The Classic Course Begins: Giraglia Fleet Heads for Genoa

The 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia offshore race started today at noon, sending the fleet on one of the Mediterranean’s great classic courses from Saint-Tropez to Genoa via the Giraglia Rock.
The Loro Piana Giraglia is organised by Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, under the guidance of the Federazione Italiana Vela and the Fédération Française de Voile.

Under azure, blue skies, the international fleet sailed out to the start line in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez for the final time at the 2026 edition of the Loro Piana Giraglia. A light easterly wind produced a gentle upwind conditions, probably the only time the fleet will be fully on the wind for the race to Genoa via the Giraglia Rock.
The fleet ranges from powerful Maxis up to 30 metres in length to timeless classics, high performance raceboats and pocket rockets under 10 metres. Close to a thousand sailors from 45 nations across six continents are taking part.

First held in 1953, the Loro Piana Giraglia remains a historic bridge between France and Italy, and the offshore race now carries that spirit from Saint-Tropez towards Genoa.
At the start of the 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia, a light easterly of about eight knots gave the magnificent fleet a beat to start. Once clear of the Cap de Saint-Tropez, the racing yachts cracked sheets or hoisted downwind sails towards the Giraglia Rock, off the coast of Corsica. After rounding the iconic Giraglia Rock, the fleet will race north to the finish at Genoa and a warm welcome at the Yacht Club Italiano.

The Maxis were first to start with Lindsay Owen Jones’ Verdier 100 Magic Carpet E and Benussi Furio’s Don Jones 100 ARC SGR getting away well at over ten knots of boat speed. Also getting a great start was Capricorno, My Song and Proteus. All of the fleet are north of the rhumb line, a clear sign that the route to Giraglia will not be a straight line or straight forward.
Leopard 3, one of the leading contenders in the Maxi fleet, was in the starting area ahead of the offshore race but returned to Saint-Tropez before the start. All crew are safe and well. The boat did not start due to a private matter, and the team has the full support and understanding of the organisers.
Before the start, Silvio Arrivabene shared his thoughts on the weather conditions for the Loro Piana Giraglia 2026, Arrivabene is the navigator on Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s wallyrocket 51 Django.

“The conditions are going to be light. We expect some breeze from the south south west and probably a broad reach on starboard at the start. The first goal will be to stay with the breeze as long as we can. We may have to sail north of the rhumb line and keep that pressure for as long as possible.
The models are not all saying the same thing. Some have us carrying that breeze towards the Giraglia Rock, but slowly. Others have the wind shifting north, which could mean changing from starboard to port and approaching the rock on port tomorrow morning. After that, the focus turns to Genoa. We may have some easterly or westerly breeze at first, and then eventually some southerly again.

This year, the Loro Piana Giraglia will be about managing transitions, not just boat speed. The key is to stay with the breeze and negotiate each change as it comes. There will probably be a few sail changes, from windseeker to Code Zero and back again. As we know, when you get close to Genoa, the sun goes down, there is a beautiful sunset, and sometimes no wind. We will keep running the routing, keep updating, and see you in Genoa.”

The principal offshore prizes for the Loro Piana Giraglia offshore race include the Loro Piana Challenge Trophy for the overall winner on corrected time, line honours for the first yacht to finish in Genoa, the Trofeo Beppe Croce for the first boat to round the Giraglia Rock. The Réné Levainville Trophy and Class prizes will also be awarded across the IRC and ORC divisions.
“The Giraglia is one of those races that every sailor wants to have on their record,” commented Yacht Club Italiano President Carlo Cameli. “For the sailors leaving Saint-Tropez, the message is to enjoy it, but also to race with respect and sportsmanship. That is very important. This is a race with great tradition, but it is also alive because every edition creates new stories and new memories. We wish fair winds to everybody, and we will be waiting for them in Genova.”