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Leopard 3 claims the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship, Northstar III the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship

Artemis Bleu, Yoru, H2O and Highland Fling XVIII take class honours

Porto Cervo, 12 September 2026. The 36th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the International Maxi Association and with the support of title sponsor Rolex, drew to a close today in Porto Cervo. The week of racing delivered a full range of conditions, from the light winds of the opening days to an intense Mistral with gusts exceeding 28 knots, putting boats and crews to the test on coastal courses in the La Maddalena archipelago and, for the Maxi 1 and Maxi Grand Prix classes, on windward-leeward races in the waters off Porto Cervo.

On the final day, a north-easterly breeze of around 10 knots, gradually rotating eastwards before easing off towards the close of racing, allowed the concluding coastal race to go ahead as scheduled. From the start off Porto Cervo, the fleet sailed upwind towards Isola dei Monaci, then on a reach to Soffi island via the Passo delle Bisce, before turning back for the finish line, covering a total distance of approximately 24 miles. The Maxi 4 and Maxi 5 classes rounded a windward mark instead of the passage around Isola dei Monaci, shortening the course slightly.

Winners of this final coastal race were Leopard 3 in the Maxi 1 class, Northstar III in the Maxi Grand Prix, Artemis Bleu in the Maxi 3, Wallyno in the Maxi 4 class, H2O in the Maxi 5 and Allegra in the Multihull class.

The Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship title went to Joost Schuijff’s Farr 100 Leopard 3, with New Zealander Chris Nicholson on tactics. After finishing third in the opening race, the boat put together a highly consistent series, winning five of the seven races contested, including the final four in succession. Today’s victory ahead of Capricorno and My Song brought her total to 13 points, giving a clear margin over YCCS member Karel Komarek’s WallyCento V in second on 20 points, and outgoing champion Galateia, owned by David Leuschen and Chris Flowers, in third on 22 points. This is Leopard 3’s second victory in the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship, following their triumph in the inaugural edition held in Porto Cervo in 2024.

“It’s the culmination of a great deal of hard work with an extraordinary boat and team. We love racing in Porto Cervo – it is without doubt one of our favourite venues. We’ll be back next year with a revamped Leopard, aiming to repeat our success,” said team manager Gerard Mitchell.

The Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship had already been decided yesterday – with a race to spare – in favour of Northstar III, owned by YCCS member Peter Dubens, with two-time Olympic medallist Nick Rogers calling tactics. Making her debut at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Northstar III opened the series with four consecutive victories and today rounded off the week in style, returning to winning form in the final coastal race. Northstar III finished on a total of 14 points, ahead of Filip Balcaen’s Balthasar in second on 25. Peter Harrison’s Jolt and Proteus both finished on 28 points, with third place awarded to Jolt following her two wins secured yesterday.

In the Maxi 3 class, James Neville’s Artemis Bleu, with New Zealand tactician Dean Barker, came out on top. The British Botin 65 finished on a high note, with three consecutive wins in the final three races. The concluding battle with Silvia De’ Longhi and Franz Wilhelm Baruffaldi Preis’s Manticore was particularly close, with just 17 seconds separating the two boats on corrected time. Artemis Bleu finished the series on 9 points, ahead of Manticore on 13 and the Wally 94 Astra I on 17. 
“Winning here was a real challenge, because we were racing in highly varied conditions, from light to strong winds.” commented owner James Neville.  “This year, the Costa Smeralda has been lucky for us: first a victory at the Sardinia Cup with the TP52, and now this result with Artemis Bleu. In Porto Cervo, we always receive a warm welcome from the YCCS, the regattas are very well organised, and sailing around the islands of the archipelago makes this race course truly special.”

The Maxi 4 class was also decided in a hard-fought finale. The day’s race went to Benoît de Froidmont’s Wallyno, but the overall win went to Yoru, Luigi Sala’s Vismara 62. Two second-place finishes on the first two days followed by back-to-back victories in the Mistral winds left Yoru on 11 points overall, just one point ahead of Vincenzo Addessi’s Fra Diavolo, winner on the first two days of the series. Third place went to Lasse Petterson’s Why Not on 15 points. Gabriele “Ganga” Bruni, tactician on Yoru: “We’re really pleased, because Yoru had tried to win here several times and had come very close on more than one occasion. This year we’ve finally done it, and it means a great deal. It’s been a great week, we sailed well and battled for victory right to the end with Fra Diavolo - worthy opponents - but this time it was our turn.”

Among the Maxi 5s, H2O, owned by YCCS member Riccardo De Michele and with Lorenzo Bodini on tactics, once again demonstrated her pace at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. The Vallicelli 78 won four of the five races held, including today’s final competition, to finish on 6 points. Second place, on 12 points, went to Lunz am Meer, the Swan 651 owned by YCCS member Riccardo Genghini, followed by Giuseppe Puttini’s Swan 65 Shirlaf on 13.2.

In the Multihull class, victory came down to a head-to-head battle between two YCCS members: Adrian Keller on Allegra and Lord Irvine Laidlaw on Highland Fling XVIII. Allegra won today’s race ahead of Sophia and Highland Fling XVIII, drawing the two boats level on points. The overall win, however, went to Highland Fling XVIII on countback, thanks to three first-place finishes secured over the course of the week. Third place went to Marcos Sirota’s trimaran Sophia.

A packed prize-giving ceremony in Piazza Azzurra brought the 36th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup to a close.  “The 36th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup has given us a full week of racing in highly varied conditions that put boats and crews to the test and once again showcased the unique characteristics of our race course.” commented Andrea Recordati, Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. “The two World Championships and the standard of competition across all classes reaffirm the sporting stature of this event. My congratulations go to all the winners and my thanks to all the owners and crews of the maxi yachts – always numerous at this regatta – to our institutional partner Rolex, the International Maxi Association, the Race Committee and the entire team at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is deeply rooted in our Club’s history and continues to evolve, driven by advances in boat design and technology.”

Before the presentation of the special prizes and those for the top three finishers in each class, Giorgio Benussi, Secretary General and Sporting Director of the YCCS, paid tribute to photographer Carlo Borlenghi, who passed away recently. His images contributed in no small measure to establishing the reputation of YCCS regattas on the international stage.

With the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup now concluded, the YCCS is preparing to host the 23rd Rolex Swan Cup, running from 13 September until Saturday 19. The first race will get underway on Wednesday 16 September. The 2026 edition will be a particularly significant one, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the founding of Nautor Swan, and will bring together a record fleet of almost 170 yachts from the Finnish shipyard.

Official documents, results, the event programme, entry list, photos and news are available in the dedicated section of the YCCS website.

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