The 17th edition of the 151 Miglia Trofeo Cetilar off the Tuscan coast is turning into a test of patience for all 191 starters. Due to extremely weak weather conditions over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the organisers - Yacht Club Repubblica Marinara di Pisa, Yacht Club Punta Ala and Yacht Club Livorno - shortened the course by 25 miles before the start. Ten yachts competed in the IRC classification over 60 feet in Livorno. It was the fourth stop of the Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge. Unlike in previous years, the route no longer led around the Giraglia rock, but around the small island of Pianosa to the south-west of Elba. From there, it went via Cerboli to the north-east of Elba to the finish in Punta Ala. This year, the turn at Formiche di Grosseto was also cancelled, giving the teams the additional tactical challenge of navigating around the east coast of Elba.
Contrast with the previous year's Miglia
The conditions were in stark contrast to the 2025 edition, when Furio Benussi's 100-footer "ARCA SGR" set a new record time of 15 hours 31 minutes and 57 seconds - at an average speed of 9.7 knots. This year, the "ARCA SGR" from Trieste only crossed the finish line on Sunday afternoon at 2.40 pm. The time of 24 hours and 40 minutes corresponds to an average speed of just 5.1 knots on the shortened course. "It was really long, with light winds, but it's always a nice regatta - I love the 151 Miglia. This is the fifth time for us," commented skipper Furio Benussi, who took turns at the helm with his brother Gabriele during the regatta. "ARCA SGR" once again secured the line honours victory.
Standstill off Pianosa
The first four hours of the regatta were still promising with nine to ten knots of wind from the north-west. After the passage of Gorgona, however, the wind collapsed completely. "It was incredibly light. During the night, the maximum gust was three to four knots - no more," explained Furio Benussi. On the approach to Pianosa, the field came to a complete standstill for three hours. The following boats caught up, which was effectively like restarting the regatta. "It was crazy from Gorgona to Elba. But we're not volleyball, basketball or football players - the weather is part of our sport," said Benussi. The participants' patience was put to the test. Alessandro Pini's Grand Soleil Maxi One "Ely-J" was the last boat in the Maxi class to cross the finish line at 2.26 a.m. on Monday morning - at an average speed of 3.46 knots.
"Nice" triumphed in the IRC ranking
The 78-foot yacht "Nice" owned by Marco Malgara, CEO and founder of ICE Yachts, is the best performer under IRC. The boat is known on the scene as "Capricorno" and spent 31 years in the hands of the Del Bono family. Alessandro Del Bono had sailed the yacht around the world as well as competing in regattas - including winning the IMA's Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge in 2022. "It was an interesting day - very difficult," comments Malgara. "We had several stops and it was very, very difficult because of them. But in the end, even though this boat is 31 years old, it was the next one to arrive after ARCA." "Nice" reached the finish line almost two hours after Benussi's "ARCA SGR" and won the Maxi class on calculated time ahead of "Durlindana IV" and Carlo Puri Negri's Felci/Farr 80 "Atalanta II", which had won the Maxi class last year.
Concentration required for hours
On board "Nice", Malgara shared the helm with Slovenian former Olympian Mitja Kosmina, an experienced maxi sailor. "It was very difficult with little or no wind for a few hours," explained Kosmina. "Rounding the island of Pianosa was very tricky. It took a lot of concentration to finish the race and you use a lot of energy trying to move these big boats. The longest stop lasted about two or three hours, which was really tough." Last year, "Nice" and "Atalanta II" had already finished on the podium of the Maxi class behind Guido Paolo Gamucci's "Cippa Lippa X". The latter was unable to start this year as the regatta was too close to the IMA Maxi European Championship the previous week.
Supporting programme and social commitment
The 151 Miglia Trofeo Cetilar is not only known for its challenging conditions, but also for its extensive supporting programme. After the prize-giving ceremony in Marina di Punta Ala, the traditional dinner party for all crews of the 191 participating yachts took place in the clubhouse and on the grounds of the Yacht Club Punta Ala. On this occasion, the IMA once again made a donation to the Fondazione Mare Oltre Onlus. The charity organisation enables sailors with reduced mobility to sail on their catamaran Elianto, which is specially designed for wheelchair users. The regatta from Livorno to Punta Ala thus remains a firm fixture in the calendar of the Mediterranean maxi scene - regardless of whether the conditions produce record times or record lulls.
