Sailing finds new ties with sustainability

Last May in Italy, the sailing season’s great restart debuted in Portofino. The kick-off launched with the new race Splendido Mare Cup, jointly organized by the Italian Yacht Club, the Portofino city hall, the International Maxi Association with the Italian Sailing Federation and the support of the Belmond and Rolex groups. Another much awaited major event, the Rolex Giraglia, also went on smoothly last June. This 68th edition which included about 150 participating yachts, was a true organizational and sanitary challenge. Girolamo Bianchi, Chairman of the Italiano Yacht Club explains: “After finishing the Portofino regatta organization, our greatest fear was to reconcile sporting with respecting sanitary measures due to Covid, to protect participants. But we managed to deliver. As a doctor myself, I was particularly adamant about handling the security factor in the best way possible. The teams and all the members of the organization were constantly tested in Portofino. It was a great relief to see the Giraglia close successfully a few weeks later.”

While the Splendido Mare Cup was a full-scale exercise with its 15 registered boats, including the prestigious constructors such as Wally, Southern Wind Shipyard, Nautor's Swan and Mylius, the Rolex Giraglia confirmed a certain optimism and the desire of normality for sailing afficionados, considering 150 ships were competing. Among the news of this regatta, the main highlight is its new commitment to sustainability. For the first time in its history, the Rolex Giraglia joined the Reco program, driven by the One Ocean Foundation created in 2018, and which enables the acceleration of solutions to ocean-related issues.