Dubliner Pete Smyth's Ker 46 Searcher 2 completed the 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia offshore race in 18th place overall under IRC and 14th in IRC 1, as more than 1,000 sailors from 49 nations converged on Genoa for the finish of one of the Mediterranean's most prestigious yacht races.
The Irish entry successfully negotiated the 241-nautical-mile course from Saint-Tropez to Genoa via the iconic Giraglia Rock, concluding a week that combined four days of inshore racing with the classic offshore contest. Searcher 2 had been lying 12th after the Saint-Tropez series before heading offshore. Overall victory under IRC went to Turkish TP52 Arkas Blue Moon, owned by Bernard Arkas, which lifted the Loro Piana Challenge Trophy after a tactical race decided in predominantly light and variable conditions.
Dragon's Roar — Arkas Blue Moon powers through the Mediterranean on her way to overall IRC victory in the 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia offshore race. Photo: Studio Borlenghi
Organised by Yacht Club Italiano in partnership with Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the 73rd edition attracted a fleet ranging from state-of-the-art TP52s and Maxis to classic offshore yachts and Corinthian crews. The race began in Saint-Tropez with four days of inshore competition before the fleet set off on the 241-nautical-mile offshore passage to Genoa via the Giraglia Rock off northern Corsica.
At the front of the fleet, line honours went to Furio Benussi's 100-footer ARCA SGR, which crossed the finish line in Genoa after 1 day, 1 hour, 5 minutes and 56 seconds. Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones' Magic Carpet E followed just over five minutes later after a closely fought duel. Third across the line was Pier Luigi Loro Piana's ClubSwan 80 My Song, ahead of George Sakellaris' Maxi 72 Proteus and Alessandro Del Bono's JV80 Capricorno.
Line Honours — ARCA SGR ghosts across a glassy Ligurian Sea on her way to line honours victory in the 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia. Photo: Studio Borlenghi
The overall IRC victory belonged to Arkas Blue Moon, whose dragon-themed TP52 emerged on top after corrected-time calculations. The Turkish crew first won IRC 1 before securing the regatta's highest honour. Roberto Lacorte's RocketNikka finished second in IRC overall, while Giovanni Lombardi Stronati's Django WR completed the podium after an exceptionally close contest.
In the Maxi divisions, Carlo Puri Negri's Atalanta II and George Sakellaris' Proteus topped their respective classes following the combination of inshore and offshore results. Guido Paolo Gamucci's Cippa Lippa X claimed victory in IRC 0 for the offshore race, while ORC honours went to Roberto Bosio's Crabx – Aquarama - Fraber.
Speaking at the prize-giving in Genoa, Yacht Club Italiano president Carlo Cameli said the event celebrated "a tradition that has united sailors, clubs and nations for more than seven decades".
The 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia brought together professional crews, amateur sailors, youth teams and double-handed competitors in one of offshore racing's best-known Mediterranean classics. The 74th edition of the Loro Piana Giraglia is scheduled to take place from 11 to 19 June 2027.
