Solaris Cup 2024 in Porto Rotondo
by Solaris Cup 31 May 22:05 NZST
23-26 May 2024
The Solaris Cup has concluded. The 10th edition took place From May 23rd to 26th, with over a hundred yachts arriving in Porto Rotondo to celebrate the shipyard's 50th anniversary.
It was an astounding success on the water and land, with festive moments and fiercely contested races at sea. The Solaris 60 Crazy Diamond, the 55 Angela, and the 42 Unica won in the three categories (maxi, medium, and small)
Nearly a thousand people crowded the docks of Porto Rotondo for the Solaris Cup 2024, including owners, sailors, friends, and enthusiasts from 17 nations who brought colour and life to the regatta village. The event kicked off on Thursday, May 24th, with a welcome cocktail, the event's inauguration, and heartfelt words of Marc Giorgetti. The main shareholder of Solaris Group greeted the attendees, recalling the shipyard's long history and highlighting the extraordinary numbers that characterize the present and future of a group capable of gathering so many yachts for its traditional annual rendezvous.
After the celebrations, the action shifted to the sea with the powerful Solaris fleet, which left Porto Rotondo and Portisco marinas to reach the regatta field in the centre of the Gulf of Porto Rotondo for two days of racing.
Friday, May 24th: Ideal weather conditions with winds from the South/Southeast between 8 and 12 knots and calm seas. The fleet was divided into 3 groups based on hull length. The Committee chose a spectacular 'butterfly' course of about 14 miles, which involved rounding the small archipelago of islets in the centre of the Gulf of Congianus. It was a magnificent day that continued with the owner's dinner at the Hotel Sporting in Porto Rotondo for about 250 people, serving as a prelude to the second day of racing. A surprise debut by the The London Essentials, a band of five gentlemen specializing in raising the level, heartbeat, and temperature of parties worldwide, made the evening unforgettable!
Saturday, May 25th: The same course was chosen for the second day of racing, but in the opposite direction, with lighter wind conditions at the start, which increased throughout the day. After a regular start, expertly managed by the Race Committee of the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo under the guidance of PRO Gianluca Brambati, the fleets were started by size: small boats first, followed by medium, then maxi. The divisions were as follows: 13 Maxi (60' and up), 40 'Medium Weights' in Group B (47.99' to 59.99'), and 32 'small' boats in Group A (under 47.99'), for a total of 85 boats that participated in the races, while others chose to enjoy the coves and islets of the area in 'rendezvous' mode. After over 2 hours of sailing, the final ranking emerged, for the first time crowning three winners of the Solaris Cup: the three yachts that finished first in corrected time in each group. Thus, the Solaris 60 Crazy Diamond by Enzo Pellizzaro topped the maxi group, the Solaris 55 Angela by Maurizio Corati won Class B and the 42 Unica from Malta by Jamie Sammut claimed Class A.
"An extraordinary success that once again confirmed the marine qualities of our boats," commented Vincenzo De Maria, Solaris' sales manager and sail trimmer aboard the new 74RS Luminous III, at the end of the event. "A record number of participants in Porto Rotondo reflects our brand's market positioning well."
The Solaris Cup ended with the prize-giving ceremony, where the top three of each group were recognized, along with the special anniversary prize for the best-placed yacht in the largest class (the Solaris 50 with 21 boats on the starting line). The winner was the 50 Bambù IV owned by Swiss Renzo Franco, with a crew of friends and family benefiting from the tactical calls of champion Tommaso Chieffi. After the awards, the traditional Crew Party ensued, more crowded than ever, engaging nearly a thousand participants until late at night.
Throughout these intense days, Solaris yachts showcased their prowess. They are fundamentally cruising boats but capable of excellent racing performance thanks to balanced hull shapes and powerful sail plans. The designer of the entire Solaris range, Argentine Javier Soto Acebal, was present in Porto Rotondo and sailed aboard the 60 Crazy Diamond as a mainsail trimmer. "It's a great emotion to see so many of 'our' boats at sea," commented the Argentine designer. "We started with Solaris in 2010 and have created a close-knit team. I am delighted that we collaborated with a worktable connecting Buenos Aires and Aquileia for many years. A success!"
As mentioned, the Solaris fleet was well represented in Porto Rotondo: from Lucio Carli's Bluette, a 48 Doug Peterson from 1985 in perfect condition, to John McDonnell's Solaris 74RS Luminous III, the first of the new series launched in Aquileia on April 11th and making its debut in Sardinian waters. The fleet's strength was evident with numerous Solaris 44s (19), 50s (17 of the first series and 13 of the second 50.2), 11 Solaris 55s, and 8 Solaris 64RSs. The fleet culminated with the beautiful CeFeA, the full-carbon Solaris 111 of Marc Giorgetti.
Ultimately, for the shipyard's 50th anniversary, owners and friends demonstrated their affection for the brand, participating in the pure Corinthian spirit, with crews mainly composed of friends and family, combining enthusiasm on land with extraordinary fair play at sea. The year of celebration for the shipyard continues with the closure of the festivities at the Barcolana Solaris Adriatic Cup: Solaris Yachts and Barcolana together for the first edition of the Barcolana Solaris Adriatic Cup, from October 10th to 12th between Portopiccolo and Trieste. This event will conclude the cycle of celebrations for the Friulian shipyard's 50th anniversary on the world's most famous regatta.
The Partners
The Solaris Cup was made possible thanks to the active collaboration of the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo, which has been a partner of the shipyard for 10 years and is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The 2024 edition also extends its thanks to all the partners who contributed to the event's organisation, many of whom are closely connected to the shipyard in all phases of the design and construction of its yachts.
Main Partners: Iren, Persol, IWC, B&G, SEASE, Banca Sella Patrimoni & C.
Official Sponsors: Poltrona Frau, Nemo Lighting, Mediterranea Cosmetics, Portofino Dry Gin, North Sails, Harken, Hall Spar, Sparcraft, Villa Sandi.
Official Suppliers: Miele, Veco, Resintex, Gottifredi Maffioli, Solimar, Ubi Maior, Custom Teak, Volvo Penta, Ydramarine, Seasmart, Mainfurl, Power Group, Maestrini, G&G Rigging, Et Voilà, Osmosea.
www.solarisyachts.com/s-cup