ORC Worlds to Headline Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2026

18th December 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Excitement builds as the Gulf of Naples prepares to host the ORC World Championship during Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2026, featuring a stunning fleet of over 100 yachts from 16 countries Credit: Carlo Borlenghi

The ORC World Championship will headline Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2026, bringing world championship racing to the Gulf of Naples next May.

More than 100 entries from 16 countries are already confirmed, five months before the first start, underlining the event’s global appeal.

Racing runs from 5 to 28 May across Naples and Sorrento, combining the ORC World Championship, the IMA Maxi European Championship and the 71st Tre Golfi Offshore Race.

The ORC Worlds have attracted 80 entries to date, with fleets expected to exceed 100 yachts across four classes.

The Tre Golfi Offshore Race will feature two separate starts for the first time. ORC boats race on 8 May, while IRC Maxi yachts start on 22 May.

A strong Class 0 ORC fleet includes TP52s Arkas Blue Moon (TUR), Red Bandit (GER), Musica (SUI) and Spirit of Lorina (FRA).

The Maxi fleet includes European champions Bella Mente (USA), Jethou (GBR) and Balthasar (BEL), alongside Wally 100 Tilakkhana (GBR).

Berthing in Sorrento is guaranteed for the first 80 ORC entries, with additional yachts accommodated in nearby marinas.

“The ORC World Championship returns to Italy to honour the largest ORC fleet in the world,” said ORC President Bruno Finzi.

He added that experience from past championships would ensure “the highest organisational standards” for sailors arriving in Sorrento.

Entries close on 28 February. The event is organised by Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia with Yacht Club Italiano and Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia.

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The ORC (Offshore Racing Congress) handicap system is a measurement-based rating rule used to create fair competition between sailing yachts of different designs. Rather than relying on performance data alone, ORC ratings are calculated from detailed measurements of each yacht’s hull shape, rig, sails and stability. These measurements generate a Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) model, which estimates how fast the boat should sail in various wind strengths and angles. Race results are then corrected using one of several scoring options, such as Time-on-Time or Time-on-Distance, aiming to reward crew performance rather than inherent design advantages.

In recent years, there has been exploration in Ireland toward broader adoption of the ORC system, particularly ORC International (ORCi) and ORC Club certificates.

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