Yacht Club Costa Smeralda kicks off the 2024 sports season

By Eleonora Poggio

Opening the event was Princess Zahra Aga Khan, President of the Board of Directors of YCCS, who stated in her speech: ‘The upcoming sports season for YCCS promises to be very intense with regattas scheduled from May to October. Additionally, 2024 marks a significant anniversary: it will be 40 years of partnership with our historic partner Rolex. This strong and enduring bond has allowed us, over these forty years, to share values, ideals, and projects for the creation of an internationally relevant sports calendar. Naturally, the support of all our other partners, as well as the commitment of the YCCS management and staff, are the other fundamental elements that have made our Club a reference point in the world of sailing. Each of our activities and programs constantly evolves with the sailing world, striving to provide an adequate response to the times we live in, while keeping traditions alive. Through the sport of sailing, we have the opportunity to promote guiding principles, from excellence and innovation to respect for the sea and the land that hosts us, and to support the new generations.’

Other partners alongside YCCS include Range Rover and Allianz, along with technical partners: Quantum Sails, Slam, Garmin Marine, and Technogym.

At the center was Princess Zahra Aga Khan, President of the YCCS Board of Directors, on the left was Stefan Muller, General Manager of Rolex Italy, and on the right was Edoardo Recchi, Secretary-General of YCCS. Photo credits: Studio Borlenghi

Following the Princess’s greeting, Secretary-General and Sports Director of YCCS, Edoardo Recchi, took the stage for the official presentation of the regatta calendar. Immediately after is the RAN 630 – Naval Academy Regatta, scheduled from April 24th to May 1st, where the Club offers technical support for the passage to the mark in Porto Cervo, the 2024 season opens in Porto Cervo with the traditional Sailing & Golf (May 24th-26th).

Next is the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, scheduled from June 4th to 8th. For the third consecutive year, Giorgio Armani, an Italian excellence in the world of fashion, will stand alongside YCCS as Title Sponsor of the event. Within the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, following the success of past editions, the Southern Wind RendezVous and Trophy will take place, where Southern Wind yachts gather in Porto Cervo for a sail characterized by a familiar yet competitive spirit.

June will be intense, with three more regattas scheduled:

• The J/24 Class will return to YCCS for the J/24 European Championship from June 10th to 16th. The J/24 monotype is among the most popular keelboats, designed in the late 1970s by Rod Johnstone, with over 5000 units estimated to have been produced with about 100 active fleets worldwide.
• The J/24 European Championship is a highly anticipated event in the 2024 season of the Class, and YCCS is pleased to welcome a fleet that has significantly contributed to the spread of competitive sailing. The last event dedicated to the J/24 Class was held in Porto Cervo in 1996.
• The Grand Soleil Cup, a sailing event organized in collaboration with Cantiere del Pardo, is expected to attract a fleet of about 40 boats. The Smeralda 888 Invitational (June 28th-30th), followed by the unmissable Smeralda 888 European Cup (July 12th-14th) aboard the Smeralda 888, designed by renowned yacht designer German Frers specifically for YCCS.

From July 19th to 21st, the fourth edition of the YCCS J/70 Sailing Clinic will take place.

A short break between July and August, during which the YCCS Social Championship reserved for Club members will be held (August 4th), preceded the day before by the Annual General Assembly where the new Commodore of YCCS will be elected.

In August, the Formenton Trophy (August 20th) and the Palermo-Porto Cervo-Montecarlo, supported by YCCS, will be held.

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup (September 8th-14th) and the Rolex Swan Cup (September 15th-21st) will mark a special September. For the 34th edition of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup – organized in collaboration with the International Maxi Association (IMA) – an imposing fleet is expected, which ideally retraces the history of sailing. In 2023, for example, the J Class and the vintage yacht Baruna of 1938 were present alongside recent projects like My Song by Pier Luigi Loro Piana, Bullitt by Andrea Recordati, and the latest launched boats such as the Wally 101 Y3K. 2023 was the first year that catamarans participated in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and given the success, they will return for the 2024 edition.