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11 yachts competing in the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta 2023

23 May 2023 • Written by Gemma Harris

The Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta is back and returns to Porto Cervo next week from 6 June to 10 June. Organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the four-day regatta marks the start of the Mediterranean racing season and encompasses both the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and the Southern Wind Rendezvous & Trophy. This year's entry list includes 11 sailing yachts, comprised of first-timers and regatta royalty, ready to race for victory in the La Maddalena Archipelago. Take a look at the 2023 line-up...

Aragon

The 28.6-metre Southern Wind sloop made her debut on the Mediterranean racing scene as Windfall not long after her delivery in 2013. Commissioned by an owner looking to compete at the major regattas, she was the second of three SW94 models designed by Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design and boasts a carbon mast, rigging and boom. Built in advanced composite sandwich materials means she is light, fast and fearsome on the race circuit with her 463-square-metre sail plan she has clinched multiple regatta wins including the Maxi Rolex Cup and has taken fourth place in the Voiles De St Tropez. Under new ownership and a new name, she returns to the La Maddalena Archipelago to test her mettle. 

Egiwave

Another build by South African superyacht specialist, Southern Wind, Egiwave, was delivered in 2015 and raced for years under the name Seawave until a change in ownership in 2019. A 292 square-metre mainsail paired with a carbon fibre mast and boom gives her a remarkable acceleration when bearing away. Designed by Farr Yacht Design, she has recessed twin helm positions which enable additional space on deck for the race crew to navigate. She is a regular at this regatta and was one of the six Southern Wind yacht contenders last year.

Freebird

The 30.2-metre carbon composite sailing yacht Freebird was delivered in 2011 and underwent a major refit in 2021. Her naval architecture was courtesy of Farr Yacht Design, the studio behind this popular SW100 RS mini-series, while her sporty profile and interiors were designed by Nauta Design. She has a light displacement meaning performance sailing even in light winds, with her rig hosting a sail area of 424 square metres. 

Gitana

This custom sloop was first delivered as Salperton IV to a serial sailing yacht owner, the fourth in the Salperton dynasty, and has been racing ever since she splashed in 2009. The 45-metre sailing yacht was built by Fitzroy Yachts to a design by Dubois Naval Architects and is a born racer with wins at numerous Loro Piana events as well as the class win in St Barths, a second at the Palma Superyacht Cup and a first at the Dubois Cup. Now under new ownership, and racing under the name Gitana, her regatta career is far from over. She took fourth place in the Antigua Superyacht Challenge and competed once again in the Bucket.

Inoui

Having scored fourth place last year at the Giorgio Armani regatta last year, Inoui is back and ready to race again, this time setting her sights on victory. She is the owner's third yacht, delivered in 2013, who wanted the yachting equivalent of a sports car in his next build. She is truly a lean, green racing machine, built from carbon composite to a design by Phillippe Brand, with a blend of carbon and Kevlar fibres for her rig. The impressive spinnaker on the 33-metre Vitters yachts bears its name, which means extraordinary in French. To ensure optimum sailing performance, she has a retractable fin-and-bulb keel drawing just 3.75 metres when retracted and 5.35 metres when down.

Ocean Horse

Ocean Horse might be the smallest in this year's lineup, but she has an excellent reputation and has seen great results in major races such as the Maxi Rolex Cup, Palma Superyacht Cup and the Maxi Rolex World Championship. She was delivered by Southern Wind as the fourth hull in its SW78 miniseries, designed in collaboration with Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design, and falls just shy of 24 metres LOA. A carbon and epoxy hull and superstructure translate to her excellent performance in some of the most renowned offshore and inshore superyacht regattas. 

Pattoo

Pattoo (formerly Missy) was developed in collaboration with Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design and was the first project delivered by Vitters in cooperation with the studio. The owner's brief was for a carbon-fibre performance cruiser which resulted in her slim 7.5-metre beam, generous sail plan and lifting keel that extends from 3.75 metres to five metres. She has a carbon-fibre mast from Southern Spars (with ECsix carbon rigging) and carries a sail wardrobe from North Sails. Last year at the Superyacht Cup in Palma, she took home first place thanks to her narrow victory in the St Regis race. 

Sorvind

One of the newest yachts competing in this year's regatta is the full-carbon 34-metre Southern Wind Sorvind. She was delivered in March 2022 as the fifth unit of the successful SW105 mini-series and has been built to a proven design brief that called for a high-performance blue water cruiser. Her lightweight composition (she weighs 69,500kg) means she can sail well in light airs and careful consideration was taken to keep her weight low with synthetic teak decks and stanchions, pulpits and cleats made from aluminium. The yacht has been named after the Norwegian word for Southern Wind, in a fitting tribute to the yard which built her. A 7,000-nautical-mile maiden voyage proved her to be capable of crossing oceans, but how will she fare on the race circuit?

Starfall

Launched as Farewell in 2006, this 30.2-metre Southern Wind 100 was the first in this series of yachts. Built in Kevlar composite with an exterior by Farr Yacht Design and an interior by  Nauta Design, she isn't new to the regatta scene. Sold in 2022 and renamed Starfall, with her new and younger owners, she will make her appearance in Porto Cervo to continue to prove her previous accolades. 

V

Built in carbon fibre by Italian yard Persico Marine to a design by Mills Design, the 30.4-metre superyacht was launched in 2017 as Tango. Delivered in 2017, the Wallycento model has a focus on speed with assistance from her 3Di sails from North Sails. The 45-metre Southern Spars mast offers a sail plan of 640-square-metres upwind and she regularly joins other Wallycentos out on the racing circuit across the Mediterranean. A minimalist interior design for weight optimisation without compromising comfort, as well as a sail storage room when racing, was developed by Pininfarina.

WinWin

Since leaving the Baltic Yachts shipyard in 2015, Win Win has remained true to her name regularly picking up silverware on the racing circuit. The 33-metre is a seasoned champion with frequent victories at the Superyacht Cup in Palma and is certainly easy to spot thanks to her racing-green spinnaker. With her top-down furling kite, she can reach up to an impressive 18.5 knots while sitting comfortably at 11.2 knots close hauled. Taking seventh place at last year’s Giorgio Armani regatta, she is back this year ready to reinstate her winning streak.

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