Rolex Swan Cup at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda gets underway with record fleet of 170 boats
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 16 Sep 23:05 PDT
16-19 September 2026
The first day of racing at the 23rd Rolex Swan Cup began early on Wednesday morning as the quays in front of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda came alive with the bustling crews of the 170 yachts gathered in Porto Cervo.
This amounts to some 1,800 sailors, busy making final preparations ahead of the start of racing in this event marking the 60th anniversary of the Nautor Swan shipyard - an edition which has set a new record for the number of Swans assembled.
With the forecast of light winds confirmed, the Race Committee managed to set a short coastal race for the opening day. Setting off from the Gulf of Arzachena, the fleet - divided into various classes based on performance - sailed upwind through the Passo delle Bisce, before heading to the lighthouse on Isola dei Monaci and the finish line. For the three Swan Maxi classes, the course extended to include a mark to round off the coast of Porto Cervo before a reaching leg to the Isola dei Monaci, covering a total of 9,6 miles.
For the ClubSwan One Design classes, windward-leeward races were scheduled, but only the CS28s were able to complete their race in the very light breeze. Lorenzo Bortolotti's Black Swan took the win ahead of Swing and Anya Race.
The sight of more than 100 Swans tacking through the Passo delle Bisce was one of those moments that speaks volumes about the Swan spirit and the joy of sailing, whether making the most of the lightest puffs of breeze or driving hard in strong winds. One of the many stories capturing the essence of this fleet is the Swan 65 Force 9, competing with a crew of very young sailors, four of whom completed the 2023/24 Ocean Globe Race - a modern retelling of the first Whitbread Round the World Race - while eight more are taking part in the Rolex Swan Cup as part of a selection process for the next edition in 2027.
Wednesday's winners in their respective categories were:
- Swan Maxi Division A: BeCool
- Swan Mini-Maxi Division A: Cloudy 7
- Swan Legacy Division B - Sparkman & Stephens: Elan
- Swan Legacy Division B - Classics by Frers: Lunz am Meer
- Swan Pure Cruising Division D: Luca F
- Swan Maxi Pure Cruising Division D: Coco De Mer
At 7 pm in Piazza Azzurra, in front of the YCCS, Paul Cayard held a Meet and Greet attended a large and engaged crowd. A YCCS honorary member, Rolex testimonial and Nautor Swan ambassador, Paul Cayard is the Star Class reigning world champion and president. He spoke about his passion for the Star, popular with many great America's Cup skippers, and about how important the boat has been in his sailing career.
Racing continues tomorrow with the first starting signal at 12 noon CEST. A mistral wind of 14 to 18 knots is forecast, with gusts exceeding 20 knots.
Official documents, results, the event programme, results, entry list, photos and news are available in the dedicated section of the YCCS website. Follow the live tracking by clicking here.