Racing

Champagne Sailing on Day Two of the Rolex Swan Cup

By Sailing Times Newsroom·19 September 2026·3 min read

PORTO CERVO, SARDINIA — The 23rd Rolex Swan Cup delivered a spectacular second day of racing, with bright sunshine and a fresh Mistral providing near-perfect conditions across the Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena Archipelago.

The wind built to between 16 and 26 knots, allowing the Swan fleets to enjoy a full day of racing in conditions that once again underlined why this part of Sardinia remains one of the world’s most prized sailing destinations.

The ClubSwan 50 and ClubSwan 36 fleets completed three windward-leeward races, while the ClubSwan 42, ClubSwan 43 and ClubSwan 28 classes sailed their two scheduled races.

A Day Around the La Maddalena Archipelago

For the remaining Swan classes, the Race Committee laid two coastal courses through the La Maddalena Archipelago, measuring 27 and 15.5 nautical miles.

The Swan Maxi, Swan Mini-Maxi and Swan Maxi Pure Cruising fleets sailed clockwise around La Maddalena, leaving Barrettinelli di Fuori to starboard before hoisting their gennakers and heading along the eastern shores of La Maddalena and Caprera.

The boats then left Isola dei Monaci to starboard before crossing the finish line in the Passo delle Bisce.

The Swan Cruiser Racer, Swan Legacy and Swan Pure Cruising classes also headed upwind into the Gulf of Arzachena. After leaving the Secca di Tre Monti shoal to starboard, the fleets rounded a mark off Caprera before a reaching leg towards Isola dei Monaci, again leaving the island to starboard before turning towards the finish in the Passo delle Bisce strait.

Day Two Winners

The winners in the respective divisions were:

• Swan Maxi: Freya – Swan 90
• Swan Mini-Maxi: Arobas – Swan 601
• Swan Cruiser Racer: Wavewalker – Swan 58
• Swan Legacy – Sparkman & Stephens ≥ 47’: Shirlaf – Swan 65
• Swan Legacy – Sparkman & Stephens ≤ 44’: Pride – Swan 44
• Swan Legacy – Classics by Frers: Lunz am Meer – Swan 651
• Swan Pure Cruising: Black Zero – Swan 51
• Swan Maxi Pure Cruising: Azzurro – Swan 78

Earlybird Sets the Pace in ClubSwan 50

In the One Design fleets, Earlybird continues to lead the ClubSwan 50 standings after two days, with 6 points from a 1-1-4 scoreline.

Hatari follows on 10 points after finishing 5-2-3, while All in One sits third on 14 points.

Cuordileone, owned by Leonardo Ferragamo, won the third race of the day and moved into fourth overall on 15 points.

Pez de Abril Dominates ClubSwan 42

The ClubSwan 42 fleet has been dominated so far by Pez de Abril, which won both races on Day Two to take the early overall lead on just 2 points.

Nadir follows on 4 points after recording two second-place finishes, while Raving Swan is third on 6 points after two third-place results.

Cuordileone Perfect in ClubSwan 36

The ClubSwan 36 standings are equally emphatic.

Cuordileone won all three races on the second day to establish a perfect score of 3 points.

Fra Martina, skippered by Edoardo Pavesio, finished second in all three races and sits second overall on 6 points.

Goddess is third on 9 points after completing a hat-trick of third-place finishes.

Black Swan Holds ClubSwan 28 Lead

In the ClubSwan 28 class, Black Swan retained the overall lead on 5 points, following a 1-2-2 scoreline across the opening two days.

Anya Race, winner of the second race today, is second overall on 7 points, just two points behind.

Marcello currently occupies third place on 13 points.

Racing Continues Friday

Racing at the Rolex Swan Cup continues tomorrow at 12:00 CEST, with slightly lighter Mistral conditions forecast.

The ClubSwan One Design fleets will return to the windward-leeward course for another series of races, while the remaining Swan classes are scheduled to contest a coastal race.

With the fleet now fully into the rhythm of the regatta, another day of high-performance racing awaits off Porto Cervo.

Photo credits: YCCS / Daniele Macis