Countdown is on to another Mediterranean sailing season

by Jill Campbell on 1 May 2014 The countdown is on to another Mediterranean sailing season and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) is preparing to welcome the owners, crews, friends and supporters who flock to Porto Cervo each year for the Club's busy calendar of sporting events. During the Club's annual press conference, held this morning at the Four Seasons hotel in Milan, the YCCS officially presented the 2014 sporting season.

The current season had already, in fact, kicked off in the waters of the British Virgin Islands, where the YCCS winter base was created a few short years ago in Virgin Gorda in order to give owners, sailors and renowned sailing yachts the chance to race year-round. YCCS Virgin Gorda recently hosted the RC44 fleet at the RC44 Virgin Gorda Cup (11-16 February), the first ever event for the class in Caribbean waters. Then in March sailing superyachts returned to the YCCS Marina for the fourth edition of the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous (19-22 March), a regatta that has quickly become an established event on the superyacht circuit.

Azzurra, the TP52 owned by Alberto Roemmers which flies the Club's burgee on international regatta courses, also had a positive start to the season as she claimed second place in the US 52 Super Series and the circuit overall thanks to solid racing in the first two events of the circuit. Competition will soon move to the Mediterranean for the Rolex Capri Sailing Week (20-24 May), before the World Championship set to take place in Porto Cervo in June and a final two regattas in Spanish waters.

The season in Porto Cervo will open, as always, with the traditional Vela and Golf event (16-18 May) comprising fleet regattas aboard the fast and responsive Smeralda 888 craft designed for the Club by German Frers. The YCCS will then collaborate with the Poltu Quatu Marina in the organization of the Trofeo Challenge Alessandro Boeris Clemen (24 May), a biennial event now in its seventh edition and open to all vessels over 7.32 metres.

June will see the arrival of a majestic superyacht fleet for the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta (3-7 June), an event renowned for the beauty and elegance of the competing yachts. The sailing giants will immediately make way for a highly competitive group of TP52 boats ready to do battle for the Audi TP52 World Championship (9-14 June) over a week of tactical duels and thrilling competition organized in collaboration with Audi, the Club's official automotive partner. June concludes with another traditional YCCS appointment for the Smeralda 888 class competing in the Coppa Europa Smeralda 888 (27-29 June) as part of their annual circuit. The 'Smeraldas' will also be used for the YCCS Members Championship (3 August).

July sees the YCCS launch an important new initiative with the organization of the first edition of the Invitational Team Racing Challenge (2-6 July), a new international team racing event in a truly Corinthian spirit. Some of the most prestigious European and international yacht Clubs will participate over four days of hard-fought racing aboard newly-launched Bavaria B/One one-design yachts from Farr Yacht Design.

After the habitual summer break, a selection of the world's most spectacular sailing yachts will once again grace the quays of Porto Cervo Marina for two key events on the Mediterranean racing calendar: the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship (31 August - 6 September) and the biennial Rolex Swan Cup and Swan 45 World Championship (8-14 September). While both events were established in 1980 and are organized in collaboration with Rolex, the Club's official timekeeper has sponsored the Rolex Swan Cup since 1984 and the 2014 edition marks the 30th anniversary of the enduring partnership between Rolex, Nautor's Swan and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

In addition to the Club's longstanding collaboration with Rolex and its firmly established relationship with Audi, the YCCS today announced the addition of a third official partner. The renowned Swiss bank UBS, already active in the sponsorship of cultural and sporting activities, will become the official financial partner of the YCCS from 2014.

Finally the spotlight returns to Virgin Gorda and the YCCS team who will welcome participants arriving from Tenerife in the Transatlantic Superyacht and Maxi Regatta (departs 23 November), to conclude another busy year in fine style.

'As always, the season will be a busy and rewarding one for our Club.' commented Riccardo Bonadeo, YCCS Commodore during today's press conference. 'Together with our traditional events, regattas for maxis and superyachts and the TP52 Worlds, we are also launching a new international team racing event. This reflects the Club's constant quest for innovation and growth. Values that have carried the YCCS, despite its relatively young age, to the forefront of yachting worldwide.'

For further information, full programmes, entry lists and technical documents visit our websites YCCS and Azzurra.