FlyingNikka in Portofino for the Regate di Primavera
by FlyingNikka 24 Apr 23:13 NZST
25-27 April 2025
The first event of the year is approaching for the full foiling monohull FlyingNikka, which will be in action from Friday to Sunday in Portofino at the Regate di Primavera, the season-opening event dedicated to the Maxi yachts organized by the Yacht Club Italiano.
The Spring Regattas span three days of buoy racing in the Gulf of Tigullio and mark the start of a season for FlyingNikka, the flying yacht owned by Roberto Lacorte, which will also compete in the 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar — a Mediterranean classic starting (on May 30) from Livorno/Marina di Pisa and finishing in Punta Ala — and in the Loro Piana Giraglia, an offshore race from St. Tropez to Genoa, via the Giraglia islet north of Corsica, preceded by four days of coastal races in the Gulf of St. Tropez (June 8-12).
These races will be tackled by the monohull, just under 19 meters long and equipped with T-foil appendages, which was launched in June 2022 and designed by Mills Design Studio, after a winter of technical upgrades. The boat now features a brand-new livery prominently displaying the Apportal brand, a line of nutritional supplements by PharmaNutra S.p.A., a company founded in 2003 by Roberto Lacorte and his brother Andrea, specializing in mineral-based nutritional supplements and medical devices for muscles and joints.
"The changes we made this winter at the Punta Ala Shipyard, our home base, were aimed at achieving top performance in the races scheduled. From that perspective, the first training session we held in late March was encouraging," explains Roberto Lacorte, who will once again be at the helm of FlyingNikka, supported by a crew including Team Manager Alessio Razeto, Lorenzo Bressani, Enrico Zennaro, Andrea Fornaro, and Lorenzo De Felice. "We obviously hope for more favorable weather this year — or at least not as challenging as last year — so that FlyingNikka can showcase her potential and achieve the goals we've set."
In addition to debuting its new Apportal-branded livery, the Spring Regattas also mark the beginning of a new technical partnership with Musto, the renowned sailing apparel brand, which will now outfit both the crew and shore team of FlyingNikka, both on and off the water. It's a collaboration between two leaders in their fields, which also includes Roberto Lacorte serving as a Musto ambassador, alongside world-renowned sailors.
"We're very happy to have Musto on board with us, because it's a brand like no other, and for sailors, it's been the gold standard for decades. It will be a pleasure to contribute to the development of their technical gear by providing direct feedback, especially since on FlyingNikka we often sail in extreme conditions — with speeds between 25 and 40 knots and everything that comes with that. It's a great testing ground, and we're happy to offer that to a company like Musto".
"For over sixty years, Musto has stood for evolution and innovation in technical sailing apparel. The company and its products have always kept pace with technology and yacht design, from dinghies to the most advanced offshore yachts," says Nick Houchin, Marketing Director at Musto. "We're very excited to have launched this partnership with FlyingNikka, the full-foiling Mini Maxi that is undoubtedly one of the most innovative boats on the circuit today. We're confident that our most advanced gear will meet the needs of the FlyingNikka team, and that this collaboration will provide valuable mutual feedback."
FlyingNikka — representing the Yacht Club Repubblica Marinara di Pisa, Yacht Club Punta Ala, Yacht Club Italiano and New York Yacht Club, is also supported by B&G for onboard electronics, North Sails for sails, the Punta Ala Costa Etrusca Shipyard and Marina di Punta Ala, along with continued support from Cetilar®, another PharmaNutra brand widely present in the world of sports through major sponsorships and medical partnerships.