Victory for Maxi Jena at enlarged Venice Hospitality Challenge

The annual Venice Hospitality Challenge grew a scale larger this year with an increased fleet of 16 maxi yachts. As usual the race course was set in the magnificent, unique setting of the San Marco and Guidecca canals, with Venice's famous Piazza San Marco (St Mark's Square), its Basilica and the Palazzo Ducale as its backdrop.

This was the eighth edition of the event, organised by the Yacht Club Venezia with the support of the International Maxi Association, the officially-recognised body that oversees and promotes maxi yacht racing globally. The Venice Hospitality Challenge ties together maxi yacht racing with many of Venice's world-famous hotels, such as the Gritti Palace, Cipriani and Hotel Danieli.

This year it formed part of the celebrations marking the 1600th birthday of the water-born city.

The event started with a parade of sail between Saint 'Elena to just off Piazza San Marco before the race itself set sail at 1355 CEST in 6-8 knots of wind from 335 degrees. With a Race Committee led by Alfredo Ricci and assisted by Gianfranco Frizzarin, Emilia Barbieri and Alina Dix, the course took the boats from the start off Punta della Dogana at the entrance of the Canal Grande to a mark near Saint 'Elena, back to two marks off Piazza San Marco, then to an offset mark off the Guardia di Finanza before returning to the start line, onto another mark off the Hilton Hotel and from there to the finish.

Winner of this year's Venice Hospitality Challenge was Maxi Jena campaigned by a team from Montenegro - photo © Studio Borlenghi

On the congested start line, it was Maxi Jena - Sina Centurion Palace led by Slovenian skipper Milos Radonjic, that got away cleanest. From here the 80ft Andrej Justin design hung on, despite competition from longer potentially faster entries, such as the Furio Benussi-skippered 100ft Arca SGR, to maintain her lead to the finish line which she crossed afer roughly one hour of racing.

Top International Maxi Association yacht to finish was the Slovenian Reichel/Pugh 87, Way of Life (ex Morning Glory), skippered by two time Finn Olympian Gašper Vincec, which came home second behind Maxi Jena. Way of Life was once again representing the Gritti Palace - The Luxury Collection and the hotel's manager, Paolo Lorenzoni, competing on board.

Milos Radonjic led the Maxi Jena team to victory representing the Sina Centurion Palace hotel - Venice Hospitality Challenge 2021 - photo © Studio Borlenghi

Vincec admitted that they had lost out at the start. "Our approach was not perfect, because there was pressure from all the other maxis, so it was a little bit of a mess. But when we started to sail alone we slowly caught the other boats one by one. It felt romantic, as it always does in Venice!"

The 16 maxis were divided into two classes with the class of smaller maxis won by the Farr 80 Anemos, skippered by Gughi Danelon.

At the prize-giving held at the Zattere, President of the Yacht Club Venezia, Mirko Sguario and the Councilor for Tourism Simone Venturini presented the winners with their trophies in the shape of the Doge's hat, crafted specially by the historic Ars Cenedese glass factory in Murano.

This year's Venice Hospitality Challenge was attended by International Maxi Association President Benoît de Froidmont. At the prize-giving Mirko Sguario appointed de Froidmont as an Ambassador for the Venice Hospitality Challenge, along with double Olympic 49erFX gold medallist Martine Grael and Italian Ruggero Tita, the Nacra 17 gold medallist from Tokyo 2020.

A gala dinner for the Venice Hospitality Challenge is due to take place tonight hosted by the Hilton Molino Stucky.

Among the 16 entries were the America's Cup challenge Il Moro di Venezia and the 1993 Whitbread Round the World Race winner New Zealand Endeavor representing the City of Venice and the Francesco Morosini Military Naval School respectively.

The famous bell tower of the Basilica San Marco, one of several famous landmarks forming a backdrop to Venice Hospitality Challenge - photo © Studio Borlenghi

Venice Hospitality Challenge 2021 - Final podia:

Class 1
1 Maxi Jena - Sina Centurion Palace
2 Way of Life - The Gritti Palace
3 Arca SGR - Ca 'Sagredo

Class 2
1 Anemos - JW Marriott
2 Bamar Ancilla - Hotel Excelsior
3 Kiwi - Londra Palace

Congressed start line on the Canale San Marco with the Basilica's famous bell tower in the background - Venice Hospitality Challenge 2021 - photo © Studio Borlenghi

Hotels participating in the Venice Hospitality Challenge 2021: Bauer Palazzo, Ca 'di Dio VRetreats, Ca' Sagredo Hôtel, SINA Centurion Palace, Hôtel Cipriani, Hôtel Danieli a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hôtel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort, The Gritti Palace a Luxury Collection Hotel Venice, Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, Hotel Londra Palace, JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa, Palazzina and The St. Regis Venice and Alajmo Ristorante Quadri.