Django Team to represent Italy at the 2025 Admiral's Cup revival
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 9 Jul 22:23 NZST
17 July - 1 August 2025
Django Team set to take part in the Admiral's Cup 2025 © Kevin Rio / Team Django 2025
After a 20-year hiatus, the Admiral's Cup is back - and Italy is ready to make a bold return to one of offshore sailing's most legendary stages. Representing the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), the Django Team, spearheaded by Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, will compete with two boats: the innovative wallyrocket51 Django and the proven JPK 1180 Django. Both entries will fly the Italian flag as part of YCCS's challenge for the 2025 Admiral's Cup.
Known as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing, the Admiral's Cup returns this summer after two decades of absence, running from 17 July to 1 August 2025 in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in its centenary year, the event will culminate in the iconic Rolex Fastnet Race.
Italy's history with the Admiral's Cup is rich and passionate, with national teams competing from 1969 to 1999. The highlight came in 1995, when Italy secured its only overall win. It was a significant victory for the Italian team, who competed with three boats: Capricorno (ILC 46), Brava Q8 (ILC 40), and Mumm a' Mia (Mumm 36), captained by Rinaldo Del Bono, Pasquale Landolfi, and Paolo Gaia. In 2025, Django Team hopes to reignite the legacy of great Italian teams competing in the event.
Leading the charge in the Big Boat category is the wallyrocket51 Django, designed by Botin Partners.
The crew includes Vasco Vascotto, Guillermo Parada, Bruno Zirilli and Michele Paoletti to name a few, and brings top-tier experience from the main international sailing circuits and America's Cup campaigns.
Competing in IRC 2 will be Django JPK, a JPK 1180 already tested in battle during the Myth of Malham Race - a 235 nm offshore challenge with gusts over 30 knots and waves exceeding two metres. Onboard Django JPK is an elite crew skippered by Michele Ivaldi, including legends like Dirk de Ridder, Alberto Bolzan, Ross Halcrow, and Juan Vila.
The 2025 Admiral's Cup format includes six inshore races, two short offshore races, and the classic Rolex Fastnet Race as the grand finale. With 15 yacht clubs entered worldwide, competition will be fierce - but Django Team is poised to make a statement.
"The return of the Admiral's Cup is more than a race, it's a moment of heritage, passion, and national pride," said Giovanni Lombardi Stronati. "We are proud to represent YCCS and Italy with a team that blends experience, innovation, and commitment. The road to Cowes has just begun, but we are ready to give it our all."
"On behalf of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, we are very pleased to see the YCCS team, conceived and led by our member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, taking part in the prestigious Admiral's Cup," added Andrea Recordati, Commodore of the YCCS. "The revival of this historic regatta after more than two decades marks an important moment for international sailing, and witnessing the YCCS colours once again represented in an event where several of our member-owners have achieved notable results in the past is a source of immense pride. Taking on such a demanding challenge speaks volumes about Giovanni Lombardi Stronati's passion and determination - qualities that reflect the very spirit of our Club. We wish the two Django teams fair winds, confident they will help write a new chapter of the Admiral's Cup under the YCCS burgee."
For Italy, the Admiral's Cup has always represented an intrepid sporting endeavour, rather than simply a celebrated regatta. The 2025 edition offers a renewed opportunity to write sailing history once again.