A perfect day for the first leg of the Porto Carlo Riva Trophy, the new regatta organized by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with Porto Carlo Riva in Rapallo and the Circolo Nautico Rapallo. A total of 53 boats lined up at the start in Genoa on Saturday morning at 9:00, setting course for Rapallo.
With easterly winds of 10–12 knots, the crews were “forced” into a long upwind leg along the Gulf of Genoa, skirting the entire Portofino Promontory before entering the Gulf of Tigullio.
At the end of the 14 theoretical miles, the first to cross the finish line was the majestic Swan 90 Berenice Cubed, owned by Marco Rodolfi, after 2 hours and 34 minutes of sailing — placing him at the top of the Libera Maxi class.
In the Libera Mini group, victory went to the Tofinou 12 Grazia by Alessandro Agosta, while in corrected time (ORC), it was the J/122 Chestress 3 by Giancarlo Ghislanzoni who led the fleet.
Among the double-handed crews, the leaderboard was topped by the Swan 45 Tengher of Alberto Magnani, sailing with Mario Rabbò, who also finished second overall.
There was a warm welcome in the newly renovated Porto di Rapallo, which is now fully operational again. The welcome cocktail hosted by the restaurant O’Magazìn was highly appreciated, creating a delightful and memorable evening for all teams.
While Saturday delivered near-perfect conditions, Sunday’s breeze was slow to arrive — despite forecasts predicting strong Sirocco winds — though the rain was punctual, setting the tone for the entire day.
At 9:30 AM, the Race Committee managed to start the race in very light air, with the fleet leaving Rapallo toward Genoa.
Soon after, the larger boats reached stronger breeze off the Portofino headland and pulled ahead of the rest of the fleet, which later bunched back together in the Gulf of Genoa due to a drop in wind.
After about 30 minutes and a 90-degree wind shift, the breeze filled back in and allowed everyone to finish the race.
A tight real-time duel unfolded between the Swan 90 Berenice Cubed and the Frers 53 Moonshine, with the former crossing the line with less than two minutes to spare.
With Berenice Cubed finishing after 3 hours and 49 minutes, the standings for both ORC and Libera classes began to take shape.
In Libera Mini, Grazia by Alessandro Agosta confirmed its lead.
In Libera Maxi, Berenice Cubed by Marco Rodolfi claimed another win.
In the ORC group, Chestress 3 by YCI Member Giancarlo Ghislanzoni took the overall victory, winning the Porto Carlo Riva Challenge Trophy, awarded to the boat with the lowest combined corrected time over the two races.
The first edition concluded with the awards ceremony held at the Yacht Club Italiano headquarters, and a warm see-you-next-year in April 2026!
