News

Porto Cervo, 17 September 2024. The 22nd Rolex Swan Cup - which marks the 40th anniversary of the longstanding partnership between the YCCS and Rolex, founded in 1984 with the third edition of the Swan Cup – got underway today with a northeasterly wind blowing from 12 to 18 knots, allowing the Nautor Swan fleet to complete all scheduled races as planned.

The Race Committee prudently delayed the start to 2:30 p.m. CEST, keeping the fleet on the docks as they waited for a storm front with potentially gusty winds to pass. For Group 1, reserved for Swans racing in compensated time, three very similar coastal courses were set, but with varying lengths based on the performance characteristics of the boats: 24 miles for the Swan Maxi Division A, 15 miles for the Swan S&S Division B, and 19 miles for the Swan Division C. All divisions rounded a windward offset mark, then embarked on an upwind leg leaving the Monaci island to port, before turning downwind through the Gulf of Arzachena as far as the Secca di Tre Monti shoal and returning to Porto Cervo. The Swan Maxi Division A stretched out to round the island of Mortoriotto and finished off the Gulf of Pevero. The Swan Division C, meanwhile, had a longer downwind run to a mark in the Gulf of Saline, and returned to Porto Cervo via the Passo delle Bisce strait after leaving the Secca di Tre Monti shoal to port. 

The various courses brought the fleet back to Porto Cervo in tight formation, and ensured crews were kept busy with frequent sail changes and intense, close-quarters battles.

The winners of the day were:

Maxi Grand Prix, Swan 80 Umiko; Maxi Cruiser, Swan 90 Freya; Mini Maxi Grand Prix, Swan 60 Sea Quill; Mini Maxi Cruiser, Swan 65 Marlin II; S&S Racing, Swan 48 Elan; S&S Classic, Swan 47 Matilda; Swan Grand Prix, Swan 45 From Now On; Swan Cruiser, Swan 54 Katima.  

Ettore Botticini, mainsail trimmer on Sea Quill: ‘We were pleasantly surprised by the performance of our boat compared to our closest rivals in the division, which is not a given. We did a lot of complex manoeuvres for a team as young as ours, made up of a lot of dinghy sailors flanked by professionals such as Andrea Fornaro and Lorenzo De Felice. We are just at the beginning of the Rolex Swan Cup, but we are off to the best possible start. In the next few days we’ll welcome on board the reigning Wingfoil world champion, Maddalena Spanu, an athlete from the YCCS Young Azzurra sporting programme, which I was also previously a member of.”

Cesare Barabino, an ILCA 7 athlete from the Young Azzurra programme, will be hosted on YCCS member Luigi Stoppani's Swan 48 Mia from tomorrow.