Gloriously Large Racing Yachts Put On A Show At The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

Let’s be real. Most yachts are gloriously excessive, exclusive, expensive and captivating simply because they’re gloriously excessive, exclusive, and expensive. But the large sailing yachts, and the owners and crews that race them in some of the most beautiful destinations in the world are simply on another level.

And when it comes to large sailing yachts racing in beautiful destinatons, it’s pretty hard to top the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, run by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association that just concluded in Porto Cervo, Italy.

American Hap Fauth’s 74-foot-long maxi Bella Mente claimed top honors “Our boat had great speed. The phenomenal boat compensated for my age!” quipped a jubilant Fauth. “We come to this event every year and we work hard at it – it is the pinnacle of our season. The hospitality is fantastic and the sailing conditions are usually the best. The YCCS is fantastic and the International Maxi Association does a great coordination job. I will keep coming for as long as I am above the ground! I have a great crew including Terry Hutchinson, Moose [Mike Sanderson] and Ado [Adrian Stead] and Soapy [Ian Moore], who keep me from making too many mistakes.”

2023 was a landmark year for the event with the introduction of a new Maxi Multihull class. Adrian Keller’s 84ft catamaran Allegra won by two points ahead of Highland Fling 18 and the Gunboat 68 Convexity2.

Allegra won the multihull class at the 2022 Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta here earlier this year, but the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is a more competitive regatta with more boats. “The whole setting is different. It is a different atmosphere. This is a much bigger event. We are happy,” said Keller.

The most dominant performance this year was in the majestic, historic and impossibly beautiful J class where Niklas Zennström and Filip Engelbert’s Svea beat Velsheda and Topaz in every race

“It was amazing – a fantastic week,” said Zennström. “This is now the second year we’ve been sailing the boat and we have tried to be systematic about our approach, in terms of understanding and learning the boat. It is really about teamwork, then practicing and doing more maneuvers because these are big boats and heavy so if you have a bad tack or bad gybe you lose a lot.

 Most yachts are gloriously excessive, exclusive, expensive and captivating simply because they’re gloriously excessive, exclusive, and expensive.