After four days of racing at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Caribbean home in Virgin Gorda, Don Macpherson’s Swan 90 Freya and Leonardo Ferragamo’s ClubSwan 50 Cuordileone have been crowned champions of the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean 2017.

Freya, with Volvo Ocean Race veteran Kimo Worthington calling tactics, scored an impressive run of three straight wins out of four races and can now boast victory in the Swan Cup on both sides of the Atlantic. Ferragamo at the helm of Cuordileone had a tough fight on his hands from the off with the second participating ClubSwan 50 Earlybird. The two boats finished just 4 seconds apart in real time today, however it was the Italian boat with Ken Read on tactics that prevailed overall, again with three wins over the four race days. Racing in the biennial event organised by the YCCS together with Nautor’s Swan and title sponsor Rolex ran from 2nd to 5th March.

In an 18-boat fleet that ranged from the 13.5-metre Swan Best Buddies to the imposing 35-metre Swan 115s Highland Fling and Shamanna, and from the 1973-launched historic Whitbread winner Sayula to the cutting-edge Clubswan 50 Earlybird christened last week at YCCS, the entire spectrum of Nautor’s Swan yachts was well represented.

The fourth and final race day saw slightly less breeze than the previous days with approximately 15 knots blowing and both the Maxi and Grand Prix classes were set courses that took them around the Dog Islands off Virgin Gorda. Freya was assigned two penalty points after an overly aggressive manoeuvre on the starting line, however given her previously clear run of bullets the American boat managed a comfortable overall victory nonetheless. The Spanish Swan 80 Plis-Play took second place in today’s race which also assured her second place in the overall rankings ahead of Selene, another Swan 80.

“We had a fantastic race. It’s wonderful to be here in the beautiful BVI. YCCS is such a great Club and the Rolex Swan regatta is a fabulous event, everybody had a great time. It’s thrilling and humbling to win against a lot of other great boats. It’s extra special to win this race back-to-back with our win in Porto Cervo in September.” commented Freya’s owner Don Macpherson as he returned to dock at the YCCS Marina.

In the Grand Prix/Mini Maxi division Cuordileone led from day one, but a spinnaker split in yesterday’s race left her delta reduced to just one point over Earlybird. Today’s win allowed her to clinch overall victory ahead of Gibb Kane’s Swan 66 Bounty while Earlybird saw her chances of second place wiped out by a third place finish today that also left owner Hendrik Brandis in third place overall in the division.

As the owner and driver of the winning boat as well as Chairman of Nautor’s Swan, Ferragamo was doubly satisfied with the week’s events: “We had a fabulous week. The racing was phenomenally good, I think this place is pretty close to paradise and the sailing and racing conditions were just perfect. The racing was fun and competitive among all the various participants. I got to drive the ClubSwan 50 and it was great to see very tight racing and the two boats just seconds apart on the finish line and of course I’m extra happy about Cuordileone’s win.”

During the final prize giving ceremony YCCS Commodore Riccardo Bonadeo summed up the unique spirit of Rolex Swan events: “What makes the Rolex Swan Cup events in Porto Cervo and here in the Caribbean so special – in addition to the enduring partnership between YCCS, Rolex and Nautor’s Swan – is the way the Swan family comes together. We have classic and new boats here, large and small yachts, world-class professional sailors and amateur crews of friends and family – but what they all have in common is their passion for these boats and for sailing and we are pleased to share that passion.”

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The Rolex Swan Cup has been attracting fleets of Nautor’s Swan boats to the iconic yachting haven of Porto Cervo, Sardinia since 1980. Although the Caribbean version of the event has just reached its third edition, it is already a firm fixture on the Caribbean racing calendar and has been gathering ever-more impressive fleets to the tropical sailing paradise of Virgin Gorda every two years since its institution. Eighteen yachts from around the globe are lined up at YCCS Marina for an event renowned for its unique combination of family atmosphere, thrilling racing and superb social events – a blend that organizers the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda have honed to perfection in over 30 years of collaboration with Nautor’s Swan and title sponsor Rolex.

The variegated fleet bears testament to the Finnish shipyard’s long history and to their commitment to both tradition and innovation. The models entered range from two of the latest Clubswan 50 one-design racer-cruiser models penned by Juan Kouyoumidjian to classic Sparkman and Stephens designs, and from two of the flagship Swan 115 superyachts to the dainty Best Buddies, a classic Swan 44 with a crew of friends and family that have travelled here from German especially for the event.

