71st Regata Dei Tre Golfi, the Offshore Leg of the ORC Worlds 2026, Concludes in Sorrento
May 9, 2026 - Naples, Italy - The 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi, which started yesterday from the Bay of Santa Lucia in Naples at 17:00, has concluded, marking the long offshore race of the ORC World Championship 2026 and a central moment of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week.
Organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa) and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, in conjunction with the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC), and supported by Rolex and Loro Piana, the 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi once again confirms its place as one of the most iconic offshore races in international sailing, at the heart of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week.
Forecasts had predicted light winds, but during the night the breeze remained steady between 8 and 10 knots, with peaks close to 20 knots, allowing the fleet to maintain good speeds. The only significant lull occurred this morning around 10:00, while the faster TP52s and Wallyrocket51s were crossing the finish line and the smaller boats were still in the Procida area.
A key tactical factor was the transition around 10:00 from north-easterly to south-westerly winds, creating a zone of calm. At this stage, the decision to leave Ischia and Procida to port proved more advantageous than the more traditional option of leaving them to starboard.
Line honours went to the American TP52 Summer Storm owned by Andrew Berdon, who, as tradition dictates, received the trophy directly on the finish line. On board were, among others, Stu Bannantyne, multiple Volvo Ocean Race winner, and tactician Joachim Aschenbrenner.
“Obviously, we are very happy: first of all for the line honours, but also for the win on corrected time, which is a really important result for the team and the boat,” commented Aschenbrenner. “Last year we sailed in the TP52 circuit in the United States, so it’s been interesting to measure ourselves against the top European teams. The boat is in great shape, and the modifications have worked very well, thanks to the work of the technical team. It’s no secret that to win under ORC, you need a well-optimised boat, and today we saw a very solid performance. The start was tricky, with a very difficult first upwind leg. We took a conservative approach to stay in the leading group, and at sunset, conditions improved, with wind reaching close to 20 knots. We hoisted the Code Zero and made good speeds in the early evening. The decisions were not particularly extreme: the forecasts were difficult to interpret, so we used a mix of models and at times returned to more basic sailing, based on tactics and strategy. Overall, it was a combination of factors that allowed us to have a good race and go fast.”
Interview with Joachim Aschenbrenner
In Class 0, Summer Storm secured victory ahead of another TP52, Vudu of Mauro Gestri, with North Sails CEO Daniele Cassinari calling tactics, followed by the Wallyrocket51 Django WR of Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, featuring Olympic sailor Michele Paoletti and a partially renewed crew for this offshore race (some regular crew members are competing in the 52 Super Series), and RocketNikka of Roberto Lacorte, which counted several top Italian sailors on board, including tactician Lorenzo Bressani.
In Class A, the fastest boat was the Swan 42 Morgan V of Nicola De Gemmis, with former Finn sailor Filippo Baldassarri on board. Second place went to another Swan 42, Selene – Alifax of Massimo De Campo, with Italian champion Tommaso Chieffi, while third place went to the Ker 46 Lisa R, a past winner of the Regata dei Tre Golfi.
“We are very happy. It was a complex race, with unreliable weather forecasts that forced us to make continuous decisions,” said Manuel Polo, tactician of Morgan V. “At one point, we had a close duel with Selene—we stayed very close throughout. They chose a more direct route with the Code 0, while we were more conservative with the A2, staying in the area with more pressure. That choice gained us valuable minutes. On the way back, conditions were again difficult to read: we tried to sail at maximum VMG and, compared to others, we chose to stay south of Ischia. That was the key decision, allowing us to secure the win in what is always one of the most beautiful and challenging offshore races in the Mediterranean. Of course, a bit of luck helps… but as they say, better lucky than good.”
In Class B, victory went to the Italia Yachts 11.98 To Be of Stefano Rusconi, with Portuguese Olympic Star sailor Afonso Domingos. Second place went to Katara of Junian Somodi, a team from Argentina, followed by the X-Yachts XR 41 WB IX of Gianclaudio Bassetti in third.
