Yacht Racing in the
Mediterranean 

(Yacht Racing) Leonardo Ferragamo helms a sleek bottle-green 50-foot weekend sailboat, while his son Edo chases thrills on a speedy high-performance 36-footer, competing in races everywhere from Porto Cervo to Palma de Mallorca. Both are named Cuordileone, after England’s Richard the Lionheart.

ClubSwan is the performance yacht arm of Nautor Swan that Ferragamo formed when he clinched a controlling stake in the iconic Finnish sailing yacht builder in 1998, which has since been acquired by Italy’s Sanlorenzo Yachts. Fashion might be in Ferragamo’s genes, but arguably his longer love affair is with all things water: he has been enamored with sailing since he was 15. Between March and October, ClubSwan Racing organizes a smorgasbord of events for Swan yacht owners in the Mediterranean. Owners from London to Rio de Janeiro look forward to the friendly competition and post-event gatherings at spectacular locations such as the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Some race with family and longtime sailing companions, while others bring in experienced crew.

The Nations League
The pinnacle of the ClubSwan racing calendar is the biennial The Nations Trophy, the finale of the season-long The Nations League. This year, St Tropez hosts the event, with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez serving as the base for competitors from October 8–12. “Sailing is like a training ground for your life. And sailing is a sport that you play with your mind,” Ferragamo tells Maison Ë. Planning, preparation, long-term strategy, and tactics are vital to competing effectively in a yacht race. “Sailing requires different skills. It is about physics. But it also has a very human dimension … There’s no other sport that gives you as much as sailing.”

Owners vying for a spot on the podium frequently recruit professionals like British sailor Ian Walker, a double Olympic silver medalist and triumphant The Ocean Race skipper. “When I was younger, I loved the mental chess side of sailing,” Walker says. “I loved the tactics, I liked the decision-making. I liked the team aspect of it, but as I’ve gotten older, what I’ve appreciated is the range of the sport. You can sail offshore, you can sail big boats, you can sail small boats.”

Yacht racing brings out a highly competitive streak in some, but it requires a cool head. “Not everybody can win. You have to enjoy it. Everybody is trying their best to win but it’s about having a good team and just trying to get better day by day,” says Walker. He admits to having a soft spot for Costa Smeralda. “The water is turquoise blue. You often get quite strong winds here. You’ve got stunning islands and rocks to sail around for your coastal races. And you’ve got a beautiful yacht club and nice beaches.”

606 miles of Offshore Sailing
One of the most challenging events on the Mediterranean yacht racing calendar is the 606-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts and finishes in Malta. Hosted by The Royal Malta Yacht Club, the 46th edition of the race starts on October 18 this year. A world-class fleet representing countries including Australia, Spain, and the US departs from Valletta’s Grand Harbor, where spectators can witness the race start.

Once engines are switched off, a nervous, excitable energy kicks in. To secure an advantageous position in the fleet, crew members need to perform a choreography honed over countless training sessions and previous races. Sails are trimmed tightly to take advantage of light winds as yachts glide through the water, passing within mere meters of one another ahead of the all-important race start. Masts tip, almost touching, like sword-bearing knights. When the final horn signal sounds, the yachts lurch forward, hulls heeling, the crew moving in perfect synchronicity.

The fleet heads north to Sicily’s eastern coast, then towards the technically-demanding Messina Strait. Before bearing north to the volcanic island of Stromboli, sailors often spot Mount Etna releasing steam. The route is then west, along Sicily’s northern coast toward the Egadi islands, followed by the islands of Lampedusa and Pantelleria. From there, the yachts sail north-east to the South Comino Channel and conclude the race at Malta’s Marsamxett Harbor.

Russell Whitworth, crew boss and pitman on board Jon Desmond’s Final Final, a US-flagged PAC52, says the Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of his favorite events.“The course is just so dynamic. You get the stunning scenery, the volcanic action, narrow straits, and the wind can go from zero to 30-plus knots in a flash. It’s a real sailor’s race,” he says. “There are so many variables and influences affecting the situation. You need to keep your head out of the boat, concentrate on what is around you.”

Where Antiquity Meets Adrenaline
Among the newest offshore races is Greece’s Aegean 600, whose fifth edition starts on July 6, organized by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club. This 605-mile race begins at Cape Sounion, at the southeastern tip of greater Athens, where the fifth-century BC Temple of Poseidon was built on rocky cliffs to honor the god of the sea. At sunset, its marble columns glow. Legend has it that Athens’ King Aegeus stood at the cape, awaiting his son Theseus’ return from Crete, following a battle with the Minotaur. But Theseus forgot to raise a white sail to signal success, leaving a black sail flying. Aegeus surmised his son had perished and threw himself into the sea. Some say this is how the Aegean acquired its name.

It’s ironic that, like most races, the Aegean 600 starting line is studded with black sails. Performance yachts sport carbon fiber sails, replacing the white Dacron of the past. Competitors sail from Sounion south to the island of Milos, passing through Santorini’s glittering caldera before approaching the Dodecanese islands. After rounding Rhodes, the fleet heads north, skirting eastern Aegean islands such as Patmos, then slipping between ancient Delos and Mykonos before finishing the course back at Sounion. Greece’s northerly meltemi wind peaks in July and August, creating unpredictable sailing conditions that swing from complete calm to gale-force gusts of up to 45 knots—pushing even the toughest race crews to their limits.

A Regatta with Riviera Flair
If easygoing day racing, invitation-only prize-giving ceremonies, and lavish parties are more your style, consider the prestigious Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Renowned for its camaraderie and spirited atmosphere, the 26th edition takes place this year from September 27 to October 5. Classic wooden sailing yachts, some more than a century old, mingle with state-of-the-art superyachts. Hosted by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, more than 250 yachts are divided between classic, modern, and Maxi classes. There are coastal courses for smaller boats and windward-leeward courses for larger entrants. Among the most impressive, painstakingly-restored classic yachts that make an appearance are Il Moro di Venezia I, a 20-meter Frers design, and Belle Aventure, a 25-meter Fife design.