76th CentoMiglia Internazionale del Garda draws closer: historic boats, big names head to Lake Garda
by Elena Giolai 29 Aug 22:01 PDT
5-6 September 2026
CentoMiglia Internazionale del Garda © Elena Giolai
With just days to go before the September 5 and 6 race, the fleet continues to grow. Banda Larga, René Raffica HUN 89, Grifo and the Cape 31 Milkwave are among the latest confirmed entries, while Olympic medallist Evert Bastet joins Prince Luitpold von Bayern's Asso 99. Thirteen time CentoMiglia winner Roberto Benamati will also be back on the starting line.
The countdown to the 76th CentoMiglia Internazionale del Garda is gathering pace. Boats are arriving, cranes are busy, masts are being stepped and the small harbours around Gargnano and Bogliaco are beginning to fill with crews preparing for one of Europe's most distinctive lake sailing events.
The latest entries bring together historic racing boats, modern ORC projects, Olympic sailing, America's Cup experience and even World Cup alpine skiing.
Among the most eagerly awaited boats is Banda Larga, an Ultimate 30 coming from Lake Maggiore. Designed by Bruce Farr and built by Dal Ferro in 1992, the boat was originally launched as Longobarda and later returned to racing following an extensive refit supervised by Claudio Maletto. Just 9.14 metres long, very light and carrying a powerful sail plan, it is traditionally raced by a crew of eight, with six on trapeze. Banda Larga already knows Lake Garda and the CentoMiglia, having competed here in the past. The 2026 crew is expected to include Stefano Beltrando, composite materials specialist and currently Quality Control Manager with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
A very different story comes with Sub Vento Libertas, an Este 35 entered through the Doppiavela Solidale project. The initiative brings together police officers with young people facing difficult personal circumstances, using sailing and teamwork as tools to develop responsibility, cooperation and mutual trust. The boat became part of the project in 2016 through the Polizia di Stato sports association in Peschiera del Garda with the support of Fondazione Cariverona.
Another Olympic medallist will also join the CentoMiglia fleet. Canadian sailor Evert Bastet, silver medallist in the Flying Dutchman at Los Angeles 1984 with Terry McLaughlin and 1980 World Champion in the class, will race aboard König Ludwig, the Asso 99 of Prince Luitpold von Bayern. Bastet and Prince Luitpold share a sailing connection stretching back to the 1980s. The Prince contributed to the Canadian Flying Dutchman campaign ahead of the 1984 Olympic Games and later sailed with Bastet on Lake Garda. They also raced together in the 39th CentoMiglia.
The crew will include another well known name from international sport, former German downhill skier Max Rauffer, who won a FIS Alpine Ski World Cup downhill race on the Saslong course in Val Gardena in 2004.
At the same time, Lake Garda is welcoming back boats that belong to the history of the famous Libera era.
One of them is Grifo, recently relaunched after a major transformation. Its arrival in Bogliaco, followed by days of rigging work and the official presentation of its new life, has become part of the growing pre race atmosphere. A boat closely connected with the history of the CentoMiglia and the Libera Class will now return to competition under ORC.
From Hungary comes René Raffica HUN 89, the second boat of the Raffica project and entrusted to its younger group of sailors. The boat is the former René Lezard, one of the best known Libera boats of the 1990s.
Between 1992 and 1995 René Lezard won four consecutive editions of the Rund Um, the historic long distance race held on Lake Constance, starting and finishing in Lindau and organised by the Lindauer Segler Club. Today the boat has been given a new competitive life and will bring a new generation of Hungarian sailors to Lake Garda.
Another major confirmation is Roberto Benamati, one of the names most closely associated with the history of the CentoMiglia. A thirteen time winner of the race in different roles on board, Benamati will compete this year aboard the Cape 31 Milkwave ITA 78, owned by Alessandro Lotto and Flavio Campana.
Milkwave represents a completely different generation of racing yacht compared with the classic Libera boats, but has already proved highly competitive under ORC. In May it won ORC 3 at the 53rd Trofeo Conde de Godó, one of the historic events of Mediterranean sailing, organised by the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona in Barcelona.
Historic boats brought back to life, modern performance yachts, young crews, Olympic sailors and champions returning to a race they know well. This combination of generations and very different interpretations of speed has always been one of the defining characteristics of the CentoMiglia.
Meanwhile, the Circolo Vela Gargnano is completing preparations both on the water and ashore for a full weekend of racing and events on September 5 and 6. The 76th CentoMiglia Internazionale del Garda is organised by Circolo Vela Gargnano under the authority of the Italian Sailing Federation, Federazione Italiana Vela. The event is supported by Fineco, Cantieri del Pardo and Lago di Garda Lombardia, together with the Municipality of Gargnano, Pro Loco Gargnano and This is Gargnano. Partners also include Acqua Tavina, Consorzio Valtènesi, Heineken and Wyler Vetta.
2026 programme: centomiglia.it/programma-2026