Leopard 3 Wins 2026 Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship

Leopard 3 has won the 2026 Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship after a decisive week at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo. The Farr 100 finished the seven-race series with five victories, including wins in the final four races, to secure the championship with 13 points.

The result gives owner Joost Schuijff's team a second Maxi 1 world title after its 2024 success. V finished second on 20 points and Galateia third on 22, according to the final results published by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

Five wins from seven races

Leopard 3's scoreline shows how strongly the campaign developed across the week. Winning five of seven races leaves little dependence on tie-breaks or a single favourable result and demonstrates consistency across the changing conditions that shaped the 36th edition.

The closing sequence was particularly important because four consecutive wins removed much of the uncertainty from the final standings. In a fleet where small performance differences can be amplified by rating corrections and tactical decisions, sustained race wins are the clearest way to control a championship.

A second Maxi 1 world title

The 2026 victory repeats Leopard 3's class world-title success from 2024 and adds another major result to the yacht's competitive record. For a 30-metre racing maxi, repeat championship performance also reflects the work involved in keeping an established platform technically current and competitively prepared.

Campaign results of this kind depend on more than design pedigree alone because sail programme, crew work, optimisation and reliability all contribute over a multi-race series. The final table therefore provides a useful measure of the yacht's current competitive level rather than only its historical reputation.

Porto Cervo closes the 36th edition

The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is organised by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in collaboration with the International Maxi Association and with Rolex support. The 2026 edition again brought a wide range of maxi yachts to Porto Cervo, from high-performance racers to larger yachts competing under different class structures.

For Superyacht Guide, Leopard 3's championship result closes the race-by-race coverage with a confirmed final outcome. Earlier lead changes are useful during the event, but the completed standings are the result that should remain attached to the yacht's long-term competition record.