Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2026. Rolex IMA Maxi 1 & Maxi Grand Prix World Championship

Rolex IMA Maxi 1 & Maxi Grand Prix World Championships GNW

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A world title and several podiums for Yacht Club de Monaco members

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MONACO, Sept. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A World Championship title for Joost Schuijff on his Farr 100 Leopard 3, victory for Sir Irvine Laidlaw on Highland Fling XVIII in the Multihull class, a second place finish for Karel Komarek on his WallyCento V, and podium finish for Peter Harrison on Jolt. Yacht Club de Monaco members pulled off a string of impressive performances in Porto Cervo at the 36^th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Light winds on the first few days gave way to a strong Mistral with gusts over 28 knots. The teams alternated between coastal courses in the La Maddalena archipelago and races off Porto Cervo for the Maxi 1 and Maxi Grand Prix classes.

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Second world title for Leopard 3
Joost Schuijff won the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship at the end of seven races. After 3^rd place in the opening race, the YCM-flagged Leopard 3 quickly took control by winning five races, with four in a row to close out the week. The last was on Saturday and brought his overall total to 13 points. The Maxi finished ahead of Karel Komarek’s V, also from YCM, who came in 2^nd with 20 points. For Joost Schuijff and his Farr 100, it was his second world title in this event, having won it in 2024.

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Another podium for Peter Harrison
In the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship, Peter Harrison and Jolt also made the podium, finishing 3^rd. A regular on the podium, Peter Harrison received a YCM Award last year, alongside YCM Vice-President Pierre Casiraghi, for their historic Admiral’s Cup victory.

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In the same category Giovanni Lombardi Stronati from YCM, last year’s winner, on Django 7X was 5^th.

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Three victories and first place for Sir Laidlaw’s Highland Fling XVIII
The outcome was closer in the Multihull category which saw six boats vying for supremacy. Sir Irvine Laidlaw from YCM built his success on three race wins during the week. Although the competition rattled the rankings on the Saturday, in the end the string of top finishes by Highland Fling XVIII made the difference to ensure top spot on the podium for Sir Irvine Laidlaw.

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Benoît de Froidmont (Wallyno) also ended the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup on a high note by winning the final race. In a 10-knot northeasterly breeze, the boat triumphed in the last coastal race in the Maxi 4 class to secure 4^th place overall in this category.

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The final day concluded six days of racing during which Yacht Club de Monaco members were at the forefront across several classes, with Leopard 3 securing a second world title, Karel Komarek (V) coming 2^nd in the same category and Highland Fling XVIII winning in the multihull class.

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Organised by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in partnership with the International Maxi Association and support of Rolex, the event delivered a variety of racing conditions, the perfect warm-up ahead of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez that runs 26 September to 4 October.

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