The start of the Regate di Primavera in the waters of Portofino

Tomorrow, April 22, will see the start of the Regate di Primavera with the first race scheduled for 11 AM in the waters of Portofino. All yachts arrived today in the Portofino Marina and in Santa Margherita Ligure, among them 12 Maxis which will have four days of racing in the Gulf of Tigullio. Many yachts took advantage to get out on the water to train and complete the final preparations for tomorrow's races, including several Mylius which will be competing for the Mylius Cup and the big Southern Wind Morgana, which with her 30.5 m is the biggest in the fleet and for the occasion has a very strong crew led by Brazilian tactician Torben Grael. From the meteorological viewpoint, there is a rather complex picture because of the passage of a number of depressions which will bring first medium wind from the north and then give way to win is from the south of between 15 and 25 kn on Sunday. In addition to the races, the town of Portofino is ready to welcome once again crews and fans for these four days of sport and social events which will begin tomorrow evening with the Rolex Party on the quays of Portofino.

As last year, the organisers have arranged for live TV coverage which will be available in streaming on the digital platforms of the YCI:

The YouTube channel
Facebook page
Tracking Online

Then every morning, Primocanale - the main private TV channel in Liguria – will transmit, from 11 AM, the races. In the studio, to describe the key moments, as well as journalist Matteo Cantile there will also be Mauro Pelaschier, one of the best-known and able Italian yachtsmen. Born in Monfalcone to a family coming from Pola, at a very young age she began sailing at the SVOC (Società Vela Oscar Cosulich), following the family tradition of his grandfather Francesco, a skilled carpenter, his father Adelchi and his uncle Annibale, great sailors who won many titles, Olympic winners in 1952, 1956 and 1964. After his first experiences on 12 foot dinghies and Flying Juniors he won in the Finn class, the Olympic single-hander, nine Italian titles between 1964 and 1977, a bronze in the 1974 European Championships and a bronze and gold at the Mediterranean Games in 1971 and 1975. In 1983 he achieved great popularity as helmsman of Azzurra, the first Italian entry in the America's Cup, which he also helmed in the following cup in Perth in 1987. In the years that followed he dedicated himself increasingly to cabin yachts, winning innumerable races and taking part in several ocean crossing races, but without ever abandoning one designs (12 participations in the round Italy sailing race) and match racing. From the 1990s he raced assiduously on classic boats with excellent results and in recent years has served as an ambassador for several initiatives aimed at protecting and respecting the sea.
Bronze medal for athletic valour and gold medal for athletic valour 1983.

The organisation

The Regate di Primavera - Portofino are organised by: Yacht Club Italiano, Comune di Portofino, International Maxi Association and Rolex as Official Timepiece.
Splendido Mare – a Belmond Hotel - is Hospitality Partner and Banca Passadore, Technical Partner. The races have been made possible thanks also to the valuable collaboration of the Comune di Santa Margherita, the Portofino Yacht Marina and Progetto Santa Margherita. Under the aegis of the Federazione Italiana Vela and with the patronage of Regione Liguria.