Rolex Swan Cup 2024
Rolex Swan Cup 2024
A great deal to celebrate at Rolex Swan Cup 2024
Rolex Swan Cup 2024-The 2024 edition of the Rolex Swan Cup proved to be a multiple celebration of all things Swan, taking in the exceptional racing between the 101 yachts gathered in Porto Cervo, the recognition of a long-standing partnership, and the simple pleasure of a shared camaraderie that is at the core of the Swan family experience.
From the first gathering in 1980 to the 22nd this year, the biennial Rolex Swan Cup has gone from strength to strength in no small part thanks to the enduring collaboration between Rolex, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS), and Nautor Swan.
It was a relationship that was celebrated by Nautor Group President Leonardo Ferragamo in his speech on Friday at the Rolex Dinner Party: “Tonight we mark 40 years of the partnership with Rolex, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Nautor Swan. It is amazing what has happened. We have seen this event evolving every two years, a combination between a great yacht club, the major watch making brand in the world, and Nautor Swan, working together with the same vision, to improve time after time. It’s unique and amazing.”
Out on the water
Rolex Swan Cup 2024 delivered a variety of wind and weather conditions over five days of racing off Sardinia’s scenic and spectacular northern coast, offering something for everyone as the week progressed, with the wind only not appearing on a single day.
With the large fleet divided into two groups, the level playing field for all was maintained across the divisions and classes.
Group 1 was home to the Rating classes, which were split into three divisions: Maxi, Swan and Sparkman & Stephens, with each further divided into classes.
The Swan 60 CR Sea Quill showed her style in the Mini Maxi Class with four straight race wins, and the Swan 90 Freya followed suit with four bullets in the Maxis. “I’m as happy as I have ever been in my life,” said owner Donald Macpherson. “It has been a fantastic week. We have a great team and we’ve been able to keep the same guys around most of the time. It was a team effort.
“The Rolex Swan Cup here in Porto Cervo is a premier event in a premier location for sailing. Everybody here has the same thing in common.”
Matters were more mixed in the S&S Classics with a different winner in each of the four races. At the end of the day Frank Winter’s German flagged Swan 36 Isabella took the title by a single point in a closely contested class.
In S&S Racing the competition was also close but rather clearer cut with Vincenzo Onorato’s Swan 38 (1974) Mod Mascalazone Latino XXXIII’s three wins putting her on top.
It was a similar outcome in the large Swan Cruiser class with the Swan 54 Katima (GER) able to discard a 2nd place and finish top with a 1-1-1 scoreline. Three bullets was also the straightforward ingredient that put Argentina’s Fernando Chain and his Swan 45 Mod From Now On at the top of the Swan Grand Prix table.
Meanwhile Group 2 featured the racing focused Swan One Design models with classes ranging from the new ClubSwan 28 to the ClubSwan 50, as well as the Swan 42 contingent.
The always highly competitive ClubSwan 50 saw the top three a single point apart, with Raquel and Graeme Peterson’s Moonlight edging the contest thanks to a 3rd place in the last of seven races to finish on 22 points, with Mark and Louis Bezner’s Olymp and Marcus Brennecke’s Hatari both on 23.
Italian entries claimed the top spot in three of the classes, with Adriano Majolino’s Canopo winning every race but one in the ClubSwan 42 fleet, Edoardo and Vanni Pavesio’s Fra Martina staying consistent to win the competitive ClubSwan 36 class, and Stefano Masi taking the Swan 45 title by a single point with Ulika. Majolino also claimed the Swan OD Grand Prix title with Canopo.
Meanwhile, in what proved a closely fought contest among the ClubSwan 28s, Phillipe Ligot’s Marcello took the title but only on countback from Giulio Gatti’s Anya Race.
A special event, a special award
This year’s Rolex Swan Cup saw the inaugural presentation of the Fabio Gallia Trophy, awarded in memory of the life and values of the banker who passed away earlier this year.
The first ever recipient of the Fabio Gallia Trophy was Marco Trombetti, the CEO of Translated and the skipper of the Swan 65 Translated 9 which recently completed the Ocean Globe Race. He said: “Completing a round-the-world trip was challenging both physically and psychologically. Two elements gave me the strength to face it: the support of Fabio Gallia, who was a model of optimism and humanity, and the extraordinary story of the Swan 65.”
The Trophy, designed by Piero Lissoni, embodies the values of Resilience, Perseverance, Integrity, Courage, Teamwork, Vision, Leadership and Humanity.
Nautor Group President Leonardo Ferragamo said: “I’m sure this trophy will honor many people who try their hand at sailing and achieve extraordinary things where precisely these characteristics prevail. It will not only be a way of honoring the people who most deserve it, but also a way of conferring these values beneath the gaze of so many people so that they can be a model for them and for the upcoming generations.”
And other mentions for the Swan family
The appeal of the Rolex Swan Cup is truly global, with entries arriving from the far corners of the planet. The Rolex Dinner Party recognised this with an award for the Farthest Travelled Swan — which went to the S&S Swan 65 Eve, sailed from Australia by Steve Cappell and Fraser Welch. They had also celebrated with a second place in their first race in the S&S Classic class.
Another entry whose presence was celebrated was the Swan 82 Stella, whose Finnish owner Robert Stauber gave the well-regarded racing boat a second lease of life with a full refit over last winter. He was awarded with the Best Presented Swan trophy.
Meanwhile, Melanie and Peter Kohloff’s Swan 47 CB Matilda was awarded the Spirit of Swan prize .
“Matilda was built for the New York Yacht Club with a centreboard,” said Peter Kohloff, husband of owner-driver Melanie. “She is pretty fast, perhaps faster than the keel boat, and we have kept her in her original condition with Dacron sails, the original mast, and the old motor — so not up to date, but still competitive.”
The Kohloffs — whose son Paul won a Bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in a Nacra 17 — sail with four other couples, all long-time friends — a real sailing family.
One other crew also able to celebrate the Rolex Swan Cup atmosphere was the Randstad Sailing Team who raced aboard the Swan 80 Kalima. Their guests were able to experience the thrill of full-on racing all provided by ClubSwan Racing, with the legendary racer Paul Cayard as skipper.
And with thanks to
At the conclusion of the Rolex Swan Cup, Giovanni Pomati, CEO of Nautor Group, paid tribute to the high standards at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, adding: “And to all the people here instead of thanks I would like to send you all a big hug. To the owners of course, and also the professional sailors who bring so much to this event.
“Even more important for this event is the passion and camaraderie on the pontoons and all around. This is part of the Swan journey and you are all welcome to come on the next part of the journey.”
ClubSwan Racing, as organiser of the season-long The Swan One Design Nations League series, which includes Rolex Swan Cup, would also like to highlight the essential support provided by their main partners Rolex, Randstad, Porsche, Henri Lloyd, Ferragamo and Banor.
