Moat and Gelliceaux lead the fleet on day two of the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta

A light breeze and tactical finesse shaped the second day of racing at the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta and Southern Wind RendezVous, held yesterday off the shores of Porto Cervo. Despite challenging wind conditions – with a northerly breeze dipping below ten knots and veering slightly east – the competitive spirit among the yachts remained undiminished as racing got underway.

In the Superyacht class, it was Juan Ball’s Swan 115 Moat that once again set the pace. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) member secured another commanding victory, strengthening her position at the top of the provisional leaderboard after two days of racing. Following closely was Anomaly, a Vitters 107 designed by Malcolm McKeon and skippered by seasoned America’s Cup campaigner Mike Toppa.

“Today was a day with not much wind,” Toppa commented after the race. “It’s hard to beat Moat because they are very fast in light air, but we fought back and had a good race, finishing in second place. Our boat was second to last in the starting sequence, so we had a lot of traffic to weave through. We had a nice beat back up to Tango and from there a reach out to Uniform. Porto Cervo is one of the most beautiful places I have ever sailed in.”

The RP/Nauta 100 Morgana, built by Southern Wind and helmed by an Italian owner with Gabriele ‘Ganga’ Bruni on tactics, claimed third place.

In the Corinthian Spirit division, it was the Southern Wind 108 Gelliceaux that triumphed, overtaking rivals Magic Blue (SW 94) and Grande Orazio (SW 82). The yacht's owners reflected on a well-executed race: “After a difficult start due to a wind shift we managed to find a clean line to follow our sailing plan close to the coastline, which paid off. Precise manoeuvres and good boat speed helped us to extend our lead to the finish line.”

With this performance, Gelliceaux now leads the Corinthian Spirit class, holding a slender one-point advantage over Grande Orazio in the provisional standings.

The yachts competing in the Southern Wind RendezVous enjoyed a relaxed yet scenic sail on a slightly shorter course. After reaching mark Tango, the fleet ventured into the tranquil waters of the Gulf of Pevero. On board the SW 100 Grillo Parlante was guest racer Federico “Freddy” Pilloni, an iQFOiL athlete from the Young Azzurra programme.

“Sailing is always fantastic, whether it’s flying on the iQFOiL or sailing on a 30-metre superyacht like the Southern Wind Grillo Parlante,” Pilloni remarked. “I was welcomed as if I’d always been a member of the crew. Sailing the waters of the Costa Smeralda is a unique and special experience.”

As the sun set over Porto Cervo, the yacht owners gathered for the Giorgio Armani Owners’ Dinner, held on the YCCS terrace. The evening’s culinary highlight was a four-hands menu curated by resident chef Alessio Savona alongside Michelin-starred guest chef Massimo Tringali of Armani Ristorante in Paris – a fitting tribute to the elegance and refinement that characterise the event.

Looking ahead, racing resumes today, 30 May, with the Southern Wind RendezVous starting at 11.30 a.m., followed by the Superyacht and Corinthian Spirit classes from noon. Light winds from the east-northeast are forecast.