The Club Swan season reaches its peak with a powerful fleet of boats in the celebration of the Rolex Swan Cup, which has brought together nearly a hundred entries from 18 different countries.
Porto Cervo once again becomes the meeting point for the biennial Nautor Swan event, which will start this Sunday, September 11, and will feature six days of high-intensity regattas, concluding on Sunday, September 18.
The 21st edition of the Rolex Swan Cup renews the link with its organizers, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Nautor Swan and its sponsor, Rolex.
“It’s fantastic to be back in Porto Cervo for the Rolex Swan Cup after four years” assures Federico Michetti, responsible for Sports Activities at ClubSwan Racing. “As the entry list shows, the enthusiasm is absolute. We are ready for what is going to be a great event, both in and out of the water.”
The impressive fleet assembled in northern Sardinia boasts 37 representatives from ClubSwan Racing’s one design classes, including the high-performance ClubSwan 50s and high-tech ClubSwan 36s with foils, which will make their Rolex Swan Cup debut.
Italian Fra Martina is a regular competitor and race winner in the ClubSwan 36 fleet. Owners Edoardo and Vanni Pavesio note: “For our team and the rest of the ClubSwan 36 class it is fantastic to debut in the Rolex Swan Cup. The races are always very competitive and this location, Porto Cervo, makes this race even more special. We love fighting on the water and then enjoy the exclusive events on land with our colleagues. It will be something to remember.”
The fleet of 60 boats includes 21 Swans in the Grand Prix class and 18 in the Swan Maxi and Mini-Maxi classes.
My Song is one of the participants in the Maxi class, the first example of the recently launched innovative ClubSwan 80 series, which has just made its racing debut in the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, also in Porto Cervo.
About the owner, Pier Luigi Loro Piana, comments: “I have always valued sporty sailing, especially when combined with innovation, so bringing the new ClubSwan 80, My Song, to the Rolex Swan Cup is a powerful combination.” .
My Song will go head-to-head in a fierce – yet friendly – day with fellow Maxi class mates including Swan 115 Jasi (ex-Odin) and Swan 80 Plis-Play, Maxi class champion of the last Rolex Swan Cup, in 2018.
His owner, the Spanish Vicente García Torres, arrives ready to keep the coveted trophy: “In the last Rolex Swan Cup we had good results. The light wind allowed us to win three races, and we know we will have to give our best if we want to finish the race on top again.”
“It’s great to see so many familiar faces and also to be able to welcome newcomers. It’s a special celebration of sailing: beautiful islands, challenging days and great organisation” .
The main trophy that all teams compete for is the Swan Cup Trophy, which is awarded jointly to the winners of all classes, also awarding a trophy to the second and third place finishers in each class.
For shipowners-owners competing in the Swan Maxi, Classic S&S and Swan Grand Prix classes, the Highland Fling Challenge Trophy will be awarded to the highest ranked boat in the overall standings, while the Rod Stephens Swan Challenge Trophy will be awarded to the highest ranked boat. in the Classic S&S class that retains the original configuration and is skippered by the owner or a member of his family.
At the same time, the Rolex Swan Cup is the last round of the 2022 Nations League Med season and a unique opportunity to change the outcome. In the previous event, the 40th Copa del Rey MAPFRE, Germany finished at the top of the country classification, ahead of Spain and Monaco, opening up a clear advantage over Italy in the general classification.
Meanwhile, on land, title sponsor Rolex and ClubSwan Racing circuit sponsor Randstad will host the VIP reception to celebrate the end of the Club Swan Racing season. In addition, each owner will receive a bag from the sportswear firm Sease, another of ClubSwan Racing’s sponsors.
The Rolex Swan Cup will kick off on Sunday 11 September with boat registration, followed by a practice regatta for the one design classes the next day. Full fleet racing will begin on Tuesday 13th September, with the Islands Long Race on Thursday and Sunday 18th September as the last day of racing.
