First class in every sense, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is a byword for excellence in the yachting world. Uniting an awe-inspiring sailing environment, outstanding race management and the vanguard of monohull technology, the event enjoys a towering reputation. Key to its success has been the long-standing partnership between Rolex and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS).

Rolex Testimonee Paul Cayard, a past tactician at the regatta, explains the importance of the collaboration:

“For more than 35 years, Rolex and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda have forged a privileged relationship. These two partners stand for the highest quality and excellence in everything they do. Together they offer the ideal platform for sailors to focus on elite competition.” 

This year marks the 32nd Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. From its inception, the event has showcased the remarkable potential and transformational evolution of monohull design and technology. The drivers of this innovation are the Maxi yacht owners and design teams who are always striving to push the boundaries, investing considerable time and resources in development.

The 2022 edition will be held from 4–10 September, with five days of racing scheduled. The programme, organized with the collaboration of the International Maxi Association, offers a combination of intense windward/leeward racing and coastal courses in north-east Sardinia’s Maddalena Archipelago. For navigators in particular, the rocky outcrops and islets offer constant and tantalizing challenges.

Cayard confirms the event’s unquestionable appeal:

“The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the very essence of superlative yacht racing – the most impressive yachts sailed by the best sailors in the most perfect sailing environment.” 

The fleet is divided into different classes based on yacht size, performance or design. Competition is intense. Every tactical decision and manoeuvre will be contested and crucial. Margins at this level of yacht racing are incredibly fine. The prerogative is not to be the best in any single race but, rather, to achieve a high level of consistency throughout the week to take a much-coveted class victory.

The 2022 edition will be held from 4–10 September, with five days of racing scheduled. The programme, organized with the collaboration of the International Maxi Association, offers a combination of intense windward/leeward racing and coastal courses in north-east Sardinia’s Maddalena Archipelago. For navigators in particular, the rocky outcrops and islets offer constant and tantalizing challenges.

Cayard confirms the event’s unquestionable appeal:

“The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is the very essence of superlative yacht racing – the most impressive yachts sailed by the best sailors in the most perfect sailing environment.” 

The fleet is divided into different classes based on yacht size, performance or design. Competition is intense. Every tactical decision and manoeuvre will be contested and crucial. Margins at this level of yacht racing are incredibly fine. The prerogative is not to be the best in any single race but, rather, to achieve a high level of consistency throughout the week to take a much-coveted class victory.

Achieving such consistency demands impeccable teamwork. On yachts measuring from 18.29 metres (60 feet) to more than 40 metres (131 feet) in length, communication is crucial and developed through preparation, intense training and, in many cases, years of sailing at the top of the sport. The names of the victorious yachts throughout the event’s history are on display at the entrance to the YCCS’s impressive clubhouse in Porto Cervo. The reward of a class trophy and Rolex timepiece at the final prize-giving is the ultimate validation of success.

This year’s entry list is one of the largest in recent editions, with nearly 50 boats registered. The competition will feature historic yachts, including original and replica J-Class whose designs date back to the 1930s, high-performance entries such as the Wallycentos, and stripped-back carbon racers built purely for power and speed. The largest registered yacht at 43.6 metres (143 feet) is the J-Class Svea, based on a 1937 design. The most innovative entry is undoubtedly the 19m (62ft) FlyingNikka, the first ever foiling Mini Maxi and making her racing debut. Returning victors from 2021 include Cannonball, Capricorno, Velsheda and Magic Carpet Cubed, the line honours winner at June’s Rolex Giraglia.

Pioneering from its outset, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup continues to be an event par excellence. Its partners, Rolex and the YCCS, are committed to ensuring the competition evolves in the same careful and considered manner as it has done throughout the past five decades.

ROLEX AND YACHTING
Rolex has always associated with activities driven by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. The Swiss watchmaker naturally gravitated towards the elite world of yachting six decades ago and the brand’s enduring partnership now encompasses the most prestigious clubs, races and regattas, as well as towering figures in the sport, including ground-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester and the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie. Today, Rolex is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events – from leading offshore races such as the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. It also supports the exciting SailGP global championship in which national teams race identical supercharged F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous harbours. Rolex’s partnerships  with the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Yacht Club Italiano, New York Yacht Club and Royal Yacht Squadron, among others, are the foundation of its enduring relationship with this dynamic sport.

ABOUT ROLEX

AN UNRIVALLED REPUTATION FOR QUALITY AND EXPERTISE
Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Cellini watches are certified by COSC, then tested inhouse for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization. The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 500 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components, from the casting of the gold alloys to the machining, crafting, assembly and finishing of the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.

Geneva, 23 August 2022

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SOURCE: @quinagcommunication.com

@Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup