71st Regata dei Tre Golfi: summer storm dominates the ORC World Championship 2026 offshore race
The 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi, which started yesterday from the Bay of Santa Lucia in Naples at 17:00, has concluded, marking the offshore race of the ORC World Championship 2026 and a central moment of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week.
Organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa) and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, in conjunction with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), and supported by Rolex and Loro Piana, the 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi once again confirms its place as one of the most iconic offshore races in international sailing, at the heart of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week.
Forecasts had predicted light winds, but during the night the breeze remained steady between 8 and 10 knots, with peaks close to 20 knots, allowing the fleet to maintain good speeds. The only significant lull occurred this morning around 10:00, while the faster TP52s and Wallyrocket51s were crossing the finish line and the smaller boats were still in the Procida area.
A key tactical factor was the transition around 10:00 from north-easterly to south-westerly winds, creating a zone of calm. At this stage, the decision to leave Ischia and Procida to port proved more advantageous than the more traditional option of leaving them to starboard.
Line honors went to the American TP52 Summer Storm owned by Andrew Berdon, who, as tradition dictates, received the trophy directly on the finish line. On board were, among others, Stu Bannantyne, multiple Volvo Ocean Race winner, and tactician Joachim Aschenbrenner.
“Obviously we are very happy: first of all for the line honors, but also for the win on corrected time, which is a really important result for the team and the boat,” commented Aschenbrenner. “Last year we sailed in the TP52 circuit in the United States, so it’s been interesting to measure ourselves against the top European teams. The boat is in great shape and the modifications have worked very well, thanks to the work of the technical team. It’s no secret that to win under ORC you need a well-optimized boat, and today we saw a very solid performance. The start was tricky, with a very difficult first upwind leg. We took a conservative approach to stay in the leading group, and at sunset conditions improved, with wind reaching close to 20 knots. We hoisted the Code Zero and made good speeds in the early evening. The decisions were not particularly extreme: the forecasts were difficult to interpret, so we used a mix of models and at times returned to more basic sailing, based on tactics and strategy. Overall, it was a combination of factors that allowed us to have a good race and go fast.”
In Class 0, Summer Storm secured victory ahead of another TP52, Vudu of Mauro Gestri, with North Sails CEO Daniele Cassinari calling tactics, followed by the Wallyrocket51 Django WR of Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, featuring Olympic sailor Michele Paoletti and a partially renewed crew for this offshore race (some regular crew members are competing in the 52 Super Series), and RocketNikka of Roberto Lacorte, which counted several top Italian sailors on board, including tactician Lorenzo Bressani.
In Class A, the fastest boat was the Swan 42 Morgan V of Nicola De Gemmis, with former Finn sailor Filippo Baldassarri on board. Second place went to another Swan 42, Selene – Alifax of Massimo De Campo, with Italian champion Tommaso Chieffi, while third place went to the Ker 46 Lisa R, a past winner of the Regata dei Tre Golfi.
“We are very happy. It was a complex race, with unreliable weather forecasts that forced us to make continuous decisions,” said Manuel Polo, tactician of Morgan V. “At one point we had a close duel with Selene—we stayed very close throughout. They chose a more direct route with the Code 0, while we were more conservative with the A2, staying in the area with more pressure. That choice gained us valuable minutes. On the way back, conditions were again difficult to read: we tried to sail at maximum VMG and, compared to others, we chose to stay south of Ischia. That was the key decision, allowing us to secure the win in what is always one of the most beautiful and challenging offshore races in the Mediterranean. Of course, a bit of luck helps… but as they say, better lucky than good.”
In Class B, victory went to the Italia Yachts 11.98 To Be of Stefano Rusconi, with Portuguese Olympic Star sailor Afonso Domingos. Second place went to Katara of Junian Somodi, a team from Argentina, followed by the XR41 WBIX of Gianclaudio Bassetti in third.
In Class C, at the time of issuing this release, the results are not yet final.
With the offshore race of the ORC World Championship 2026 now completed, the fleet of 108 boats has returned to the harbors of Sorrento, Piano di Sorrento and Sant’Agnello. After a well-deserved rest, racing will resume with the inshore series from Monday 11 May through Thursday 14 May, when the ORC World Champion 2026 will be crowned.
Not all competitors in the 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi will continue with the Sorrento inshore races in the coming days. Among the boats entered exclusively for the offshore race, in Class 0 the Italian Black Pekoe 3, owned by Ernesto Folli, took victory. As for the other classes, final standings are not yet available at the time of writing, as several crews are still racing.
The event is supported by leading partners including Rolex and Loro Piana, alongside North Sails, Deloitte, Ferrarelle, Ottogas, Garmin, Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., Caffè Borbone and Azimut Investimenti.
