History and news of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Everything you need to know about the non-profit sports association that brings together sea-loving members

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was founded on 12 May 1967 by H.H. the Aga Khan, Andrè Ardoin, Giuseppe Kerry Mentasti and Luigi Vietti, as a non-profit sporting association, intended to bring together members who love the sea and nautical sports and to promote its activities. The regattas organised and the victories collected have helped to secure the club a leading role in the international yachting world. Today, the YCCS is linked by reciprocity agreements with the Yacht Club of Monaco, the New York Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Squadron and Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. The YCCS is represented by a board of directors chaired by the president, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, and the commodore, general secretary and sports director have operational responsibilities.

Affiliated to the Italian Sailing Federation since 1968 and to the Italian Powerboat Federation since 1978, the Yacht Club started out with the ambition of organising regattas of international appeal and as early as 1972 inaugurated the first edition of the Settimana delle Bocche. In 1973 it organised the One Ton Cup and became the de facto promoter of competitive offshore sailing in Italy and the Mediterranean. The first edition of the Sardinia Cup was held in 1978, an important step for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in the organisation of repeat sailing events worldwide. The Sardinia Cup was held in even-numbered years, alternating with the famous Solent regatta, the Admiral's Cup. 1980 was the year two major world championships were established: the Maxi Yacht World Championship and the Swan World Cup. In the same year, the Gran Premio Offshore Costa Smeralda was launched. The first Veteran Boat Rally was held in 1982. In 1981 the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda promoted the first Italian challenge to the America's Cup. Just two years later, the legendary 12-metre S.l. Azzurra won a brilliant third place in the selection races in Newport. Azzurra became the symbol of competitive sailing at the highest level and aroused the interest of all Italian sportsmen. Following Azzurra's success, the first 12-metre Class World Championship was established in Porto Cervo in 1984.

In the same year the YCCS was selected by the Royal Perth Yacht Club as Challenger of Record for the 1987 America's Cup. As such it is tasked with preparing and coordinating all activities relating to the challengers for the Cup, as well as organising the selection races for the America's Cup in Australia. A boat in YCCS colours still participates: Azzurra ‘87. 1992 marked a great success in the field of motor speed: Destriero completed in 58 hours, 54 minutes and 50 seconds the crossing of the Atlantic from Ambrose Light, the New York lighthouse, to the British lighthouse of Bishop Rock in the Isles of Scilly: 3,106 nautical miles were covered at an average speed of 53.09 knots, equal to 98.323 kilometres per hour. This spectacular adventure saw Destriero awarded not only the Columbus Atlantic Trophy, set up by the New York Yacht Club and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda to reward the record for the double Atlantic crossing, but also the Virgin Atlantic Challenge for the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing ever.

The YCCS organises international sailing regattas, including world championships, for a wide variety of yachts, with specific expertise in superyachts and maxi-yachts. Among the prestigious classes that often race in Costa Smeralda are J Class, Wally Class, TP52, RC44, ClubSwan 50, Melges 32, J/70, Maxi 72. The YCCS also organises regattas in collaboration with high-end yards such as Nautor's Swan, Perini Navi, Southern Wind. In addition to its sporting activities, the YCCS also promotes activities related to the YCCS Sailing School and the One Ocean Foundation, born in March 2018 and the result of the project launched in 2017, on the occasion of the Yacht Club's 50th anniversary, in favour of environmental sustainability.