The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was created in 1980 by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and five years later welcomed Rolex as the main sponsor. In 2025, the prestigious Italian club will pay tribute to its founder, His Highness Aga Khan IV, who died last February, whose vision of the future led to the creation of an institution that has become an international reference in the sailing world

Every September, the waters of the Esmeralda Coast of Sardinia come to life with an exceptional show: the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. More than a race, it is a celebration of human achievements, of innovation and, more importantly, of teamwork. The event, which celebrates four decades of collaboration with Rolex, is a lasting testimony to the power of excellence in large calibre format. The 2025 edition is held from 7 to 13 September and will consist of five days of competition on the exceptional battlefield of the Esmeralda Coast, in the north-east of Sardinia, Italy. The event usually attracts around half a hundred of the world's most powerful monocasques, all of them more than 60 feet long.

The event brings together some of the best and most innovative sailing boats in the world with the best regatists. This year's participants include the Magic Carpet e (31 meters long), possibly the most advanced maxi in the world; the Capricorno (25 meters), a regatta machine without concessions; and the Scorpone Hormar (21 meters), which represents the latest in coffee racer style. Very cohesive crews are needed to translate the potential of these complex and enormously technical vessels into performance. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is a place where knowledge is transmitted through different elements of sport, which ensures its continuity and increases performance levels in all areas.