The 70th Tre Golfi Regatta: 130 boats set sail from Naples
by Tre Golfi Sailing Week 17 May 00:17 PDT
7-22 May 2025
70th Tre Golfi Regatta sets sail from Naples © Tre Golfi Sailing Week / Studio Borlenghi
The 70th edition of the Tre Golfi Regatta set sail this afternoon at 16:15 from the Bay of Santa Lucia, marking a historic chapter in Italian offshore sailing and the central race of the 2025 Tre Golfi Sailing Week.
The event is organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano, the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, IMA, ORC, FIV, and UVAI, with the support of Rolex as Official Timepiece, Loro Piana, and many other technical and institutional partners.
The day began with a solemn moment: at 12:00, at the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, the traditional flag-raising ceremony was held with the honor guard of the Italian Navy, attended by civic and sports authorities, owners, and crews. This was followed by the classic pre-race spaghetti party held on the docks together with the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, a time-honored tradition that symbolically kicks off the Tre Golfi offshore race.
At exactly 16:15, 130 boats set off in front of Castel dell'Ovo, under extraordinary conditions: a northeast 'Grecale' wind blowing at 14-18 knots, with gusts over 20, delivered a spectacular start — made even more memorable by the presence of the Italian Navy's iconic training ship, Amerigo Vespucci, a symbol of national pride and excellence in seamanship.
The fleet — composed of ORC boats, Maxis, and Multihulls — faces a 150-nautical-mile course through the Gulfs of Naples, Gaeta, and Salerno, rounding the islands of Ischia, Ponza, Capri, and Li Galli, in one of the most breathtaking settings in the Mediterranean. With this year's favorable weather forecast, some of the fastest Maxis in the fleet could arrive as early as sunrise on Saturday, 17 May, potentially breaking the record time of 15 hours, 30 minutes, and 1 second set by Jethou (Sir Peter Ogden) in 2023.
The regatta also serves as the final trial for the ORC Mediterranean Championship. Among the favorites are Confluence (Jean-Pierre Joly), To Be (Stefano Rusconi), and Lisa R, the Ker 46 owned by Giovanni Di Vincenzo and winner of the 2023 edition.
Excitement also runs high among the Maxi Yachts, with some of the world's fastest boats lining up for an elite-level showdown. Notable contenders include Arca SGR (skipper Furio Benussi), 2024 winner; the Wally 100s Galateia, V, and Tilakkhana; the brand-new Magic Carpet Cubed of Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones with CRV Italia honorary member Francesco de Angelis on tactics; Bullitt of YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati, fresh from winning the Caribbean Maxi Challenge in February; Jethou; Scallywag; Bella Mente, with America's Cup skipper Terry Hutchinson; My Song (Pierluigi Loro Piana) with decorated tactician Tommaso Chieffi; and the new Capricorno, the latest in a long series of boats by Alessandro Del Bono.
"It is a great honor for us to launch the 70th edition of the Tre Golfi Regatta," said Roberto Mottola di Amato, President of Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia. "This race represents the past and future of offshore sailing in Italy — a blend of tradition, passion, and sporting spirit that celebrates our Gulf and its historic yacht clubs. Seeing 130 boats parading out of Naples, with the Vespucci in the background, was a sight we won't soon forget. The choice of Naples as a venue for the 38th America's Cup reaffirms once again the allure of this extraordinary racing area".
The first finishers of the Tre Golfi Regatta are expected by tomorrow morning, though smaller boats may cross the line during the night between Saturday and Sunday. The Tre Golfi Sailing Week continues from Monday, 19 May, with inshore racing for the IMA Maxi European Championship, running through 22 May with base in Sorrento.
The Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2025 is made possible thanks to the support of: Rolex Timepiece, Loro Piana, North Sails, Wally Yachts, Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., Ferrarelle, Ottogas, Deloitte, Italia Yachts, Le Axidie, Caffè Borbone, Schenker, Miliare, and Consorzio Prosecco DOC.
Find out more at www.tregolfisailingweek.com