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Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo opens a week of top-level sailing

More than 40 maxi yachts, two world titles and six multihulls open the 36th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo

The 2026 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup gets under way in the waters of Costa Smeralda, bringing together major yachts, international champions and two World Championships

More than forty maxi yachts gathered in Porto Cervo, two world titles at stake and a race course extending across some of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive waters. With racing beginning on the water today, the 36th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup enters its competitive phase between Porto Cervo and the La Maddalena Archipelago. The event is organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the International Maxi Association, with Rolex as Title Sponsor.

A fleet reflecting different sides of sailing

The size and variety of the fleet are among the defining features of the 2026 edition. More than 40 yachts measuring at least 60 feet have gathered in Porto Cervo, ranging from advanced racers to performance cruisers. This year also introduces a six-boat multihull division, further widening the technical spectrum of the event.

This is therefore far from a uniform fleet. Different dimensions, design philosophies and generations of yacht meet on the same race course, offering an interesting perspective on the evolution of contemporary maxi sailing.

Two world titles in one week

For the second consecutive year, Porto Cervo will award two world titles, the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship and the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship. The two categories are divided according to a coefficient reflecting each yacht’s performance potential.

Galateia returns to defend the Maxi 1 title won in 2025, with challengers including Magic Carpet E, My Song and Capricorno. In the Grand Prix class, reigning champion Django 7x returns alongside Bella Mente, Jethou, Jolt, Proteus and the new Northstar III, making her debut at the event.

Champions from the America’s Cup and Olympic sailing

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup continues to attract some of the best-known names in international sailing. Porto Cervo welcomes sailors whose careers include the America’s Cup, the Olympic Games and major professional circuits.

Among them are Francesco de Angelis, Paul Cayard, Torben Grael, Vasco Vascotto, Terry Hutchinson, Brad Butterworth, Dean Barker and Francesco “Checco” Bruni. Such experience makes the quality of each crew a central part of the competition, particularly in classes where small tactical decisions can determine the outcome.

Six multihulls join the event for the first time

One of the main additions to the 2026 edition is the introduction of a multihull division. The six entries are Allegra, Coco de Mer, Gaea, Highland Fling 18, Layla and Sophia.

Sophia is a 19-metre trimaran designed by Nigel Irens and becomes the first yacht of her type to compete in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Multihulls will be scored under the ORCmh system, while the Maxi classes race under IRC handicap.

La Maddalena as a natural race course

The connection with the surrounding landscape remains one of the defining characteristics of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Coastal races run through the islands and channels of the La Maddalena Archipelago, where coastlines, narrow passages and changing wind conditions add another tactical dimension to the competition.

Maxi 1 and Maxi Grand Prix will combine coastal racing with windward-leeward courses off Porto Cervo. Both World Championship classes can complete up to seven races, including three coastal races and as many as four windward-leewards. The remaining classes are scheduled to sail up to five coastal races.

Opening the Maxi fleet to women and younger sailors

The 2026 Notice of Race also includes a measure intended to encourage the participation of women and younger sailors. Teams may carry up to two additional crew members beyond the maximum number stated on their IRC certificate, provided they are female sailors or aged 21 or under at the time of the prize-giving.

It is a regulatory detail connected to a wider objective: encouraging a new generation to enter maxi yacht racing while gradually increasing female representation on the race course.

Five days of racing through 12 September

The racing programme begins today, Monday 7 September, and continues until Saturday 12 September. Thursday 10 September is scheduled as a rest day but may be used to recover races lost because of weather conditions. The final prize-giving ceremony is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Piazza Azzurra.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup once again makes Porto Cervo more than simply its logistical base. Marina, crews, large sailing yachts and the landscape of Costa Smeralda come together during a week in which sporting competition and yachting culture meet in one of the locations most closely associated with the history of Mediterranean sailing.

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(c) Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

07 September 2026
© Y-MAG Editorial Team
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Porto Cervo opens a week of top-level sailing
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