Four classes of Swan yachts will participate at the event: the Maxi (18.29 metres and above), Grand Prix (18.28m and below), and Classic (designed by Sparkman and Stephens) yachts will race on handicap, while the Swan 45 one design class will compete for the Swan 45 World Championship. The stand-out performer of this competition will be awarded the Swan 45 Gold Cup. Winners of all four categories will be presented a Rolex timepiece.
This pulsating week of competition is hosted by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, one of the world's most distinguished yacht clubs, whose close association with Rolex spans more than a quarter of a century. Regularly attracting around 100 entrants, the 2010 edition welcomed an international fleet of 95 yachts to Sardinia's emerald coast. The five day event includes a long coastal race through the Maddalena Archipelago on Thursday 13 September, which could take the fleet as far north as the Strait of Bonifacio and the southern tip of Corsica.
Dating back to 1980, and sponsored by Rolex since 1984, the competition has always attracted elite sailing talent, most notably Rolex Ambassador Paul Cayard and two-time ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Russell Coutts. VIP participants include Leonardo Ferragamo, who is not only a regular competitor, but has been President of Nautor's Swan since 1998.
Winners in 2010 comprised yachts from four different countries: DSK Pioneer Investments (Swan 90, ITA), Silveren Swaen (Swan 53, NED), Monsoon Jaguar (Swan 65, GBR) and Earlybird (Swan 45, GER), which was crowned Swan 45 World Champion.
With a history stretching back to the late 1960s, Nautor's Swan's position at the forefront of yacht design and construction is undisputed. The competitive fleet expected to participate in 2012 will once more honour the enduring legacy of this prestigious event and add another chapter to the legend.
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