yacht Club Italiano in Genoa to Saint-Tropez is scheduled for Tuesday 16 June, while a free luggage and material transport service will leave Saint-Tropez for Genoa on the morning of Wednesday 17 June.
Race Village at Yacht Club Italiano in Genoa
The Genoa Race Village at the Yacht Club Italiano will be open 24hr from 18 to 20 June offering food and beverages. The offshore Loro Piana Giraglia has a time limit of 09:00 on Saturday 20 June. Later that day, Yacht Club Italiano will host the official award ceremony in Genoa, where the Loro Piana Trophies, Challenge Trophies and Special Prizes will be presented. Prizes include offshore overall honours, line honours, double-handed awards, combined ranking trophies, special Maxi prizes, the first yacht to round the Giraglia Rock and classic yacht awards.
From the daily prize-givings and race village in Saint-Tropez to the final awards at Yacht Club Italiano in Genoa, the Loro Piana Giraglia is more than a race programme. It is a Mediterranean tradition, a meeting place for sailors and a sporting journey from one great host city to another, by way of one of offshore racing's most evocative turning marks, the Giraglia.