The Sanremo departure line brought together an extraordinary international fleet of 138 ships. The race began on Wednesday, June 16, with spectacular conditions that allowed all participants to deploy their spinnaker as the beginning of a route that would combine sections of dyed and built-in, and that would test the tactical ability of the crews

The 68th edition of the Rolex Giraglia successfully concluded as a just reward to the effort of organizers and participants. Up to 124 of the 138 ships that took the exit managed to complete the 241 nautical miles tour in an unpublished format that joined Sanremo and Genoa via the legendary Giraglia rock. The real-time victory was the 100-foot Italian maxi Arca SGR, but it would be the little Sydney 43 GTS Imagine that would raise the absolute champion trophy in compensated time, demonstrating once again the democratic character of this test organized by the Italian Yacht Club (YCI) since 1953 and sponsored by Rolex since 1998.

Three 100-foot maxis (30.48 meters) left Sanremo as the most aspiring for one of the most coveted titles in the Rolex Giraglia, the real-time victory. Arca SGR, Leopard 3 and Magic Carpet Cubed began a pulse to three in the battle to cross the goal of Genoa in the first place.

The Magic Carpet Cubed, the Wallycento of Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones, arrived with the largest palmaris of the Rolex Giraglia thanks to its two real-time wins (2013 and 2016) and one in offset (2015). For its part, the Farr 30 Leopard 3, very competitive over the last two decades, has already demonstrated its performance in setting the Rolex Fastnet Race record in 2007. The first time presence of the SGR Ark added an additional intrigue element.

The SGR Ark, of Italian crew and patronized by Furio Benussi, took control of the race from the early hours. It had a 15-minute advantage in passing through the emblematic and steep point of reference of the race, the Giraglia rock, and under the conditions of wind in favor that followed in the final stretch, its advantage would not continue to increase.

The Sydney 43 GTS Imagine, co-armed by Gilles Argels and Jean- Claude André, was made with victory in compensated time, demonstrating once again that the Rolex Giraglia is a democratic race, in which anyone who crosses the line of departure automatically becomes asirant to the title. On this occasion it was the crew of the small 13 meters French that showed the best adaptation of the entire fleet to the conditions presented this special edition.

The Rolex Giraglia concluded with the final award at the headquarters of the YCI club in Genoa, demonstrating once again its ability to unite and inspire the community of sailors, maintain its respect for tradition and continuity, and its ability to offer a fair and always challenging competition.