EarlyBird wins the ClubSwan 50 World Championship in Naples

Once again, the Gulf of Naples and the city proved to be an ideal venue for a major regatta. The ClubSwan 50 World Championship—featuring eleven participants from six countries and sailors representing 19 nationalities—concluded with a victory for Hendrik Brandis’s EarlyBird who has been part of the ClubSwan 50 story since the very beginning, winning the first Europeans and Ranking in 2017.
After years of fierce competition and three World Championship runner-up finishes, EarlyBird finally claimed the world title in 2025 and a back to back in 2026. A perfect reminder that patience, perseverance and determination eventually pay off!
Brandis after winning said: “How exciting, at least five boats had a shot at winning at the start of the day. We gave it our all in these last three races. It was a great battle until the very end with All in One, and that’s what makes sailing so much fun. It’s been a very intense season, and we’re looking forward to lots of fun next season as well, with a great schedule of races in the Mediterranean”. The tactician of the boat Manu Weiller is at his fourth ClubSwan50 World title, earning also two times aboard Cuordileone owned by Leonardo Ferragamo who started the class ten years ago in 2017.
The two Neapolitan brothers, Pierluigi and Lorenzo De Felice, were sailing on EarlyBird. Pierluigi recounts: “We knew that today’s three races would be decisive, and we were certain we’d be able to sail them because I knew the wind would hold. It was great to win here in Naples, in my hometown, together with my brother.”

Here is a recap of the regatta days. On the first day, despite a good start in the morning, a very strong wind shift forced the race committee to suspend the race; the clash between the morning grecale and the thermal wind then created calm conditions.
On the second day, the start was delayed by an hour to wait for the thermal wind, which arrived at 8–10 knots; by the end of the day, three valid races had been completed, one of which was shortened. After three races, the leader in the standings was Volpe, a boat crewed by a group of friends: Patrick Horst, Piet Goevaers, Filip Beyens, Gideon Messink, and Anita van Oeveren.

Unfortunately, the third day was windless, while on the fourth and final day, the Committee took advantage of the Grecale wind that had been blowing since early morning to stage three races, allowing EarlyBird to take the lead after an intense battle with H. Cem Bahadir’s All in One, which made its debut last year. In third place was Marcus Brenneke’s Hatari, consistently among the leaders and winner of the Nations League. In fourth was Enrico Aureli’s Marlin3, in its first season in the class.

Roberto Mottola, president of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela organizer of the event alongside ClubSwan Racing, stated: “With this ClubSwan50 World Championship, we’ve wrapped up a great season. Seeing them at our dock was a great source of satisfaction because the class is full of exceptional sailors and passionate owners. It was wonderful to witness the shared passion and the spirit that unites sailors, a spirit that aligns very well with what we do in our sports activities, both for young people and for our members. It’s important for them to see these events, just as it was for the preliminary races of the Louis Vuitton 38° America’s Cup.”

Luisa Bambozzi, ClubSwan Managing Director: “The ClubSwan 50 World Championship in Naples has been a wonderful celebration of competitive sailing, sportsmanship and the extraordinary spirit of our ClubSwan community. Our sincere thanks go to the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia for their warm hospitality, and commitment in hosting this prestigious event in such an exceptional setting. I would also like to express our gratitude to all our partners of The Nations League circuit, whose contribution is supporting us deliver outstanding experiences, both on and off the water. Main partners Rolex, Denza Italia, Henri Lloyd, Banor and Telepass Mare, as well as the Technical Partners Filette Prime Water, Sartoria Dal Cuore, Ethimo, Bricco Falchet, Gottifredi Maffioli, QuantumSails, North Sails, Doyle Sails, Garmin Marine, B&G and Triacca Trasporti.
Above all, it is the passion and loyalty of our owners and teams that make ClubSwan so special. We now look forward to an exciting 2027 season – starting in Bonifacio next May - with new destinations, new challenges and many more memorable moments to share.”