ORC World Championship 2026: world titles awarded in Sorrento after a week of great sailing
The 2026 ORC World Championship concluded today with the final inshore races. Two windward-leeward races were held in demanding conditions, with 15 to 17 knots of westerly breeze, gusts up to 25 knots, seas of 1.5 to 2 meters, and variable weather featuring sunshine, clouds and a few rain showers during dock-out at around 10:00 a.m. The first race for all classes got underway at approximately 12:00 p.m., as scheduled.
Organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano (Geno) and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, in partnership with the Offshore Racing Congress and supported by Rolex and Loro Piana, the 2026 ORC World Championship once again confirmed itself as one of the most prestigious events in international sailing, combining world-class competition with the unique settings of Naples and Sorrento.
In Class 0, the American TP52 Summer Storm, owned by Andrew Berdon, with Volvo Ocean Race rockstar Stu Bannatyne and tactician Joachim Aschenbrenner, was crowned 2026 ORC World Champion after an exceptional week that included five race wins (one shared) and only one below-par performance in yesterday’s coastal race. Second place went to Vudu, the TP52 owned by Mauro Gestri, with Michele Regolo calling tactics, while the podium was completed by the wallyrocket51 RocketNikka, owned by Roberto Lacorte and sailed with Lorenzo Bressani, which also received the Best Performing Wally award. Best boat of the day was the Wallyrocket51 Django WR, owned by Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, with Vasco Vascotto as tactician, scoring two race wins.
Among the Corinthian entries, Switzerland’s Night Shadow, owned by David Mizrahi, took first place.
“It is an incredible satisfaction! We received an extraordinary welcome here in Sorrento. I love Italy, and the level of competition was truly exceptional,” said Andrew Berdon, owner of the American TP52 Summer Storm and winner of the ORC Class 0 World Championship title. He continued, saying: “It has been a fantastic week in every respect. We came into the final day after a difficult race the previous day, with three boats separated by just one point on the leaderboard. We knew that, to win the title, we would have to sail flawlessly. We therefore adopted a very precise strategy, focusing on our direct rivals and keeping very fast boats such as Vudu and RocketNikka behind us, while Django broke away. It was exactly the kind of challenge we thrive on: a close-fought competition, battled right down to the final leg, against world-class opponents. Although our TP52 performs particularly well under both the IRC and ORC rating systems, the standard of the fleet was extraordinary. The best TP52s were on the water, along with three highly competitive Wally Rockets. The racing was so close and intense that it felt like a true one-design regatta, with constant duels and no margin for error. This success is, of course, the result of an outstanding team effort. None of it would have been possible without the contribution of our program manager Alex Snyder, sailing master and sailmaker, Stu Bannatyne, and boat captain, Simon Hunter. My sincerest thanks go to them and to the entire team. Their expertise, dedication and attention to every detail were fundamental to this victory. I would also like to thank the ORC, the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia and the entire Tre Golfi Sailing Week organisation for delivering such an extraordinary event. Once again, we felt welcomed with tremendous warmth and professionalism. It has been an exceptional week, both on and off the water, and I would return here at any time with the greatest pleasure”.
After an almost perfect week, Ran (Carkeek 40+), owned by Niklas Zennström, captured the Class A title, successfully defending the Worlds’ title he won in Tallinn in 2025, despite suffering a gennaker loss in the first race of the day. Italy’s Lisa R (Ker 46), owned by Giovanni Di Vincenzo and a member of the CRV Italia, finished second after winning the day’s final race. Third place went to Selene – Alifax (Swan 42 CS), owned by Massimo De Campo, with Tommaso Chieffi as tactician.
The top Corinthian team in Class A was the American Lagertha (Swan 42 CS), owned by Kurt Kalberer II of the New York Yacht Club.
