Introducing: 16 of the yachts registered for the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2016

There is a 18-strong fleet of sailing superyachts already registered for the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta 2016. It's not too late to add your yacht to the list - check our registration page for more information. You must be quick, as entries close on May 8.

For the 2016 regatta, a fleet of 12 Wally yachts will race alongside the superyachts already registered for the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta.

Please click through the gallery to see details on each of the yachts, listed in alphabetical order. Ohana and Whisper have just joined the fleet and will be added to this list presently.

1. Ammonite

Ammonite is a 24.72 metre sailing yacht and will be one of the newest yachts on show at the regatta. She was delivered this year by  Southern Wind Shipyard and designed by  Nauta Design, with naval architecture by  Farr Yacht Design.

Ammonite's maiden voyage will see her sail from Cape Town to Sardinia ahead of the Loro Piana Regatta. Following the regatta in Porto Cervo, she is planning on racing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in September.

Grande Orazio is a 24.72 metre yacht built by Southern Wind Shipyard in 2014. The naval architect was Farr Yacht Design and she is designed by Nauta Yachts.

Grande Orazio will return to the Loro Piano Superyacht Regatta as defending champion and the yacht to beat in Class C after winning the 2015 regatta as well as the 2014 race.

Speaking about the victory last year, her owner said he wants to make it three years in a row: “For next year (2016) I would like to repeat this performance. I’m very happy.”

Unmissable with its vibrant green hull, Inoui is a 33.4 metre yacht which was built in 2013 by Vitters and designed by Philippe Briand.

Inoui came a close second in the Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous in March this year. She was involved in a dramatic head-to-head battle with Nilaya, with a win each to their name heading into the final day of racing. But despite her spinnaker blowing out at the first downwind leg, Nilaya held on to win ahead of Inoui and claimed victory in the Class A event.

Inoui also won the judges' special award for design and high-quality construction at the 2014 World Superyacht Awards.

Launched in April 2016 Firebird is one of the 885 series by Oyster and is designed by Rob Humphreys Yacht Design.

Firebird was last spotted cruising through the Mediterranean ahead of her delivery, but it's the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta that will be her racing debut.

The hull of the Oyster 885 series is balanced and powerful, with a fairly fine entry that will help the boat cleave through a seaway. The stern is relatively broad to deliver a high level of form stability and an off-wind potential that will rattle away the miles in any trade wind passage. The Oyster 885 has a twin rudder configuration and for slick manoeuvring in harbour, she will be fitted with both stern and bow thrusters.

Maegan is a 25.15 metre yacht built in 2014 by Oyster and designed by Rob Humphreys Yacht Design.

She made her regatta debut in Class C at last year’s regatta. After a flying start in the first day of racing she was leading the pack but struggled in dying wind and dropped down to fourth. At the 2016 Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous she finished all three races second, behind overall winner Freya.

The 38.15 metre P2 was built by Perini Navi with exterior design by Philippe Briand.

She became a champion again at the 2016 Loro Piana Caribbean Regatta and Rendezvous, where she was also the defending champion. At the same event in 2015 P2 also claimed The Loro Piana Prize: The Boat International Media Trophy for the lowest scoring yacht of the week.

The 45.19 metre yacht  Saudade was built by Monaco-based Wally Yachts and designed by Eidsgaard Design with naval architecture by  Bill Tripp.

Suadade will return as defending champion in Class A after winning her first regatta at last year’s close encounter. The victory was handed to Suadade on a countback after failing winds resulted in racing being abandoned.

The 31.78 metre  Seawave was launched by Southern Wind Shipyard in July 2015. The naval architecture is by Farr Yacht Design while the exterior and interior design is by Nauta Design.

Seawave is the fourth hull in the successful Southern Wind 102 semi-custom series. She is the second hull in the series to have the raised saloon configuration, which offers an open saloon with light pouring in down below.

The 46 metre sailing yacht _Unfurled _was built by Dutchyard shipyard Vitters in 2015, and launched at the start of this year.

It was the first collaboration between Vitters and renowned Argentinian racing yacht designer German Frers.

Although Unfurled is primarily designed as a cruiser, a great deal of attention has been dedicated to performance and sailing abilities which was proved with victory in Class A at the 2016 St Barths Bucket in March. Before that, in the Loro Piana Caribbean Regatta and Rendezvous she came third in Class B behind P2 in first place.

Built by Baltic Yachts and designed by naval architect Javier Jaudenes, WinWin, is a 33 metre yacht that was launched in May 2014.

WinWin came second at last year's event in a close encounter with My Story. The racing was as close as ever last year and the 40-metre exclusion zone between each yacht was crucial. Each yacht heavily relied upon the use of the laser rangefinder which proved instrumental in keeping the racing fun but safe.

At the time, WinWin captain Clive Walker said: “These boats are worth a lot of money and if two boats collide it could be a few thousand or a few million, and people could get hurt. The rangefinders are a very useful tool.”

WinWin was named sailing yacht of the year at the  World Superyacht Awards 2015.