Each of the boats and crews here have their own story and their own special reason for participating, which is what sets the Rolex Swan Cup events in both Porto Cervo and Virgin Gorda apart from other regattas. Without doubt one of the most fascinating backstories of this particular edition is the participation of the historic Swan 65 Sayula. The surprise winner, in 1974, of the very first edition of the Whitbread Round the World Race – today known as the Volvo Ocean Race and still recognised as the most gruelling sailing challenge in existence – Sayula and her helmsman the late Ramon Carlín were the subject of an award-winning 2016 documentary. Helmed now by Ramon’s son Enrique, who was on board for the extraordinary victory in 1974, the Mexican boat sailed a journey over 3,000 nautical miles specifically to attend the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean and boasts several generations of the Carlín family among the crew.

“We came from Mexico specially just for the event.” explained Enrique Carlín. “We went from Puerto Vallarta, all the way down to the Panama Canal and we got here in about 20 days. We came to bring Sayula back together with the Swan family, to support this special brand, it’s really a good brand, very strong. My two sons are on board and my grandchildren have already been at the helm of Sayula, so four generations of my family have helmed her.”

Equally excited to participate, but with a decidedly more competitive spirit is Hendrik Brandis, owner of Earlybird, the latest Clubswan 50 hull which was christened at the YCCS Marina in Virgin Gorda just days ago. Together with Leonardo Ferragamo’s Courdileone, these futuristic one-design yachts are sure to provide an electrifying spectacle in the easterly 20 knot breezes that are forecast for the coming days.

Brandis intends to enjoy becoming acquainted with his new yacht during its regatta debut: “We’ll be getting to know the boat and as always with sailing, having a lot of fun. I must say the first days of sailing here in Virgin Gorda were impressive. This is the next generation, it’s a planing boat and the downwind speed is just so much higher, it’s a different kind of sailing. It’s a great racer, it’s one-design and it can even be used with the family for day sailing.”

Racing is scheduled to get underway today, Thursday 2nd March at 11 a.m. with a coastal course planned for the fleet which will be divided into two separate classes.

In addition to exciting action on the water, the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean also brings a host of happenings ashore. Owners and crews will attend an opening reception on the YCCS lawn this evening while a cocktail competition will have crews battling once again on Thursday evening. The elegant Rolex Dinner for owners at the YCCS Clubhouse and a relaxed Caribbean Barbecue at Bitter End Yacht Club will also take place before the final prize giving on Sunday March 5th.

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A record 125 yachts from over 20 countries contested four days of racing at the 2016 Rolex Swan Cup. They encompassed designs representing over fifty years of nautical heritage. Competition was closely-fought and conducted with typical grace and sportsmanship by owners and sailors who were left awe-struck by the challenging conditions offered by one of the world’s most renowned sailing environments.

Goddess of the water

Donald Macpherson’s Swan 90S Freya was crowned Maxi class champion after winning today’s final race of the regatta. Fierce westerly winds gusting off the Costa Smeralda had forced the YCCS Race Committee to cancel racing yesterday and going into today’s decisive race, Freya was tied on five points with Swan 80 Selene.

In their pursuit of victory, the crew of Freya adopted a proactive approach. “We got to the front early and it’s always good to stay there. This was our race to lose,” explained Macpherson, whose boat is suited to the heavier conditions which characterised the second half of the week. “We did well when the wind came in. I couldn’t be happier and am very humbled to win at the Rolex Swan Cup.”

Interest in the Maxi class, reserved for the week’s largest yachts, stretched beyond the contest to identify the class winner. The presence of three brand new Swan 115s provided great intrigue. The Swan 115 represents a bold step into the increasingly dynamic superyacht market with its first three iterations all featuring in Porto Cervo for the first time. Of the three, Lord Irvine Laidlaw’s Highland Fling 15 is the one most built to race. Her status as the fastest boat on the water was never threatened.

Those sailing the Swan 115s for the first time have enjoyed the experience. Maltese sailor Christian Ripard, four-time winner of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, is part of the crew on the newest arrival, Shamanna. “She is new, so we are still learning a lot about the boat. The loads are significant so you have to be very calculated and careful in making maneuvers. This is where teamwork, communication and having experienced afterguard people are important. It’s always about anticipating what is going to happen next.”

