Regate di Primavera is the name of the season opener for the Italian maxi fleet. The event is organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in Portofino. Since 1890, sailing yachts have been competing off Portofino, this picturesque natural harbour that awakens longings for the dolce vita like no other Italian place. The sound of the name alone! In Latin, the whole thing becomes even clearer: Portus Delphini. The ancient Romans named the sheltered bay after the dolphins that regularly visited it.
Territory and regatta with tradition
The first Regate di Primavera took place in 1980. It has always marked the start of the Mediterranean maxi season and was better known as Trofeo Zegna thanks to the event sponsor. In 2006, the Milanese fashion house and the Yacht Club Italiano (YCI) decided to discontinue the event. After that, there were smaller gatherings, but no Regate di Primavera until 2021.
Eleven yachts over 50 feet lined up for the 2025 edition. Among the starters were the 100-footer "Arca Fondi SGR" by Furio Benussi, the Southern Wind 102' "Almagores II" by Federico Borromeo, the Maxi 79 "Nice" (ex-"Capricorno" and the first "Morning Glory") and the Mylius 65 "Oscar 3" by Aldo Parisotto. But it was only on the third and final day that the wind co-operated, blowing at twelve knots from the south-southeast along the Ligurian coast and allowing two races.
Foilers and 100-footers at the Regate di Primavera
"Oscar 3" confidently won the largest IRC class, followed by the Maxi 79 "Nice" of Ice Yachts CEO Marco Malgara, who relegated the Ice 52 "No Regret" to third place. Roberto Lacorte did not miss out on the opportunity with "FlyingNikka" and accelerate to over 30 knots. After correcting its time, the 19-metre foiler was once again awarded the red lantern. Lacorte is not letting up, continues to make modifications and, as an exotic boat, is undauntedly promoting the new type of sailing at regattas.
The Mills design was launched in June 2022 and started the season with a new livery. The main sponsor is now the Apportal brand, a line of nutritional supplements from PharmaNutra, the company founded in 2003 by Roberto Lacorte and his brother Andrea. "The changes we made this winter in the Punta Ala shipyard were aimed at achieving top performance in the planned races," explained Roberto Lacorte, who once again steered "FlyingNikka" himself, supported by a crew including team manager Alessio Razeto, Lorenzo Bressani, Enrico Zennaro, Andrea Fornaro and Lorenzo De Felice.
Reward-free pleasure for 50-footers
A special feature of the Regate di Primavera: the Yacht Club Italiano offers Open, a group in which starters compete against each other around and at 50 feet without remuneration. Five took up the challenge, including a Solaris 58 designed more for cruising and the winning, freshly refitted racer-cruiser "Moonshine" with Pietro D'Alì on board. Liguria's father Marco Bucci took part on his Grand Soleil 52 "Frally".
