The Costa Smeralda once again hosts one of the most spectacular events in world sailing. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 has opened in Porto Cervo, Sardinia, with racing scheduled to start today (local time) until 13 September. Organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) with the support of the International Maxi Association (IMA) and long-time partner Rolex, the regatta is celebrating its 35th edition and the 40th anniversary of Rolex’s sponsorship of maxi yacht racing.
A milestone year
First run in 1980, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup became a biennial event in 1985 when Rolex first tied its name to YCCS’s big-boat regattas. In 1999 it turned annual, quickly becoming the pinnacle of maxi yacht competition. The partnership between YCCS and Rolex stretches back even further, to the Rolex Swan Cup in 1984, which celebrated its own 40th anniversary last year.
Now, in 2025, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup draws together 47 yachts, each more than 60 feet in length (much longer in comparison to New Zealand’s own Millennium Cup), representing the largest and most competitive fleet in the Mediterranean season.
The scale of the fleet
The line-up showcases the full spectrum of modern maxi racing. From cutting-edge Wallycentos and advanced ClubSwan designs, to long-time campaigners that embody both style and endurance, the diversity of the fleet highlights why this regatta has become known as the ultimate stage for big-boat competition.
The event is split into five classes: Maxi 1, Maxi Grand Prix, Maxi 3, Maxi 4, and Supermaxi. Two of these divisions will crown World Champions: the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship and the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship.
World titles on the line
The Maxi 1 class features nine yachts, broadly 80 to 100 feet. Among them:
- Magic Carpet E, launched in 2024, owned by YCCS member Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones and designed by Guillaume Verdier. This 100-footer introduces technological innovations and Hermès-designed interiors, and will be closely watched.
- Galateia, Tilakkhana, and V, three Wallycentos representing some of the most refined racing machines afloat. Tilakkhana, previously Magic Carpet Cubed, is now owned by Pascale Decaux and features a mixed crew including Dee Caffari, Annemieke Bes, Marie Riou, Emily Nagel, Sophie de Turcheim, Rebecca Gmuer Hornell and Lena Le Meillour in addition to the owner.
- Jolt of Peter Harrison, the highest-rated yacht in the fleet.
- Django 7X, the new wallyrocket 71 of Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, launched in June with twin rudders and water ballast, leads the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship after three races.
- Proteus, George and Christina Sakellaris’ Vrolijk-designed powerhouse and current leader of the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge.
- Jethou of Sir Peter Ogden, the longest yacht in class at 77ft.
Leopard 3, the Farr 100 of Joost Schuijff, defending World Champion, with round the world race skipper Chris Nicholson and double Olympic Laser/ILCA gold medallist Matt Wearn.
Other strong challengers include Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s ClubSwan 80 My Song, Alessandro Del Bono’s JV82 Capricorno, Wendy Schmidt’s Botin 85 Deep Blue, and Andrea Recordati’s Wally 93 Bullitt.
The Grand Prix class includes eight pure racers, many once part of the now-retired Maxi72 division. This is the first time since 2018 that their World Championship will be contested. Leading the charge:
This combination makes the Grand Prix class one of the most competitive gatherings of pure maxi racers seen in years.
Other divisions
Beyond the headline World Championship fleets, the rest of the regatta is no less compelling.
Maxi 3, the largest division, fields 14 yachts. Returning champion Oscar 3 (Mylius 65) is back with former America’s Cup helmsman Paolo Cian calling tactics. Regular contenders Spirit of Lorina (Botin 65) and Grande Orazio (Southern Wind 82) will provide tough competition. Newcomer Artemis Bleu, sistership to Spirit of Lorina, and owned by former RORC Commodore James Neville. Artemis Bleu, formerly Max Klink’s Caro, is a racer-cruiser. Crew includes former Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker and other A-list pros Rodney Ardern and Juan Vila. The class also features a trio of Baltic 68 Café Racers—Open Season, Ganesha, and Scorpione Hormar—plus a colourful mix of high-performance racer-cruisers.
Maxi 4, with nine yachts, represents the lower-rated group but no less competitive. Defending champion H2O, a silver Vallicelli 78 owned by YCCS member Riccardo De Michele, is favourite once again. Rival entries include Yoru, Manticore, @robas, and Durlindana IV, alongside newcomers such as the CN76 Beautiful Day.
Supermaxi, the giants of the fleet, race under Offshore Racing Congress Superyacht (ORCsy) rules, which uses a modified version of the ORC’s Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) to calculate a yacht’s predicted speed and generate time allowances based on its unique characteristics, enabling different superyachts to compete fairly in races. Four yachts line up: Vittorio Moretti’s 118ft Viriella, the biggest yacht in the event, with Mauro Pelaschier at the helm and Maddalena Spanu (Young Azzurra athlete and WingFoil Racing champion) joining the crew for several days. She faces Moat (Swan 115), Inoui (Briand 108), and Inti (Wally 94).
Racing programme
Racing began on Monday, 8 September, with conditions described as light and variable. The schedule provides three days of combined windward-leeward and coastal courses for the two World Championship classes, while the other three classes will race coastal circuits through the La Maddalena Archipelago on five separate days.
The IRC rating system governs results, except for the Supermaxi class which competes under ORCsy, a system specifically designed for superyachts. Courses range from 30 to 40 miles, threading through Sardinia’s dramatic channels, capes, and island passages.
Rivalries and storylines
A regatta of this scale is always rich in subplots. Among the most compelling:
The duel between the Wallycentos V and Galateia. In 2024, V had the edge, but Galateia has undergone significant optimisation, adding water ballast and making weight changes. As North Sails president and tactician Ken Read notes: “Right now Galateia is the boat to beat in this class.”
The comeback of Tilakkhana, ex-Magic Carpet Cubed, with an elite mixed crew, symbolises the push towards greater inclusivity in high-level maxi racing.
The Grand Prix fleet is widely considered the strongest since the heyday of the Maxi72 class, with Olympic champions, round-the-world veterans, and America’s Cup tacticians spread across nearly every entry.
Returning loyalists like Vittorio Moretti, whose Viriella has graced nearly every edition of the event, highlight the regatta’s unique blend of tradition and cutting-edge performance.
A place in the Mediterranean circuit
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the penultimate event of the IMA’s annual Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge, ensuring its results have broader implications. Proteus currently leads the circuit standings, followed by Spirit of Lorina and Galateia. With this week’s racing, those positions could easily change.
Ashore in Porto Cervo
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is not only about racing. Porto Cervo transforms into a social hub each September, with exclusive gatherings and glittering parties. The Rolex Gala Dinner on 11 September and the Crew Party in Piazza Azzurra on 12 September are highlights for owners and sailors alike.
Spectators can follow racing via live tracking, while the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda shares live images and updates from the racecourse on its Instagram channel.
Looking ahead
Forecasts suggest a mix of conditions throughout the week, with the Mistral expected to build mid-regatta. That promises fast, physically demanding sailing, particularly for the Grand Prix and Maxi 1 fleets battling for world titles.
With 47 yachts, two World Championships, and four decades of Rolex sponsorship to celebrate, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 looks set to be a defining chapter in the regatta’s history. For Kiwis following from afar, it’s another reminder of how central big-boat racing remains in the Mediterranean calendar—and how many familiar names, from Dean Barker to Stu Bannatyne (who has competed in eight Volvo Ocean Races, winning four of those eight), are right in the thick of it.
