Please select your home edition
Edition
X-Yachts X4.0

Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda - Day 3

by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 5 Jun 2021 06:51 NZST 1-5 June 2021
Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2021 Day 3: Hard-fought battle between Highland Fling XVII and Allegra © YCCS / Studio Borlenghi

The 33-metre yacht Missy and the catamaran Highland Fling XVII maintain the lead in their respective divisions with the grand finale set for tomorrow, 5 June

Competitors in the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta were graced with a third day of ideal wind and sea conditions that saw yesterday's victors - Missy in the Superyacht division and Highland Fling XVII among the Multihulls - confirm their winning form. Tomorrow, 5 June, the overall winners of the 2021 edition of the regatta, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of title sponsor Loro Piana, will be decreed.

Right on schedule at 12.35 p.m. and with 15 knots of wind from east-southeast, the Multihull fleet set off on a reaching leg to the Bisce pass, the first natural mark on a spectacular course set by the Race Committee, led by Principal Race Officer Peter Craig. After leaving the Secca di Tre Monti shallows to starboard, the yachts turned downwind to the Monaci islet, leaving it to port, before embarking on a reaching anti-clockwise circumnavigation of the islands of Caprera and La Maddalena and a final downwind run through the Bisce pass again and the finish line off Porto Cervo, for a total of a little over 30 miles.

The two fastest yachts in real time, Allegra and Highland Fling XVII, with Paul Larsen and Cameron Appleton respectively calling tactics, immediately engaged in a thrilling duel that reached speeds of around 20 knots in the Golfo delle Saline. The final victory went to Highland Fling XVII, now the clear favourite for the overall win in the Multihull category, followed by R-Six and Allegra in the provisional overall.

The Superyacht division raced on the same course but with the addition of a rounding of the island of Spargi, before returning via the famed Bomb Alley. Once again the 33-metre Vitters superyacht Missy, the first boat off the line in the division's staggered start, proved victorious in compensated time. She was followed by the Swan 115 Shamanna, who also sits in second place in the provisional overall standings, and by the Wally Y3K who moves up to third place overall. With the breeze growing to around 18-20 knots through the Bisce pass, these imposing vessels were a sight to behold as they battled through spectacular tacking duels against a unique natural backdrop.

The Southern Wind Trophy and Rendezvous programme, meanwhile, saw the fleet from the South African shipyard sail to the island of Razzoli, where the fleet anchored before making their way back to Porto Cervo later in the day.

Back on the docks, the beaming grins on the faces of owners and crews across all divisions paid testament to the beauty of another instalment of the type of sailing that only the Costa Smeralda and the archipelago of La Maddalena can deliver. "Today I had the best sailing day ever!" declared the delighted owner of Allegra, a 25-metre catamaran designed by Nigel Irens and Nauta Yachts.

Paul Larsen, tactician on Allegra: “The conditions today were just sensational. This is the second time the owner has driven around the course and said he has had the best day sailing of his life so that’s how good it was. The boat was fully lit, we probably pushed it harder than we have ever pushed it before and we brought it back unscathed. It was just fun and that’s what we all sign onto these boats for. It’s perfect! It’s flat water, it’s warm, it’s great competition, it was a perfect day on the water. Unfortunately, we are still carrying the disqualification from the first day but we are still going to push tomorrow. There is a slim possibility to take this out but the other team are sailing extremely well, each time we line up we keep turning the pressure up. We will just sail our best and see how it pans out.”

Mitch Booth, tactician on Leopard 3: "The conditions were absolutely perfect today, it doesn’t get any better! We saw 25 knots at the top of the mast and about 18 round the back of the island. Superb sailing, the best conditions I can ever remember here. Always happy to be here, this is one of my favourite spots for sailing. It’s so reliable for wind and at this time of year it’s just a pleasure. It’s one of the first events in the circuit so we’re very very happy to be back here. We have a new owner and he is loving every minute of it and what a place to bring him to show him what superyacht sailing is all about. The adoption of a multihull class in this regatta was inevitable, it’s the future. They are more efficient, they don’t use as much fuel to run, the comfort and stability, all the factors requested in the mid-size cruising market which is slowly getting bigger and bigger and I’m very confident that there is a huge future for multihulls in superyacht sailing."

Tomorrow's final day of racing is scheduled to start at 12.35 p.m. with the Multihull division setting off first, followed by the Superyachts. The forecast is for breeze from the east of 6 to 9 knots.

For the entry list, the official documents, event programme, live tracking, photos and further information please visit the dedicated section on the YCCS website.

Related Articles

52 Super Series Porto Cervo practice race
The loss of the last 'dress rehearsal' is something of a disappointment Although there was just enough breeze to execute a couple of meaningful practice starts, the breeze dropped away and thereafter proved insufficient to allow the planned two short official practice races to be sailed today off Porto Cervo. Posted on 22 Sep
Entry criteria announced for Sardinia Cup 2026
Iconic Yacht Club Costa Smeralda regatta to mirror Admiral's Cup rating bands The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) is pleased to announce that the next edition of the Sardinia Cup, taking place from 31 May to 7 June 2026, will adopt the IRC Rating Bands applied by the Royal Ocean Racing Club for the Admiral's Cup. Posted on 17 Sep
52 Super Series Porto Cervo preview
Spectacular Sardina will see teams looking to finish 2025 on a high note Teams on the 52 SUPER SERIES head to the renowned YC Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo for the final event of the season, 52 SUPER SERIES - Porto Cervo - Range Rover regatta, all sharing the same, universal ambition, to finish on an absolute high note. Posted on 17 Sep
Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge concludes
Jean-Pierre Barjon's Spirit of Lorina has won for the second time For a second occasion, Jean-Pierre Barjon's Spirit of Lorina has won the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge (MMOC). Having first claimed this title for the 2021-22 season, the French-flagged silver Botin 65 has again won it for 2024-25. Posted on 16 Sep
IRC Rating Rule unites Admirals Cup & Sardinia Cup
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) has announced the return of the Sardinia Cup The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) has confirmed that the Admiral's Cup will return in 2027, building on the spectacular success of its 2025 comeback after a 22-year hiatus. Posted on 15 Sep
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: Defining excellence
The 2025 edition featured two world titles 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. Posted on 14 Sep
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 overall
Galateia and Django 7X claim Maxi World Championships The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup concluded today with the Costa Smeralda in more clement mood; moderate to light conditions enabling crews to focus more on tactics and boat speed and less on survival and protecting equipment. Posted on 13 Sep
35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Porto Cervo overall
Galateia and Django 7X win Rolex World Championships in Maxi 1 and Maxi Grand Prix classes 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. Posted on 13 Sep
35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Porto Cervo Day 5
Mistral wind halts play on penultimate day The Mistral dominated once again in Porto Cervo today, blowing with such force that it led to the cancellation of racing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Posted on 12 Sep
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 Day 5
Penultimate day beset by Mistral conditions Sadly the second day of the northwesterly Mistral proved stronger than the first at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, Sardinia. Posted on 12 Sep
Selden 2020 - FOOTERRolly Tasker Sails 2023 FOOTERRooster 2025