The first Sail Talk of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is with Furio Benussi, skipper of the Maxi 100 Arca SGR.

Have you counted how many Maxi Yacht Rolex Cups you have taken part in?

No, but I am particularly happy to be at this one, not only because of our racing project but because you can see that it is a real return, there are so many competitors of the highest level. It’s a real world championship even if it is still missing that official seal that we hope will arrive as soon as possible.

What are the differences between when you sailed on top maxi yachts and today as the skipper of your maxi yacht programme?

Being the skipper brings so much more responsibility, we're at the key moment here, the most important event that this tight-knit team has worked hard for.

You were born in Trieste but you race all over the world, what's special about Porto Cervo?

The level of the participants is stellar, there are incredible boats, we're really proud to be here.

Your programme has a relatively limited budget compared to other yachts in the maxi class, what are your expectations?

We are like a Formula 1 car from a few seasons ago with wet tires, the others have the most modern F1 machines with slick tires, let's hope it rains! (laughing)