“We had a great start and a really strong first part of the race,” said Alfonso Domingos, tactician from the winning To Be team. “After rounding the first mark near the front of our group, it became a very tactical and demanding night with constant sail changes and shifting conditions. The crew worked extremely well together and, as always in offshore racing, you also need a bit of luck. Winning the long offshore race of the ORC Worlds is a fantastic way to start the championship.”
In Class C, Italy’s Melagodo, the First 34.7 of Luca De Luca, claimed victory on corrected time after the demanding 130-nautical-mile offshore race. One of the biggest stories of the class came from the brand-new MAT 11 Robe da Mat of Luigi Buzzi, which recorded the fastest elapsed time (23h 01min 39sec) in Class C in its very first race and secured second place after corrected time calculations. Third place went to Cyprus entry Freedom 24, the Vrolijk 37 of Evgenii Tiapkin.
Being back in the harbour as the first boat in class, the international Robe da Mat crew featured the owner Luigi Buzzi (ITA) Joan Navarro Guiu (skipper, ESP), Peter Buhl (helmsman, DEN), Tomislav Bašić (CRO), Jesper Haumann (DEN), Karlo Hmeljak (SLO), Mads Christian Horsted Taatø (DEN), Jakub Marciniak (POL) and Piotr Przybylski (POL), combining experience from top European offshore and one-design racing circuits. The strength and diversity of the crew added another layer of credibility to the impressive debut of the new MAT 11 design.
“We are extremely pleased with the performance of the boat,” said skipper Joan Navarro Guiu. “She performed exceptionally well in all conditions, and throughout the race we were able to compete boat-for-boat with some very established ORC designs. Seeing these results in the MAT 11’s first appearance at the ORC World Championship is very rewarding for the entire project and team.”
ORC 0 – Top 3
- 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗠 (TP52, USA) - Andrew Berdon
- 𝗩𝗨𝗗𝗨 (TP52, MLT) - Mauro Gestri
- 𝗗𝗝𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗢 𝗪𝗥 (WallyRocket 51, ITA) - Giovanni Lombardi
ORC A – Top 3
- 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗔𝗡 𝗩 (Swan 42, ITA) - Nicola De Gemmis
- 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗘-𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗔𝗫 (Swan 42 Club, ITA) - Massimo De Campo
- 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗔 𝗥 (Ker 46, ITA) - Giovanni Di Vincenzo
ORC B – Top 3
- 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 (Italia 11.98, ITA) - Stefano Rusconi
- 𝗞𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗔 (PG390, ARG) - Julian Somodi
- 𝗪𝗕 𝗜𝗫 (XR41, ITA) - Gianclaudio Bassetti
ORC C – Top 3
- 𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗚𝗢𝗗𝗢 (First 34.7, ITA) - Luca De Luca
- 𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗘 𝗗𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗧 (MAT 11, ITA) - Luigi Buzzi
- 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗢𝗠 𝟮𝟰 (Vrolijk 37, CYP) - Evgenii Tiapkin
With the offshore race of the ORC World Championship 2026 now completed, the fleet of 104 boats has returned to the harbors of Sorrento, Piano di Sorrento and Sant’Agnello. After a well-deserved rest, racing will resume with the inshore series from Monday, 11 May through Thursday, 14 May, when the ORC World Champions 2026 will be crowned.
The race can be followed live via TracTrac Live tracking available here.
Results page
Photo galleries
The event is supported by leading partners including Rolex and Loro Piana, as well as North Sails, Deloitte, Ferrarelle, Ottogas, Garmin, Banca Patrimoni Sella & C., Caffè Borbone and Azimut Investimenti.
ORC Partners are Vennvind, TracTrac, PredictWind, Garmin and Leica Geosystems.
2026 ORC World Championship in Naples & Sorrento, Italy
ORC Event Website: orc.org/worlds2026
Website: tregolfisailingweek.com/en/orc-world-championship-2026
Facebook: facebook.com/tregolfisailingweek & facebook.com/offshoreracingcongress/
Instagram: instagram.com/tregolfisailingweek/ & instagram.com/orcsailing/
YouTube: youtube.com/@ORCsailing
Photo galleries: ORC Flickr albums
#ORCsailing #orcworlds2026 #tregolfisailingweek
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