23rd Rolex Swan Cup Opens With a Record Fleet of 170 Yachts

By Sailing Times Newsroom·15 September 2026·4 min read

Porto Cervo, 15 September 2026. As the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup drew to a close on Saturday, the quays in front of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda were already coming alive with the arrival of a record fleet of 170 Nautor Swan yachts, gathered in Porto Cervo for the 23rd edition of the Rolex Swan Cup, organised by the YCCS in collaboration with Nautor Swan and with the support of title sponsor Rolex. The maximum fleet capacity has been reached in a fitting testament to the occasion, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Finnish shipyard’s foundation.

The anniversary events began in superb style with the “Dance of the Swans” — all 170 yachts sailing in formation around the Isola dei Monaci, one of the most iconic marks on coastal regattas in the La Maddalena Archipelago. A truly unique spectacle that will undoubtedly endure in the imagery of the sport, dedicated to the memory of legendary sailing photographer Carlo Borlenghi, who recently passed away.

This evening’s Skippers’ Briefing and Welcome Cocktail on the YCCS terrace officially open the 23rd Rolex Swan Cup. Racing gets underway tomorrow, 16 September, with the first signal scheduled for 12 noon CEST, and concludes Saturday 19 September with the prize-giving ceremony.

Sixty years of Swan, stem to stern

The fleet spans the full arc of Nautor Swan’s history, from 1966 to the present day. At one end sits Tarantella, the Swan 36-001 designed by Sparkman & Stephens, the first yacht ever produced by the shipyard in Pietarsaari, Finland, restored in honour of her 60th birthday. At the other end, two of the latest Swan 128s, Be Cool and Raijin, sail alongside the newly launched Swan 80 Elvi — all designed by Germán Frers.

Notable entries include Giuseppe Puttini’s Shirlaf, a 1976 Swan 65 marking fifty years since her launch, and Translated 9, owned by Marco Trombetti and Isabelle Andrieu — launched in 1974 as ADC Accutrac and skippered by Clare Francis to fifth place in the 1977–78 Whitbread Round the World Race, now bound for the 2027 Ocean Globe Race. Pride, a 1973 Swan 44 owned by William and Gillian Graves, carries its own piece of history: a 1981 wager-born match race against the 12-Metre Ikra that gave rise to what is now Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

A five-class fleet, and some familiar names on the rail

Five One Design classes — ClubSwan 50, ClubSwan 43, ClubSwan 42, ClubSwan 36 and ClubSwan 28 — race in real time, with ORC ratings applied across the Swan Maxi, Swan Legacy, Swan Classics, Swan Cruiser Racer and Swan Pure Cruising divisions. Nine class winners from the 2024 edition have returned, including Freya in the Maxi fleet, Seaquill among the Mini Maxis and Ulika in the ClubSwan 50s.

The afterguards read like a Hall of Fame: Paul Cayard, skipper of Il Moro di Venezia in the 1992 America’s Cup, calls tactics on the ClubSwan 50 Cuordileone; Ed Baird, helmsman of Alinghi’s 2007 America’s Cup win, sails aboard Perhonen; and Vasco Vascotto and Guillermo Parada join the afterguard on the Swan 128 Be Cool. Lionel Lemonchois, a two-time Route du Rhum winner, helms the Swan 55 Storm alongside Catherine Chabaud, the first woman to complete the Vendée Globe.

“It’s a genuine pleasure to welcome a record-breaking fleet to Porto Cervo in such a significant year — the 60th anniversary of Nautor Swan,” said Andrea Recordati, Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. “The Rolex Swan Cup holds a special place in our Club’s history, bringing together different generations of yachts and sailors… united by a spirit that goes far beyond competition.”

Light air to open, a Mistral on the way

Wednesday’s opening race day is forecast light, with an easterly breeze of just a few knots. Conditions are expected to shift significantly from Thursday, with westerly winds — including a potentially strong Mistral — set to test crews through the Islands Race on Thursday 17 September.