With less than a month to go before the start of the 32nd edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, with the official closing of entries, the number of participating yachts has reached fifty. The regatta, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and with the support of Rolex (historic title sponsor of the event), is scheduled from 4 to 10 September and promises a week of spectacular racing on the waters of the Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena Archipelago.
The 32nd edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will be remembered as the first in which participation was opened up to foil boats. In fact, Roberto Lacorte's FlyingNikka, the first mini maxi able to fly foils similar to the AC75, boats used for the America's Cup, is expected to make its regatta debut. Another debut will be the ClubSwan 80 named My Song by Pier Luigi Loro Piana, whose official presentation will be held by Nautor's Swan on 4 September in Porto Cervo, at the YCCS.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will see an exceptional fleet at sea this year: no less than four J Class yachts will be racing together, one original and three replicas of the elegant 40-metre-plus yachts that competed for the America's Cup in the 1930s. Svea with her 43.60 metres, the most imposing yacht in the fleet, will sail side by side with two regulars of the event, Velsheda and Topaz. The J Class Ranger, whose last participation in the event dates back to 2014, will return. Among the most competitive boats in the fleet are certainly the five Maxi 72s, including Dario Ferrari's Cannoball, which will return to defend the title it won last year. Bullitt, Andrea Recordati's Wally 93, will take part in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup for the first time.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is an unmissable annual tradition, where the sport of sailing combines with the glamour of the venue and the events organised ashore. The event will officially open on 4 September with a welcome cocktail at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, while racing will start the following day. The annual meeting of the International Maxi Association will also be held during the week.
