Solaris Cup: A lively sailing festival with almost 1000 participants off Sardinia

Solaris Yachts called for the tenth Solaris Cup and - in the year of the shipyard's 50th anniversary - a record fleet of 102 yachts gathered off Sardinia. The majority moored in the famous Porto Rotondo harbour roundabout, 44 had to move to the marina opposite in Portisco. As not everyone was drawn to the course on the two race days, around 800 sailors from 13 nations competed with 85 Solaris models on the dream course with its many small rocky islands. The natural course markings allow for creative courses depending on the wind direction and strength.

Amateur crews and professionals came to the Solaris Cup

In winds of between 6 and 14 knots, yachts from 36 to 80 feet took to the starting line. The oldest participant was "Bluette", a 14-metre Solaris One from 1985, while "Luminous III", the first Solaris 74 RS, was launched just a few weeks ago. On board were mainly amateur crews, some of them in fours on 64-footers, while some owners filled their ranks with regatta professionals. Italian sailing hero Tommaso Chieffi was in charge of the Swiss "Bambu 4".

Those who wanted to set and, above all, recover their A-sails safely without a tube or furler increased the crew size to a dozen or more. This was the case for Hanns-Peter Kirschler with his Solaris 50 "An Italian Affair", which travelled from its home port in Loano, Italy. The majority of the starters came to Sardinia from the central Mediterranean and on newer Solaris models, for whose strikingly elegant cracks Javier Soto Acebal has been responsible since 2013. The Argentinian Frers-Eleve was on site and helped the Solaris 60 "Crazy Diamond" to win the Maxis group.

World's largest brand regatta: 85 starters, divided into three groups

The shipyard from Aquileia in Italy had to divide the XXL field into three star groups for the first time and is likely to have organised the largest one-make regatta in the world. "Last year we had to cancel a start and repeat it because it was too full," said Solaris President Federico Gambini about last year's race with 51 starters. This year, Group A counted 32 yachts between 36 and 47.99 feet, while there were 40 in Group B, which comprised 48 to 59.99-foot Solaris models. In the maxi group, 13 yachts from 60 feet upwards met.

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A total of 20 Solaris teams came from German-speaking countries, but by far the most were from Italy. Group B was won by Maurizio Corati from Rome in his Solaris 55 "Angela" with two first places, while the best German team was "An Italian Affair" in tenth place. In starting group A, the Maltese "Unica" (Solaris One 42) triumphed once again, with the Swiss "Swiss Nautic One", a training boat owned by four-time America's Cup participant Christian Scherrer, coming third.

The Solaristi are coming back to Porto Rotondo

On land, almost 1000 Solaristi celebrated the 50th anniversary of the shipyard, including Marc Giorgetti, majority shareholder of the Solaris Group and owner of "CeFeA" (Solaris 111). On the final evening, the last RIB transfer to the harbour of Portisco left Porto Rotondo at three o'clock in the morning. Preparations for the next Solaris Cup are underway, with an extension to three race days and an Adriatic edition in October being discussed. First, however, the Rendez-Vous of the CNB brand, which Solaris purchased three years ago, will take place in Porto Rotondo from 7 to 9 June 2024.

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