The ‘Azahar’ from Club de Vela Port d’Andratx, ready to face the Loro Piana Giraglia

The Swan 56 "Azahar", cruiser boat of Club de Vela Port d’Andratx, is getting ready to face one of the most prestigious nautical challenges of the Mediterranean: the offshore regatta Loro Piana Giraglia. With an expected departure for tomorrow, Wednesday June 11th, from Saint-Tropez, this final phase will challenge around 140 registered yachts in a journey of 241 nautical miles which connects the iconic Giraglia islet with the city of Génova.

According to the legend, the idea of the Giraglia regatta was born on a 1952 December night, in a Parisian bistró. There, Beppe Croce, at that time president of the Italian Yacht Club; René Levainville, president of the France Yacht Club; and Franco Gavagnin, imagined a nautical journey between Saint-Tropez and Génova which would not only be a sporting challenge between yachts, but also a symbol of outreach between Italy and France after the havocs of World War II.

Since then, the Giraglia has been consolidated as one of the most prestigious regattas of the Mediterranean. In 1997, its growth and importance made it take the name of Rolex Giraglia Cup, title that was maintained until 2024, when the firm Loro Piana assumed the main sponsorship, reinforcing even more its exclusive nature.

With a renewed agenda and a link each time tighter with Saint-Tropez, the current edition will end tomorrow, Wednesday June 11th, with the departure of the iconic offshore regatta. This final phase covers the 241 nautical miles of the classic triangle: Saint-Tropez, Giraglia’s islet and the arrival to Génova.

Between the near 140 registered boats, it is important to highlight the elegant Swan 56 "Azahar", cruiser boat of Club de Vela Port d’Andratx, led by Hervé Grünig. The crew is ready to cast off the moorings and sum up to this celebration of the sea, where passion, competition, glamour and joie de vivre are mixed. An event that, like in past times, tints of light and colour once again the waters that one day inspired artists such as Signac, Matisse, Bonnard and Marquet.