An outstanding 10th edition of the S&S Rendez-Vous wrapped up in Elba Island

An international fleet confirmed the success of the 10th S&S Swan Rendez-vous held at the Circolo della Vela Marciana Marina: 44 yachts (representing Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Finland, Switzerland, England, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Brazil) built by Nautor Swan and designed by New York's Sparkman & Stephens have given life to a prestigious sailing event. An event that was not only about sailing, but also a gathering opportunity for owners with a great love for their boats, for the sport of sailing and for the ocean.

Four days at Marciana Marina, with the whole fleet docked at the port of Marciana Marina, and two races held on coastal courses: the first day, characterized by light winds, after leaving Mariana Marina, the boats followed a route that took them to round buoys off Capo d'Enfola, in the gulf of Procchio to then return to Marciana Marina (about 9 miles); on the second day adverse weather conditions forced the Race Committee to cancel the programme scheduled for the day; on the third and final day the weather improved after the strong storms of the night before and the competitors were able to enjoy a beautiful sunny day, with a great wind and tough sea conditions – from W-NW with gusts up to 20 knots –, but which allowed them to achieve a splendid sailing. Thanks to improved weather conditions that allowed to regularly complete the course of 20 miles, which from Marciana Marina led competitors to round the first buoy off Capo S. Andrea and then continue towards the other buoys positioned offshore the Scoglietto of Portoferraio, at Capo d'Enfola, in the gulf of Procchio up to the arrival again in the waters in front of the port and the town of Elba.

Everything was great even ashore, where participants experienced great moments of socializing in the Regatta Village, created thanks to the collaboration with Nautor Swan, ClubSwan Racing and their passionate teams.
An emotional moment was dedicated to Lars Ström, who recently passed away, that was remembered as one of the greatest friends of S&S Swan owners and for over 30 years in charge of the technical office of the Finnish shipyard Nautor Swan. Many owners have remembered him, not only as a great technician, but also as a great friend.

The event had its natural ending at the Sporting Club garden, where the prize-giving and closing party took place: a last moment of aggregation which saw the participation of all owners and their crews.

The overall results were the prerogative of the Swan 44 Solano owned by the French owner Cesar Chauffart followed respectively by the Italian Four Winds, Leonardo Servi's Swan 44, and Saverio Rotella's Joconde Swan 44 in second and third place.

As for the class rankings in the Moby division, which brought together the largest boats, from 46 to 65 feet, the victory went to Vanessa by Matteo and Giulia Salamon, the real soul of the S&S Swan Association and of the Rendez-vous, helmed as usual by Giulia Salamon, who preceded Tortuga, Swan 47 owned by Filippo and Alina Masci and Une Joie de Vivre, Swan 65 owned by Brazilian owner Riccardo Diomelli.

In the Toremar division which brought together smaller yachts, from 36 to 44 feet, the class scoring is the same as the Overall results.

In the Racing Division, which included boats of all lengths, undisputed victory went to Vincenzo Onorato's Swan 38 Mascalzone Latino XXXIII, followed by Eugenio Alphandery's Josian Swan 36 and Peter and Melanie Kohlhoff's Matilda, Swan 47 from Germany.

Finally, the White Sails division saw the German owner Frank Winter's Swan 36 Isabella placed first ahead of her opponents.

"It's been a privilege to work to this important event together with Circolo della Vela Marciana Marina. I've been working to the S&S Association for 20 years with a great passion and love for the sport of sailing and I couldn't last twenty years without the support, the affection and the dedication of our owners. Thank you all for your devotion and see you in 2025!", states Matteo Salamon, Sparkman & Stephens Swan Association founder.

The tenth edition of the S&S Swan Rendez-vous also had an important social messaging: the CVMM donated a part of the entry fee of each participating boat to the Abbracciamoli Association Onlus, a non-profit association that links sports to the care of childhood leukemia, and for several years has also linked its name to the Elba sailing association.

"Every yacht and every owner have an extraordinary story to tell, made up of navigation, anecdotes, family events and lots of passion. I am enchanted by the magic of this rendezvous, where yachts and owners have come from all over the world. All of this is a source of great pride and satisfaction for Nautor Swan. The heritage of our brand has a unique charm and I can't but applaud Matteo Salamon who has been able to create and maintain such a cohesive community with his daily commitment."

These are the words of Federico Michetti, Head of Sport Activities at Nautor Swan, who concludes with a goodbye to the next Rolex Swan Cup, scheduled from 15 to 21 September 2024.