REGATE DI PRIMAVERA PORTOFINO 2025
The Regate di Primavera kick off tomorrow: two days of racing in the Gulf of Tigullio through Sunday, April 27. On Saturday, April 26, as per the directives of CONI and FIV, no sporting activity will take place on the day of the funeral ceremony.
Portofino, April 24, 2025
With the arrival of yachts in the marinas of Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Rapallo, the Gulf of Tigullio is once again ready to welcome boats over 50 feet (15 metres) that will take part in the Regate di Primavera, celebrating its 5th edition in 2025.
"In compliance with the directives of CONI, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and in mourning the passing of the Holy Father, the Yacht Club Italiano and its organising partners have decided to suspend all sporting activity on Saturday and to observe a minute of silence before the start of the weekend races," stated YCI President Carlo Cameli.
And so, after a necessary and heartfelt invitation to observe sobriety, especially during social events, the Regate di Primavera will nevertheless start tomorrow, with the first warning signal at 12:00. The fleet is as varied as ever, featuring some of the most significant yachts on the sailing scene. First among them – for sheer spectacle – is Roberto Lacorte’s foiling FlyingNikka: "The modifications we carried out this winter at the Punta Ala yard, where we have our base, were aimed at achieving maximum performance in the upcoming races. From this point of view, the first training session we held at the end of March gave us positive feedback," explains Lacorte, who will once again take the helm this year, joined by a crew including Team Manager Alessio Razeto, Lorenzo Bressani, Enrico Zennaro, Andrea Fornaro, and Lorenzo De Felice. "Of course, we hope this year’s weather conditions will be more favourable — or at least not as penalising as last year — so that FlyingNikka can express its full potential and meet our objectives."
An intriguing challenge is expected at sea with other contenders such as the 100-foot ARCA FONDI SGR from Furio Benussi’s team, fresh from winning the 2024 Barcolana, which could give Lacorte’s foiling monohull a run for its money in light air. Among the larger yachts representing the home waters are Federico Borromeo’s Southern Wind 102 Almagores II, Marco Malgara’s Maxi 79 Nice (formerly Capricorno and previously Morning Glory), and Aldo Parisotto’s Mylius 65 Oscar 3, also a regular in these waters, with tactics by Paolo Cian — one of Italy’s top match race helmsmen and helmsman of Mascalzone Latino in the 2003 America’s Cup. Also flying YCI colours is Carlo Puri Negri’s Maxi Atalanta II, a beautiful 21-metre one-off racing yacht designed in 2004 by Bruce Farr and fully updated in 2016 to remain highly competitive and extremely fast in racing.
The rest of the fleet is made up of nearly 20 yachts divided into the IRC and Open categories, all competing for the YCI Challenge Trophy, awarded to the overall winner across IRC and Open divisions.
The Organization
The Regate di Primavera – Portofino are organised by: Yacht Club Italiano and FIV, in collaboration with the municipalities of Portofino and Santa Margherita Ligure, Portofino Yacht Marina, Progetto Santa, and Porto Carlo Riva of Rapallo, under the patronage of the Liguria Region.
Main Partners of the Regate di Primavera are: Splendido Mare, A Belmond Hotel, and Banca Passadore, once again highlighting their close ties to the village and to sailing.
Technical Partners B&G and North Sails Sailmaker will provide technical support to competitors, while Boston Whaler will offer a welcome courtesy shuttle service. Portofino Dry Gin is once again the “Official Gin Supplier,” and Audi Centro is the new Automotive Partner.
