Mauro Roversi's J-Curve has claimed a rare double at Porto Cervo, winning both the Italian J/70 Championship and the overall 2026 Italian J/70 Cup, after a tiebreaker so tight it came down to a single countback.
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda hosted the finale, marking the J/70 fleet's return to Porto Cervo nearly a decade after the famous 2017 World Championship there, which drew a record entry of more than 160 crews.
Eight races were sailed over three days, and the title came down to the final race, with J-Curve and Massimo Rama's Caim# Jeniale tied on 16 points net. The countback rule, based on best race results, swung it J-Curve's way.
Roversi's crew led from day one, topping the fleet with a win and two thirds in the opening three races, ahead of Caim# Jeniale and Steven Proud's Australian entry Swish. The second day brought a two-point cushion heading into the decider.
The final day delivered the drama the series had been building towards. Swish won the penultimate race, with Ciclone and J-Curve second and third. Caim# Jeniale finished eighth in that race but hit back with victory in the last one, levelling the points with J-Curve and forcing the tiebreak.
"Winning the Italian title for the first time, in the waters of Porto Cervo, against a highly competitive fleet and in typical Costa Smeralda conditions, is a source of great pride for me," said Roversi. "The event was hard-fought throughout, culminating in a unique finish with two boats tied on points. We were fortunate to come out on top on the tie-breaker, and I congratulate Massimo Rama's team, brilliant rivals who challenged us every step of the way."
Caim# Jeniale took second overall and the Corinthian title. Yann Inghilesi's Ciclone rounded out the podium, with Swish fourth and the United Arab Emirates' Tenzor Team, skippered by Andrei Pushkin, fifth.
Across the full four-event Italian J/70 Cup season, spanning Scarlino, Lerici, Torbole and Porto Cervo, J-Curve finished well clear on 77 points net, with Caim# Jeniale second and Manfredo Toninelli's T-One third.
There was no Kiwi boat in the fleet this time. But with Irish, Australian, Emirati, German and French crews lining up alongside the Italians, the regatta was a reminder of just how far the J/70 class has spread beyond its home waters.