35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda - Day 4
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda 12 Sep 06:01 NZST
7-13 September 2025
The Maxi 3 Class racing downwind in the Mistral - Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 Day 4 © Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi
The Mistral dominated racing today, blowing at an average of 23-24 knots, with gusts reaching 30 knots and more. The Race Committee initially set the fleet a 35-mile coastal course, later shortened to 21 miles due to the increasingly strong winds.
From the start off Porto Cervo, the fleet headed south towards the islands of Mortorio and Soffi and two marks positioned to shelter the yachts from the strongest gusts.
In the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship, YCCS member Karel Komarek's WallyCento V took the win, strengthening his lead in the provisional overall standings. Second place today went to Joost Schuijff's Leopard 3 with tactician Chris Nicholson, while the WallyCento Galateia, with six-time America's Cup winner Murray Jones calling tactics, finished third. The provisional overall classification sees V in the lead, followed by Galateia and Bullitt.
In the Maxi 3 class, the Baltic Café Racer 68 Ganesha, with South African Mark Sadler on tactics, beat Artemis Blue, owned by RORC Past-Commodore James Neville and with New Zealand tactician Dean Barker. Oscar 3 finished in third place but continues to hold the overall lead, ahead of Grande Orazio and Ganesha.
The Vallicelli 78 H2O, owned by YCCS member Riccardo De Michele and with tactician Lorenzo Bodini, proved its consistency once again today, claiming a third victory in the Maxi 4 class. H2O now leads overall with a score of just 3 points. In second place today and in the overall standings is Luigi Sala's Yoru, with Gabriele Bruni on tactics. Third place went to Gérard Logel's Swan 601 @arobas, which also sits in third overall.
Among the Supermaxis, the Swan 115 Moat notched up another win ahead of the Wally 94 Inti and the Briand 108 Inoui. The three Supermaxis hold the same positions in the provisional overall standings.
he two windward-leeward races scheduled for the Maxi Grand Prix class were cancelled due to the Race Committee registering consistent winds of over 25 knots and gusts of 30 knots and above in the starting area. The provisional rankings therefore remain unchanged, with Django 7X, Jolt and Bella Mente at the top of the leaderboard.
Racing continues tomorrow with all classes set to complete a coastal race. The first start has been brought forward to 11 a.m. before the Mistral wind intensifies further.
Follow racing live on the tracking system here. Live images from the race course are also posted on the YCCS Instagram account.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, now in its 35th edition, is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of the International Maxi Association and title sponsor Rolex.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Rolex's partnership with the regatta, which began in 1985.
For further information, results, entry list, live tracking, the programme, the news and the photo gallery please visit the YCCS website.