With just one month to go until the start of the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, an impressive fleet has signed up to kick off the big-boat racing season in the Mediterranean. Eighteen superyachts will take part in the 2026 edition, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda with the support of title sponsor Giorgio Armani, running from 26 to 30 May. Among competitors gathering on the quays in front of the YCCS headquarters will be five superyachts participating in the 20th edition of the Southern Wind RendezVous. This format features daily group sailing, lunch in one of the many picturesque bays of the La Maddalena Archipelago, and a return sail to Porto Cervo in time for the evening’s social programme.
SØRVIND by Giorgio Armani will be in attendance for the second consecutive year. The Southern Wind 105, chartered by the title sponsor to represent the brand directly on the race course, confirms the strong bond between Giorgio Armani and the sporting heart of the event. It will not be the only return, and the ongoing duel between the Swan 115 Moat, owned by YCCS member Juan Ball, and Morgana, the Southern Wind RP100 owned by Francesco De Santis, is expected to continue. Also returning are the Southern Wind 108 Gelliceaux and Tonino Cacace’s SW94 Magic Blue, Fausto Sestini’s SW100 Grillo Parlante, and the Southern Wind 96 models Liberty and Sorceress. After missing last year’s event, veteran participant Inoui, owned by YCCS member Marco Vögele, will also be back.
New entries include a debut for Kalantis, a recently launched Southern Wind 108 that departed Cape Town in March bound for the Mediterranean. First-time competitors at the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta will also include the 39-metre Tripp yacht Cervo, the Dubois 100 Nostromo and the Wally 94 Vantanera.
Finally, the yachts taking part in the Southern Wind RendezVous will be the SW82 Grande Orazio, owned by YCCS member Massimiliano Florio, the SW105 No Rush, the SW102 Hevea, and the two SW100s, Freebird and Starfall.
Alongside the racing programme, the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta offers a calendar of special onshore events dedicated to owners, their guests and crews. Throughout the event, the Giorgio Armani pop-up store will be open in Piazza Azzurra, where the Giorgio Armani Mare collection will be available from 26 May at 10 a.m. Each morning of the regatta, an All Together Coffee will take place at the Giorgio Armani Mare pop-up from 9 to 10 a.m., a friendly gathering for participants before the fleet leaves the docks for the starting line.
Highlights of the social calendar will include the traditional Welcome Cocktail on 26 May, held on the panoramic terrace at the YCCS the evening before racing gets underway, and on Thursday 28 May, the Giorgio Armani Cocktail Dinatoire and Music Entertainment, reserved for yacht owners and their guests, also on the YCCS terrace. The Southern Wind Dinner will take place at Li Capanni in Cannigione the evening before. On Friday 29 May, a Sunset Party is scheduled at the Ea Bianca Resort in Cala dei Ginepri, an evening that proved a resounding success with all participants in the previous edition.
The Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta is open to sailing yachts of at least 80 feet in length. Corrected times will be calculated using the ORCsy (ORC Superyacht) system, designed specifically for this type of vessel. The fleet will be divided into categories according to dimensions and performance characteristics, with daily races over four days in the waters of the Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena Archipelago. The first starting signal is set for 12 noon each day, from 27 May.
The awards ceremony in Piazza Azzurra on Saturday 30 May, attended by all participants, will bring the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta to a close.