Irish sailors have celebrated a double world championship success at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, with Irish crew aboard both North Star III and Leopard 3 as the two yachts were crowned Rolex IMA World Champions.
Frank O’Leary and Shane Diviney were aboard Peter Dubens’ new North Star III as she won the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship, while Will Byrne, Tom McWilliams and Mark Petticrew were part of the Leopard 3 crew that claimed the Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship.
It completed a highly successful week for the Irish sailors competing among the international professional crews in Sardinia.
Leopard 3 Seals Maxi 1 Crown
Double Champions: Joost Schuijff’s Leopard 3 team, including Irish sailors Will Byrne, Tom McWilliam and Mark Petticrew, celebrates a second Rolex IMA Maxi 1 World Championship victory in Porto Cervo. Photo: IMA/Studio Borlenghi
Joost Schuijff’s Leopard 3 went into Saturday's finale with a four-point advantage in the eight-boat Maxi 1 fleet.
Her prospects improved when several principal rivals, including V and defending champion Galateia, were called OCS and forced to restart.
Leopard 3 nevertheless had to finish the job and did so emphatically, covering her rivals around the 28-mile coastal course before winning by three minutes and eight seconds on IRC corrected time.
It was Leopard 3’s fifth victory from seven races and gave her the world championship by seven points from V, with Galateia another two points behind.
The result returned Leopard 3 to the top of the Maxi 1 world championship after winning the inaugural title in 2024 and losing the 2025 championship only on countback.
Captain Chris Sherlock dedicated the victory to Leopard's original owner, the late Mike Slade, having been part of Slade's Leopard programme for 27 years.
North Star III Completes Debut in Style
World Beaters: Peter Dubens celebrates with his North Star III team, including Irish sailors Frank O’Leary and Shane Diviney, after winning the Rolex IMA Maxi Grand Prix World Championship in Porto Cervo. Photo: IMA/Studio Borlenghi
The outcome was even more emphatic in the Maxi Grand Prix division.
North Star III was already assured of the championship on countback before Saturday's final race but went racing anyway — and won again.
The new 76-footer finished her debut regatta having won every race except Friday's windward-leeward contests.
Owner Peter Dubens said he had arrived with "zero expectations" for a yacht launched only in June, while tactician Nick Rogers highlighted a week without gear failure, breakages or handling errors.
North Star III, designed by Judel/Vrolijk and built by Persico in Italy, is the successor to Dubens' previous North Star, the former Rán II.
Strong Irish Presence Across Maxi Fleet
The two world titles capped a week of substantial Irish participation in Porto Cervo.
In addition to O’Leary and Diviney on North Star III and Byrne, McWilliams and Petticrew on Leopard 3, Irish sailors competing across the leading Maxi fleets included Cian Guilfoyle, Oisin McClelland and Ian Moore aboard Bella Mente; Gratt Roberts on Django 7X; James O’Mahony aboard V; Nin O’Leary, Justin Slattery, Simon Johnson, Kelvin Harrap and Rory Harrap on Galateia; and Jeremy Elliott aboard Magic Carpet E.
Elsewhere, Highland Fling XVIII won the Multihull division on countback from Allegra, Artemis Bleu took Maxi 3, Yoru won Maxi 4 and H2O secured a record eighth Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup class victory.
The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup was the fifth round of the International Maxi Association's 2026 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge, which concludes at Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez from September 28 to October 3.
