All set for 36th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 6 Sep 08:21 PDT
6-12 September 2026
The Maxi 1 class battling for their World Championship - Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 Day 4 © Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi
The 36th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the International Maxi Association and with the support of title sponsor Rolex, officially gets under way today with the Skippers' Briefing scheduled for 6 p.m. on the YCCS terrace, followed at 7 p.m. by the Welcome Cocktail.
Racing will begin tomorrow, Monday 7 September, with the first signal scheduled for 12 noon CEST, and the event concludes on Saturday 12 September with the prize-giving ceremony in Piazza Azzurra.
A fleet of over 40 maxi yachts, all exceeding 60 feet in length, has assembled in Porto Cervo for the leading international event in this class. The entry list spans the full spectrum of maxi sailing, from the most advanced racers to performance cruisers, with six multihulls joining the line-up this year. The Maxi classes will race under IRC handicap, while the multihulls will be scored under the ORCmh system. All will compete on one of the most spectacular and technically demanding race courses in the Mediterranean, among the islands and channels of the La Maddalena Archipelago and the waters off Porto Cervo.
To encourage greater participation by women and young sailors, the Notice of Race includes a crew bonus provision, which allows teams to carry up to two additional crew members beyond the maximum number specified on their IRC certificate, provided they are female sailors or aged 21 or under at the date of the prize-giving. This measure is designed to encourage a new generation of sailors to enter the Maxi classes and to foster an increasing presence of women on the race course.
For the second consecutive year, two world titles will be decided at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup: the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship and the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship. The two classes are divided according to a coefficient that reflects each boat's performance potential. In the Maxi 1 class, the WallyCento Galateia returns to defend the title claimed in 2025, with the New Zealand duo of Murray Jones and Kelvin Harrap in the afteguard. Key challengers from recent seasons will include the 100-foot Magic Carpet E, owned by YCCS member Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, with Francesco de Angelis on tactics; the ClubSwan 80 My Song, owned by YCCS member Pier Luigi Loro Piana, with Paul Cayard and Manu Weiler on board; and Alessandro Del Bono's Capricorno, whose crew includes Flavio Favini, Alberto Bolzan and five-time Olympic medallist Torben Grael.
Two female owners will compete in this highly competitive class, Pascale Decaux at the helm of the WallyCento Tilakkhana and Wendy Schmidt on the Botin 85 Deep Blue. Rounding off a fleet of top-class entries are Joost Schuijff's Leopard 3, with tactician Chris Nicholson, and the WallyCento V owned by YCCS member Karel Komarek, entrepreneur and head of the American Racing Challenger Team in the 38th America's Cup in Naples.
The Maxi Grand Prix fleet boasts an equally high concentration of champions. Reigning world champion Django 7x, the wallyrocket71 owned by YCCS member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, returns with Vasco Vascotto and Guillermo Parada in the afterguard. Terry Hutchinson will be calling tactics on Hap Fauth's Bella Mente, Brad Butterworth takes the same role on Sir Peter Ogden's Jethou, YCCS member Peter Harrison's Jolt will have Nick Asher as tactician, while Hamish Pepper will call tactics on Proteus, owned by George and Christina Sakellaris. YCCS member Peter Dubens' new JV76 Northstar III will make her debut at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Grand Prix class, with two-time Olympic medallist Nick Rogers on tactics.
The same depth of talent extends across the entire fleet. Other leading names gathered in Porto Cervo include New Zealander Dean Barker on James Neville's Artemis Bleu - winner of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup in Porto Cervo in June; Luis Doreste on Pelotari.Project and Francesco "Checco" Bruni on Twin Soul B. These renowned figures from the America's Cup, the Olympics and the most prestigious international professional circuits underline the exceptional competitive standard of this regatta.
New to the 2026 edition is a division featuring six multihull yachts: Allegra, Coco de Mer, Gaea, Highland Fling 18, Layla and Sophia - the latter a 19-metre trimaran designed by Nigel Irens and the first of her type to compete at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Other yachts to watch include H2O, owned by YCCS member Riccardo de Michele with Lorenzo Bodini as tactician - one of the most successful boats in the event's recent history - and Giuseppe Puttini's Swan 65 Shirlaf, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of her launch this year and will go on to compete in the Rolex Swan Cup the following week.
"The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup embodies the values that the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda seeks to express through its regattas: tradition and innovation in yacht design, owners driven by genuine passion, crews of the very highest calibre and a race course that always demands the best. The inclusion of two World Championships once again reflects the sporting standard this event has achieved. I would like to thank Rolex and the International Maxi Association for sharing this journey with us, and I extend a warm welcome to all the owners and crews who have returned, once again, to Porto Cervo." commented YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati.
The racing programme will combine coastal races in the La Maddalena Archipelago with windward-leeward races for the Maxi 1 and Maxi Grand Prix classes. Both World Championship classes will complete up to seven races: three coastal races and up to four windward-leewards, spread across two days. The remaining classes will sail up to five coastal races. Thursday 10 September is designated as a rest day, but may be used to reschedule any races lost due to weather conditions.
Ashore, a full social programme will run alongside the five days of racing. The IMA Members' Dinner takes place on Wednesday evening, while Thursday 10 September will see the Rolex Gala Dinner at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. On Friday evening, the Crew Party welcomes all participants in Piazza Azzurra, before the final prize-giving ceremony on Saturday 12 September at 5.30 p.m.
The first starting signal for the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will sound tomorrow, Monday 7th September at 12 noon CEST. Light easterly winds are forecast.
More information at official website.