Racing began at the 2026 Rolex Swan Cup on 16 September with a record 170 Nautor Swan yachts and roughly 1,800 sailors, including Swan Maxi divisions.
The 23rd Rolex Swan Cup began racing at Porto Cervo on 16 September 2026, with a record fleet of 170 Nautor Swan yachts gathered for the Finnish builder's 60th anniversary. Yacht Club Costa Smeralda estimates around 1,800 sailors are involved across the fleet, which extends well beyond the superyacht-size classes alone.
The opening race followed an anniversary gathering that brought the yachts together around the Isola dei Monaci. The event is organised by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in cooperation with Nautor Swan and is scheduled to finish on Saturday 19 September.
Organisers report that the race committee was able to start a short coastal race despite light winds on the first day. The fleet set off from the Gulf of Arzachena, sailed upwind through Passo delle Bisce and continued toward a finish near the lighthouse on Isola dei Monaci.
The three Swan Maxi classes completed an extended course, rounding an additional mark off Porto Cervo before heading towards the finish, for a course of 9.6 nautical miles. The organisers have indicated that racing will resume on 17 September, subject to conditions, with stronger north-westerly winds forecast.
The record turnout ranges from the original Swan 36 Tarantella to recent examples of the Swan 128, including Be Cool and Raijin, as well as the new Swan 80 Elvi. The Swan 128s represent the 24-metre-plus end of this mixed fleet and illustrate the builder's current large sailing-yacht programme.
Different divisions separate the event's racing yachts and cruising-focused entries rather than putting all 170 vessels into one superyacht ranking. For Superyacht Guide, the main significance is the Maxi competition and the participation of the builder's recent large custom and production designs.
The regatta marks six decades since Nautor Swan began building yachts in Finland in 1966. The anniversary programme also includes shoreside events and a meeting with sailor Paul Cayard, according to the organising club.
Organisers plan further racing before the concluding presentation on 19 September, with the schedule dependent on weather and race committee decisions. The initial turnout is a confirmed participation figure, not a prediction of the number of boats completing every race or a final competition result.
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