“The ORC World Championship in Sorrento has been simply fantastic,” said Niklas Zennström, owner and skipper of Rán, winner of Class A. “A beautiful venue, an outstanding racecourse, a wonderful town and a truly special atmosphere. The weather conditions varied considerably throughout the week, making the racing even more interesting and helping to create a great spirit of camaraderie and mutual respect among all the teams. It has been an exceptional week. We arrived in Sorrento as defending World Champions, having won the title last year in Tallinn, Estonia, and we knew that retaining it would be extremely difficult. The level of competition was exceptionally high, with some outstanding teams on the water, all of whom we approached with the utmost respect. It was an intense battle right to the very end, but in the end we succeeded in defending our World Championship title. We are absolutely delighted with this result.”
In Class B, Argentina’s Katara, owned by Julian Somodi (PG390), claimed the 2026 World Championship title with two race wins on the final day. Second place went to Malta’s Technonicol, the X-41 owned by Georgi Kolesnikov with Estonian Mati Sepp as helm, while third was WB IX, the XR41 owned by Gianclaudio Bassetti, with Lorenzo Bodini as tactician.
The Corinthian title went to Italy’s Athyris & C (Grand Soleil 43 BC) by Pergiorgio Nerdis.
“Winning an ORC World Championship is something truly extraordinary, the fulfilment of a dream,” said Julian Somodi, owner of Katara and winner of Class B. “Throughout my career, I have won numerous Argentine and Brazilian championships and a Copa del Rey, but a World Championship has a special meaning. It is the achievement every sailor dreams of. We are thrilled to have achieved this result here in Sorrento, Italy, at the end of an impeccably organised event. I would like to thank my crew, the team that worked on preparing the boat, and my family, who have always supported me with tremendous affection. This success is the result of everyone’s hard work and passion.”
In Class C, the world title went to Robe da Mat, owned by Luigi Buzzi (MAT-11), and skippered by Joan Navarro Guiu, who won two races on the final day. Second place went to Chisum (Cape 31), owned by Andrea Castrucci, while third place went to the Farr 30 Sease (Farr 30), owned by Franco Loro Piana and Giacomo Loro Piana.
Top Corinthian and fourth overall was Lady Day 998 (Italia 9.98 F), owned by Corrado Annis.
“We are naturally absolutely delighted with this victory,” said Peter Buhl and Joan Navarro Guiu of Robe da Mat, respectively helmsman and skipper of the yacht, representing Sirena/racing-yachts.com collaboration, and winners of the ORC World Championship in Class C. “Today we enjoyed a fantastic day of racing in ideal conditions, with 15 to 20 knots of breeze – exactly the kind of weather we had been hoping for all week. It was the perfect way to conclude the championship. The credit for this success goes first and foremost to an extraordinary crew. In every position, we had the best people we could possibly wish for. Personally, I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. After several second-place finishes, winning my first World Championship title is immensely satisfying. We are also very proud of the work that was done on the boat. Throughout the championship, we raced in a wide variety of conditions, from light airs to stronger winds, and the boat proved to be extremely competitive in every situation. In winds above 10 knots, we performed at our very best, and today the boat sailed exceptionally well. All of our competitors raced at a very high level, and the competition was extremely intense, but we knew we could rely on a fast boat and a highly experienced team. This title is the result of an outstanding team effort and meticulous preparation in every respect.”
The 2026 ORC World Championship officially concluded with the prize-giving ceremony held at the regatta village in Marina Piccola, Sorrento, attended by CRV Italia President Roberto Mottola di Amato, Italian Sailing Federation President Francesco Ettorre, and ORC Council Member and CRV Italia Vice President Maurizio Pavesi.
After a week of racing of the highest technical standard, the event once again confirmed the Gulf of Naples as one of the most spectacular and complete racecourses on the international sailing calendar.
Next year, the ORC Worlds Championship 2027 will be held in Skovshoved/Copenhagen, Denmark, from August 6 to 14, 2027, but the next ORC full-crew title event is happening already in two months – the ORC European Championship 2026 in Klaipeda, Lithuania, from August 7 to 15.
The championship was supported by leading partners including Rolex and Loro Piana, alongside North Sails, Wally Yachts, Deloitte, Ferrarelle, Ottogas, Garmin, Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., Caffè Borbone and Azimut Investimenti.
