The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is now in its 36th edition. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda is organising the regatta from 6 to 12 September in collaboration with the International Maxi Association, with Rolex as the title sponsor. According to the organisers, 43 yachts are currently entered.
The programme features coastal races through the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago. The Maxi-1 and Maxi-Grand-Prix fleets will also sail up-and-down courses off Porto Cervo. This mix makes for a technically interesting week: on the coastal courses, navigation, manoeuvres round the islands and choosing the right side are key. On the race course, it’s all about the start, boat speed and the quality of the manoeuvres.
Two titles, two strongly contested fleets
The Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship is contested in the Maxi 1 class. The defending champions are David and Chris Leuschen’s WallyCento ‘Galateia’. The boat won in 2025 after a close final against ‘Leopard 3’, as the A look back at the 2025 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup shows.
The announced opponents include ‘Leopard 3’, ‘V’, “Magic Carpet E”, “Tilakkhana”, “My Song”, “Capricorno” and “Deep Blue”. This means that “Galateia” will be up against several boats that have been among the hot favourites in Porto Cervo for years.
The second World Championship will be contested in the Maxi Grand Prix class.
Maxi Grand Prix – The pinnacle of offshore sailing
The Maxi Grand Prix class brings together the fastest and most technically sophisticated racing yachts in offshore sailing. With a length of at least 18 metres, these boats rank amongst the absolute elite of competitive sailing and captivate spectators and experts alike.
The class is organised by the International Maxi Association (IMA), which regularly hosts top-class regattas. Among the best-known events are the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup off the Sardinian coast at Porto Cervo and the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race.
Racing is generally judged according to the IRC or ORCi rating formula, which allows boats of different sizes and designs to be compared. Within the class, a distinction is also made between different divisions, so that both classic offshore yachts and state-of-the-art Supermaxis can compete against one another.
Giovanni Lombardi Stronatis is defending his title with his Wallyrocket71 “Django 7X” was the title. In 2025, the then-new boat beat ‘Jolt’, ‘Bella Mente’, ‘Proteus’ and ‘Jethou’. These opponents are on the list again this time, joined by ‘Balthasar’ and Peter Dubens’ new JV76, ‘Northstar III’.
A well-represented multihull class
Six multihulls have been announced for the Multihull Division: ‘Allegra’, ‘Coco de Mer’, ‘Gaea’, ‘Highland Fling 18’, ‘Layla’ and ‘Sophia’. According to the organisers, “Sophia” is the first trimaran in the history of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. For the organisers, this represents a significant step beyond the traditional large monohull yachts.
The notice of race specifies the IRC rating system for the regatta. In the Supermaxi division, the ORCsy rating system is used, whilst the ORCmh is used for multihulls. The Sailing instructions and the regatta programme Monday is the first scheduled day of racing. Thursday is set aside as a reserve day. The prize-giving ceremony will take place on Saturday 12 September.
Porto Cervo will remain in regatta mode for another week
This will be followed immediately by the Rolex Swan Cup, which takes place from 13 to 19 September. 167 yachts have already been registered to mark Nautor Swan’s 60th anniversary, with a limit of 170. According to the organisers, the fleet spans six decades of the shipyard’s history, ranging from the restored Swan 36 ‘Tarantella’ to the latest Swan 128.
The Swan 65 ‘Shirlaf’ links the two regatta weeks. Built in 1976 by Giuseppe Puttini, the yacht will compete in both races and celebrate its 50th anniversary in Porto Cervo.
Book recommendation
Racing Rules for Sailing 2025–2028 contains the legally binding text of the current World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing, translated into German. For spectators, the book explains the basis for protests, right-of-way decisions and scoring. Regatta sailors will find in it the rules according to which international events such as the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup are held. The book is particularly useful when seeking to understand decisions made on the water or at the protest table.
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT