Just a few days separates to go to the cannon shot of the 68th edition of the Regatta Dei Tre Golfi, which, as it does every spring since 1954, will start from Naples to finish after 150 miles, this year, in Sorrento. The event is indeed one of the gems of the Mediterranean sailing season, and every year it attracts many boats with top-level crews from all over the world. Organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia of Naples with the IMA and ORC Association, and supported by Rolex and Loro Piana, this year will see about one hundred yachts to set off at 5pm on May 12^th in one of the world's most spectacular gulfs, with Mount Vesuvius in the background.

Upon arrival from the offshore race, after a lay day, the 28 maxis entered in the second edition of their IMA European Championship, organized by the International Maxi Association (IMA), will continue with a four-day regatta (May 15-18), with the boats docked at Marina Piccola in Sorrento. At the awards ceremony on the 18^th evening, the Rolex overall trophy for the new European champion, and the Loro Piana Challenge Trophy for the top finishers in Classes 1 and 2, will be presented, among others.
"We are delighted to return to Sorrento for the second edition of the IMA European Maxi Championship in the waters of the Bay of Naples", commented Andrew McIrvine, IMA Secretary General. "Last year's competition was tight, and we expect an even greater battle this year, with increased participation in terms of number of entries, and with the presence of some of the strongest teams on the international scene".

With the IMA Maxi European Championship over, it will be the turn of the ORC Mediterranean Championship, from May 19^th to 21^st. The ORC fleet has recently finished its European Championship in Malta, and the new crowned champion, Karl C. Kwok's Beau Geste, with New Zealand's star Gavin Brady as tactician, is one of the 34 boats entered in the regatta, which will be based in the Marina of Piano di Sorrento, where they will be greeted in the morning with Borbone coffee and after the regatta with the classic pasta party on the dock.
"We have just come back from a very intense and hard-fought European Championship between Blue Sky, with Tommaso Chieffi as tactician, who finished tied on points with the winner Beau Geste, who had more first places in the rankings and therefore won the title," Bruno Finzi, ORC President, tells us. "I think they will renew their battle in Sorrento, and it could be an opportunity for a rematch, even in Class C, between Sugar and Scugnizza. One of the beauties of ORC is precisely the possibility for everyone to win, and it often happens that different boats win at different regattas, and that there are gaps of only a few seconds: this tells us that we are going in the right direction and that it is a system that gives everyone a chance to race together in a fair way. This year, given the proximity both in time and geographically, the Mediterranean Championship and the Europeans will offer a nice continuity, one event will push the other, both in the offshore and inshore races. The alternation between the two is what makes the championships more interesting, the offshores are kind of the salt and pepper for the crews, where you get to compete in, sometimes, tricky conditions. In Malta we saw very technical and prepared teams, and we will also have them in Sorrento, we expect a terrific event," concludes Bruno Finzi.

Also up for grabs for the best ORC is a fantastic Citroën Ami, an innovative ultra-compact electric vehicle suitable for urban mobility and perfectly matching the sustainability approach that characterizes the Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2023. With the AWorld App, in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and World Sailing's approach to environmental sustainability, Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia will further strengthen its ecological and environmentally supportive footprint. AWorld is the official application of the United Nations' ACTNOW program. A tool that provides users with a personal tally of sustainable actions taken on a daily basis and to calculate each user's carbon footprint. The Tre Golfi Sailing Week will also use robotic buoys with GPS positioning to avoid anchorages and safeguard Posidonia; it will provide for the use of recyclable materials for all activities, with enhancement of ecological areas for recycling.

A fantastic social program is also on schedule, starting with lunch for Maxi owners at the CRV Italia in Naples on Thursday, May 11^th. The following day, before the start of the Tre Golfi Regatta set for 5pm right in front of the CRVI clubhouse, there will once again be a the flag-hoisting ceremony followed by spaghetti for everyone. On Sunday evening, May 14^th, the IMA will give the exclusive opportunity to visit one of the natural marks of the racecourse: the private and exclusive island Li Galli, right off the Amalfi coast.
On the evening of Monday, May 15^th, the International Maxi Association Cocktail for Maxi owners is scheduled to be held on the magnificent terrace of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria overlooking the Bay of Naples and the fleet of boats moored in Marina Piccola.
On Thursday, May 18^th, on the other hand, at the European Maxi regatta village, it will be the turn of the prize-giving ceremony, followed by the 'Tre Golfi's Stars Dinner', featuring the most renowned chefs of the Sorrento Peninsula, open to all crews of the IMA European Maxi Championship and the ORC Mediterranean Championship, it will be held at Le Axidie Resort in Vico Equense.

Fri, 5 May 2023 © TreGolfiSailingWeek