Porto Cervo was the setting for a week that had everything: calms, gales, heartbreak, and history, as the 35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup concluded on 13 September 2025. Organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) alongside the International Maxi Association (IMA) and title sponsor Rolex, the regatta also marked a milestone: four decades of partnership between Rolex and maxi yacht racing. Forty-seven yachts, each measuring more than 60 feet, competed across five divisions on the waters off Porto Cervo, encountering the full spectrum of conditions the Costa Smeralda is capable of producing.
The two official Rolex World Championships, in the Maxi 1 and Maxi Grand Prix classes, drew the keenest attention, but Maxi 3, Maxi 4, and the Supermaxi division all delivered compelling storylines of their own. By the time the final prize-giving took place in Piazza Azzurra, the results had been shaped by fortune, tactics, and more than one late twist.
The opening day, Monday 8 September, offered little on the water. Light winds were forecast, but the fleet found itself drifting on a near-glassy surface. The Race Committee attempted to get the Maxi 1 class away on a short coastal course, abandoning the effort within minutes when it became clear the conditions could not produce a fair race. The "AP over A" signal went up mid-afternoon, with the rest of the fleet still ashore. Principal Race Officer Stuart Childerley put it plainly: "We had 3 knots from 270°, but at the Golf and Echo marks there was total calm. The chances of completing a satisfactory race today did not materialise." It was a quiet opening that gave no hint of what was to come.
Tuesday changed everything. North-westerly winds averaging 16 knots filled in, and the Race Committee pulled the start forward to 11am to make the most of the breeze. The Grand Prix fleet completed two tight windward-leeward races, with Peter Harrison's Jolt posting a first and a second to set the early pace in the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship. Bella Mente and Django 7X sat close behind, separated by only a handful of points.
The Maxi 1 fleet headed out on a 30-mile coastal course through the La Maddalena Archipelago. Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' new Magic Carpet E made an immediate impression, completing the course in just over two hours with bursts approaching 30 knots. YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati's Bullitt came home second, with V third. Further down the fleet, Nice, H2O, and Moat established themselves as early divisional leaders in Maxi 3, Maxi 4, and Supermaxi respectively. The day underlined the breadth of the fleet: carbon-fibre flyers racing the same waters as long-campaigned racer-cruisers, each finding different ways to be competitive.
Wednesday brought the Mistral, arriving precisely as forecast. Building from 12 knots to 20 with gusts of 25, it produced the kind of conditions that make this corner of the Mediterranean famous. The Maxi 1 class raced two windward-leeward contests, with V and Galateia taking a win apiece while Leopard 3 and Bullitt stayed in contention. A notable presence aboard Bullitt was Maddalena Spanu, European Wingfoil Racing champion, who joined the crew for the day. "It was a fantastic experience," she said. "I was struck by the speeds downwind, well over 20 knots, and even had the honour of steering on the way back to Porto Cervo."
The rest of the fleet tackled a demanding 36 to 40 mile coastal route passing Mortoriotto, Capo Ferro, Passo delle Bisce, and around Spargi before a final run past Monaci Islet. Shifting skies, squalls, and intermittent sunshine made for a spectacular day of racing. In the Grand Prix class, Django 7X edged Vesper by just 24 seconds to take the championship lead. Oscar 3 moved to the top of Maxi 3, and H2O and Moat remained unbeaten in their respective divisions.
Thursday turned the intensity up another notch. The Mistral averaged 23 to 24 knots, gusting above 30, and the Race Committee shortened the coastal course to 21 miles in the interest of safety. V won the Maxi 1 race and consolidated her lead, with Leopard 3 and Galateia keeping the pressure on. Ganesha broke the pattern in Maxi 3 with a fresh victory, while H2O and Moat continued to win convincingly in Maxi 4 and Supermaxi. The conditions made windward-leeward racing impractical for the Grand Prix fleet, however, and those races were cancelled. The standings stayed as they were: Django 7X first, Jolt second, Bella Mente third.
Friday was a washout. Winds strengthened to 27 to 28 knots with gusts beyond 30, and although the fleet left port in search of racing around Mortorio and Soffi, the Race Committee eventually hoisted the "AP over A" and called off the day. Everything rode on Saturday.
The final day, 13 September, delivered conditions close to perfect. Ten knots at the start, rising to 18 with a northerly shift, gave both the Maxi 1 and Grand Prix classes the opportunity to complete two decisive windward-leeward races. The remaining divisions enjoyed a coastal course around Caprera and La Maddalena, finishing through Bomb Alley under gennakers.
The Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship was settled on countback. Galateia, owned by David Leuschen and Chris Flowers with Murray Jones calling tactics, finished level on points with Leopard 3 but took the title on the strength of her earlier results: two race wins that proved the difference. Leopard 3's victory in the final race was not enough to change the outcome. Bullitt finished one point back in third, while pre-event favourite V fell out of contention after a broken gennaker and a difficult final day.
Simon Fisher, navigator aboard Galateia, reflected on a tense finish: "This is a really competitive class and it came right down to the wire. We're very happy to come away with the win."
The Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship was resolved by the slimmest of margins. Giovanni Lombardi Stronati's Django 7X, a lighter water-ballasted wallyrocket 71, secured the title by two points over Peter Harrison's Jolt, with Hap Fauth's Bella Mente tied on points with Jolt in third. It was a significant moment for the former Maxi72 fleet, which had not raced for a world title since 2018.
Tactician Vasco Vascotto paid tribute to his Django 7X crew: "It was a team achievement, everyone contributed. I think that today we put in our best performance of the year, especially in the last race, pushing with every single manoeuvre. In the end it came down to millimetres."
Elsewhere in the results, Aldo Parisotto's Oscar 3 won Maxi 3 by two points from YCCS member Massimiliano Florio's Grande Orazio, with the Baltic 68 Ganesha completing the podium. Riccardo De Michele's H2O produced a flawless campaign in Maxi 4, winning all four races. Luigi Sala's Yoru was second in every race, with Gerard Logel's @robas third. The Supermaxi division was equally one-sided: Juan Ball's Swan 115 Moat won all four races to claim the division without dropping a point. Inti finished second and Inoui third.
Away from the racing, the evenings in Porto Cervo offered the social dimension that has always been part of the event's character. The Rolex Gala Dinner on Thursday and a Crew Party in Piazza Azzurra the following night were among the highlights. At the final prize-giving, the Commodore Alberini Perpetual Trophy for sportsmanship went to Riccardo Genghini and Marietta Strasoldo, owners of Lunz Am Meer, while the Paolo Massarini ORC Challenge Trophy was awarded to the Supermaxi winner, Moat.
YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati offered his reflections on the week: "The 35th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has drawn to a close after an intense week. I congratulate the winners and thank Rolex, with whom we are proudly celebrating 40 years of title sponsorship. This year also carried special significance with the establishment of a new trophy in memory of His Highness the Aga Khan IV, founder of the YCCS."
For New Zealand followers of the sport, there were familiar connections within the fleet: Dean Barker serving as tactician aboard Artemis Bleu, and Stu Bannatyne filling the strategist's role on Proteus. The 2025 edition will be remembered for its sweep of conditions, its close finishes, and the renewed sense of occasion surrounding 40 years of Rolex's association with maxi racing. From Magic Carpet E's blistering pace through the islands to the resilience of Leopard 3 and Django 7X's two-point title triumph, the regatta reaffirmed why Porto Cervo occupies a singular place in big-boat sailing.
