How many times have you raced here in Porto Cervo during your career?
“Honestly, I couldn’t say how many times – I’ve never counted them. Quite a few over the years. I’ve taken part in many regattas: the Giorgio Armani Superyacht, Dubois Cup, Swan Cup and several others. I’d say maybe ten times. But I hadn’t been back for a few years and we were really looking forward to sailing among the islands again. Over the last few days, we’ve gotten the very best from this race course. We have a few sailors on board who’d never been here before, and we almost struggled to get their attention during tacks and gybes because they were completely captivated by the scenery. It’s hard to explain just how beautiful this place is.”

Do you have a particular memory linked to Porto Cervo? A regatta you’ll never forget?
“Yes, absolutely. Back in the Farr 40 days, I had an unbelievable experience here. We were sailing around the islands and, while we were planing, we suddenly luffed violently. In the chaos, we lost a man overboard without realising it. When the boat righted itself, we carried on racing until the next gybe, at which point we realised someone was missing. Luckily, another boat had seen him fall into the water and rescued him. We turned back immediately and the race, of course, ended there. Even though we were sailing close to the coast and not out on the open sea, I still think today about how important it was that someone else noticed. In any case, the man in question took it well. He was a very tough guy, ex-military. When we got back near the harbour, he said, “Guys, I’m used to swimming,” and he just jumped into the water to swim back to the marina.”

Will we see you again soon in Porto Cervo?
“Yes, I’ll be back for the Rolex Swan Cup in September, aboard EuroEyes, a Swan 55.”