A new champion

In the one-design Swan 45 World Championship the pattern was established early in the week. Elena Nova, runner up in 2014, set the pace with the predominantly Dutch-crewed Esthec and four-time world champion Earlybird from Germany in pursuit. Come the eighth and final race of the series, the latter was out of contention, ensuring Elena Nova, from Germany, only had to curtail the ambitions of Rientz Willem Bol’s Esthec. A feat she achieved with second place in the final race enough to secure her first World Championship title.

“We had a good run all week,” explained owner Christian Plump. “The competition was good and that’s what makes racing interesting. The five leading boats were equal in speed so it was a question of boat handling and tactics and here in Porto Cervo there is always a surprise with the changing winds. It is never predictable.”

Rolex Swan Cup 2016

Total domination

South African James Blakemore’s Swan 53 Music has become the first yacht to triumph at both the Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo and its sister event, the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean, held in Virgin Gorda on odd years. With four wins from as many races, Music dominated the Grand Prix class, a division where interest was magnified around the presence of the three newly-launched ClubSwan 50s.

The ClubSwan 50s are primarily conceived as a one-design, racing yacht and designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian who follows in the footsteps of Sparkman & Stephens, Ron Holland and Germán Frers Snr in drawing Swan’s distinctive lines. “I feel honoured to be part of the list of Swan designers,” explains Kouyoumdjian, emphasising “you have no room for error because the bar is set so high!”

American Ken Read called tactics on ClubSwan 50 Cuordileone and his sensations about the model’s potential were positive. “This is a fascinating collaboration between Juan and Swan, new world versus sailing culture. The boat meets my expectations, it’s light, quick, fun and fast.”

For the third Rolex Swan Cup in succession, ClubSwan 42 Natalia left the event with a Rolex timepiece having dominated the week’s racing. Helmed by Natalia Brailoiu, she won a remarkable six of the week’s eight races.

Ahead of the final day, the Mini Maxi class was a two-way contest between the Swan 56 Yasha, the defending champion from Japan, and Gerard Logel’s Swan 601, Arobas. Despite a fourth place finish on the final day, Logel and his French crew claimed the title by virtue of their two race victories.

Appreciating heritage

The 36-strong Sparkman & Stephens (S&S) classic division comprised designs constructed between 1966 and the early 1980s, from the very first Swan build – the 36-ft Tarantella – through to the seven competing Swan 65s, legendary offshore racing competitors in their era.

One of the attending Swan 36s, Josian was winner of the first Rolex Middle Sea Race in 1968 and sailed to that success by Christian Ripard’s father and uncle. “I went to visit Josian on the docks. She is still so well maintained, in mint condition. It’s nice to see and some record to have,” admitted Christian Ripard.

This is a close-knit division where owners are united by their shared passion for the sea and appreciation of timeless quality. Competitors came from as far afield as South America, including Chilean Martin Wescott and his family on the Swan 57 Equinoccio and Brazilian Riccardo Diomelli, owner of Une Joie de Vivre, both attracted by the event’s revered reputation. “I am a fan of something that has tradition and these boats have a real story,” explained Diomelli. “A Swan 65, the model of my boat, won the first Whitbread Round the World Race. Wherever you go, in every port, every sailor knows about the story of the Swan 65.”

Winner of the S&S division was Sleeper X, a Swan 48 recently acquired by Jonty and Vicky Layfield.

A sporting triumph

“The Rolex Swan Cup is a unique event which has been organised for a long time in partnership with the YCCS and Rolex,” closed Nautor’s Swan Vice President Enrico Chieffi. “We were very proud to have so many boats from around the world which gives an understanding of how big a family we are. This is a highly sporting event, competitive, but at same time defined by family, friendship and happy people.”

The six class winners were rewarded for their exploits when they received Rolex timepieces at the final prizegiving held in front of the YCCS clubhouse. Perhaps no prior edition of the Rolex Swan Cup has so acutely captured the event’s ethos as the foremost meeting of tradition and heritage, innovation and progress. Values which unite all of the event’s longstanding partners.

For the final results and standings from the 2016 Rolex Swan Cup, please visit the YCCS website.

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Building on the success of the IRC/ORC winner, the ClubSwan 42, Nautors Swan has unveiled the very first in the new line of ClubSwan 50s.

The boat already has an impressive race circuit lined up, kicking off with three of the new boats sailing the 2016 Rolex Swan Cup in September, before heading to the Les Voiles de St. Tropez and the Rolex Middle Sea Race later in the year.

2017 will mark the first season of a brand new ClubSwan 50 circuit with 6 events scheduled including a Nations Championship with as many as 12 boats expected to compete.

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