TBella Mente. Jolt. North Star. In that order. This trio is joined by Galateia, which came first in Group 1 and won the prestigious Loro Piana Challenge Trophy. That’s the podium line-up for the IMA – European Maxi Championship. This isn’t just any regatta, but the final act of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week.
The name says it all. First of all, because it takes place in the Gulf of Naples, one of the most fascinating regatta venues in the Mediterranean. Secondly, because it brought together over 130 boats which, over the course of a week, gave life to a series of spectacular races fought to the second. Filling the sails of this event was the presence of Rolex and Loro Piana, two brands that symbolise timeless elegance and have chosen sailing as the ideal stage to express their DNA.
For Loro Piana, however, it is something even deeper: sailing has become fertile ground for experimentation, innovation and creation. It is here, amid gusts of wind and tacking manoeuvres, that the idea of fabrics capable of combining technology, comfort and aesthetics is born. Of course, it is not just product-related strategies that drive everything.
There is a spark that ignites the fire of passion, that emotional component that Pier Luigi Loro Piana and his brother Sergio have always had for this sport.
So much so that they have turned it into a research laboratory where they can experiment with increasingly cutting-edge solutions. This journey has been marked by many important milestones, including a presence in the America’s Cup. It was 2000 when the brand took to the water alongside Team New Zealand, presenting The Defender’s Jacket, a technical garment made from natural fibres, which for the first time incorporated the Storm System®. Developed by Loro Piana, this innovative treatment made wool and cashmere fabrics waterproof, windproof and breathable without altering their softness and natural appearance. The same innovation is now featured on some of the maison’s iconic models. Starting with the Loro Piana Bomber, which, in addition to the Storm System®, features another important technical feature: Windmate®.
And, once again, sailing played a key role. The inspiration came from observing the spinnaker (the large sail used when sailing downwind), which combines a compact structure with lightness and strength. This led to the creation, with the support of a Japanese sailmaker, of a fabric combining an innovative Wind microfibre with cashmere. From clothing to the sea. From boats to the wind.
These are the winning ingredients of the Tre Golfi Sailing Week. Thanks to the wind, it was possible to witness exciting regattas. A small taste of what awaits us in three years’ time when the waters of the gulf will be transformed into an arena where we will see the Formula One boats of sailing racing in the 38th edition of the America’s Cup in Naples. But, looking closely, we already experienced some of that atmosphere during the IMA – European Maxi Championship. For many reasons. The most important is the boats themselves, which are on a par with the AC75s in terms of technology and materials. Of course, the hulls do not fly, there are no foils and the crews do not wear protective helmets, but the know-how in terms of innovation is the same. Just look at the names to see for yourself.
Starting with the brand new Magic Carpet, a 30-metre maxi built by Persico Marine, the same shipyard that has produced all the Luna Rossa hulls for over 25 years. But that’s not all: the new boat designed by Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones was penned by Guillaume Verdier, who also designed the New Zealand Defender that won the last America’s Cup in Barcelona. Not to mention Bella Mente. The Maxi 72 that repeated last year’s success is owned by Hap Fauth, the heart and soul of American Magic, the team that competed in the last two editions of the America’s Cup under the colours of the New York Yacht Club. Contributing to the success of the American boat were the choices made by another old acquaintance of the America’s Cup, Terry Hutchinson, who said at the end of the event: “We are really proud of our success in this edition of the race: I think the work we did during the winter and the races we took part in, which proved crucial in the coastal races, helped us a lot. It’s really exciting. A big thank you to Sorrento, to our sponsors Rolex and Loro Piana for everything they do for our sport and for their support for these extraordinary races. I mean… how lucky are we to be where we are, doing what we love, with the people we love? It’s just spectacular!”
Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s Club Swan 80 My Song also provided some spectacular moments, fielding a highly respected crew led by tactician Tommaso Chieffi. But the IMA-European Maxi Championship provided other interesting insights. Among these, the 100-foot Wally Tilakkhana II (formerly Magic Carpet 3) owned by Pascale Decaux, which had a 30 per cent female crew including the multi-titled British sailor Dee Caffari, was particularly noteworthy. Not to mention the large Wally fleet which, in addition to Tilakkhana II, included V, Galateia (which set a new record in the offshore race and took home the Loro Piana Challenge Trophy for the best crew in the Maxi 1 Group), Sensei, Bullitt and Wallyno. From the sea to the land, it was a short step this time, with a number of world-class events lighting up the evenings in Sorrento.
Above all, the shipowners’ dinner held at Villa Zagara: a corner of paradise surrounded by greenery, where the heady scent of orange blossom from over 400 trees in the large garden mingled with that of the Mediterranean scrub. The atmosphere was suspended, rarefied, as if to prolong the enchantment experienced at sea. Because enchantment is what it was. In Sorrento, much more than a regatta took place: it was a tribute to beauty, passion and innovation. It was a demonstration of how sailing today is still capable of speaking to the heart, of igniting dreams, of uniting seemingly distant worlds: that of technology and that of emotion, that of the sea and that of style.
Matteo Zaccagnino
