Following the conclusion of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last Saturday, the docks in front of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda were immediately buzzing with the arrival of 170 Nautor Swan yachts, a record number, gathered in Porto Cervo for the 23rd edition of the Rolex Swan Cup, organized by the YCCS in collaboration with Nautor Swan and Rolex. Such a significant attendance, the maximum allowed, was reached to celebrate a special occasion: the 60th anniversary of the Finnish shipyard's founding.

To commemorate the anniversary, the "Dance of the Swans" took place yesterday, a spectacular event that saw the 170 Swans "dance under sail" in a circle around the island of Monaci, one of the most iconic passages of coastal racing in the La Maddalena Archipelago. It was a unique spectacle, with images destined to remain in yachting history and dedicated to the memory of Carlo Borlenghi, the extraordinary, world-renowned sailing photographer who recently passed away.

The regattas of a competition that is increasingly captivating enthusiasts around the world will begin today.

The yachts on display offer a comprehensive representation of Nautor Swan's history, from 1966 to the present. Leading the way is Tarantella, the Swan 36-001 designed by Sparkman & Stephens, which launched the shipyard's production in Pietarsaari, Finland. Restored for its sixtieth anniversary, Tarantella brings to Porto Cervo the starting point of a story that, at the other end of the fleet, is represented by the two Swan 128s Be Cool and Raijin, along with the brand-new Swan 80 Elvi, all designed by star architect Germán Frers.

Standing out from the past and present are Giuseppe Puttini's Shirlaf, a 1976 Sparkman & Stephens Swan 65 that this year celebrates half a century since its launch and returns to racing in Porto Cervo after competing last week in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, as well as Lunz am Meer, a Swan 651 owned by YCCS member Riccardo Genghini. The large fleet of historic Swans also includes Translated 9, owned by Marco Trombetti and Isabelle Andrieu, another S&S Swan 65 with a remarkable history: launched in 1974 as ADC Accutrac, she was sailed by British skipper Clare Francis to fifth place in the 1977-78 Whitbread Round the World Race and, after her recent return to ocean racing, is currently competing in the 2027 Ocean Globe Race.

Also present in Porto Cervo was Pride, a 1973 Sparkman & Stephens Swan 44, now owned by William and Gillian Graves. This is the boat that was amicably challenged in 1981 in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez by the 12-meter Ikra: a contest born from a nautical wager that gave rise to the famous Nioulargue, a regatta now known as Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

At the helm of Jean-Marie Patier's Swan 55 Storm is Lionel Lemonchois, a two-time winner of the Route du Rhum, in 2006 with Gitana 11 and in 2010 in the Multi50 class with Prince de Bretagne. Sailing alongside him is Catherine Chabaud, the first woman to complete the Vendée Globe in the 1996-97 edition and now the French Minister of the Sea and Fisheries.

The 2026 Rolex Swan Cup brings together very different spirits, all united by their belonging to the Swan world. The five One Design classes will race in real time: ClubSwan 50, ClubSwan 43, ClubSwan 42, ClubSwan 36, and ClubSwan 28. In the other divisions, competition will instead be based on the ORC compensation system: the Swan Maxi comprises yachts 60 feet and over, divided into Maxis and Mini Maxis; the Swan Legacy brings together models designed by Sparkman & Stephens and Ron Holland and the Swan Classics by Frers; the Swan Cruiser Racer comprises models up to 58 feet, while the Swan Pure Cruising division is dedicated to yachts with a predominantly cruising configuration.

The quality of the fleet is also extremely high from a competitive perspective. Nine winners of the 2024 edition are back in Porto Cervo: Freya in the Maxi fleet, Seaquill in the Mini Maxi fleet, Isabella in the Sparkman & Stephens Classic fleet, Mascalzone Latino in the S&S Racing fleet, Katima in the Swan 45 class, the modified Swan 45 From Now On, as well as Ulika in the ClubSwan 50 class, Fra Martina in the ClubSwan 36 class, and Marcello, owned by YCCS member Philippe Ligot, in the ClubSwan 28 class.

Adding to the heightened level of competition is the presence on board of some of the most important names in international sailing. Tactician Paul Cayard, skipper of Il Moro di Venezia in the 1992 America's Cup, will be sailing aboard YCCS member Leonardo Ferragamo's ClubSwan 50 Cuordileone. Cayard, the skipper of Il Moro di Venezia in the 1992 America's Cup, won the Star class world championship for the second time in 2025, and is also president of the club. Tonight, Wednesday the 16th, at 7:00 PM, after the regattas, Cayard will host a Meet and Greet in Piazza Azzurra, an informal gathering open to all about the history of the Star and his own personal history as a sailor. Ed Baird, Alinghi's helmsman in the victorious 2007 America's Cup, will be calling tactics on Ross Warburton's ClubSwan 50 Perhonen. Vasco Vascotto and Guillermo Parada will be the afterguard on YCCS member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati's Swan 128 Be Cool, while Flavio Favini will be at the helm on the Swan 55 Alegher. Francesco "Checco" Bruni is also expected to arrive on the ClubSwan 50 Earlybird starting tomorrow. Among the many notable names on the team are Portuguese tactician Afonso Domingos on the CS50 Volpe, and Laurent Pagès, a member of the 2011-12 Ocean Race-winning Groupama 4 crew, on the Swan 58 Wavewalker.

"It's a great pleasure to welcome such a record-breaking fleet to Porto Cervo in a particularly significant year, that of Nautor Swan's 60th anniversary," said Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Andrea Recordati. "The Rolex Swan Cup has a special history for our Club: it brings together different generations of yachts and sailors, from the boats that have made the shipyard's history to the most recent racing and cruising models, united by a spirit that goes far beyond competition."

The forecast calls for light conditions for today's debut, with an easterly flow of just a few knots. The situation should change significantly starting tomorrow, when westerly winds are expected, with a strong mistral component, which will test the crews and make the Islands Race, scheduled for Thursday the 17th, particularly challenging. The program will conclude on Saturday, September 19th, with the awards ceremony scheduled for 5:30 pm in Piazza Azzurra.

LP

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