Mauro Roversi’s J-CURVE claimed both the Italian J/70 Championship and the 2026 Italian J/70 Cup after a dramatic tiebreaker finish at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Porto Cervo. The event drew an international fleet to the iconic Sardinian venue, delivering three days of fiercely competitive racing in classic Costa Smeralda conditions.
On the opening day, three windward-leeward races were completed off Capo Ferro, in the waters facing Isola delle Bisce, under a Scirocco breeze ranging from 10 to 13 knots. Massimo Rama’s Corinthian crew on CAIM# JENIALE made an impressive comeback in the first race, overcoming an unfavorable start to round the second windward mark in the lead and hold on for the win. HOLD-FAST, another Corinthian entry, finished right behind them. J-CURVE placed third in the opener but hit back emphatically in race two, leading from start to finish with a comfortable margin. Australia’s Steven Proud on SWISH and CAIM# JENIALE battled neck-and-neck for second and third. In the day’s final race, Sinead Byrne’s Irish team ONE MORE TIME took the bullet, followed by Yann Inghilesi’s CICLONE and J-CURVE. With one win and two thirds, Roversi’s team topped the provisional standings, just one point ahead of CAIM# JENIALE, with SWISH in third.
Day two brought ideal conditions for three more races, though light winds pushed the start from the scheduled 1130 hrs to 1300 hrs. Once underway, the fleet raced in steady easterly winds of around 10 knots. With six races completed, the discard rule came into play, allowing each boat to drop its worst result. Andrei Pushkin’s TENZOR TEAM from the United Arab Emirates won the day’s first race, leading from the first windward mark to the finish, ahead of SWISH and CAIM# JENIALE. After finishing fourth in that opener, J-CURVE responded with two consecutive victories, including a remarkable fightback from the back of the pack in race five. CAIM# JENIALE posted two second-place finishes in the remaining races, beating out ONE MORE TIME and ANEMOLOGY respectively. At day’s end, J-CURVE held a two-point lead over CAIM# JENIALE, while CICLONE and ONE MORE TIME were tied for third.
The final day delivered spectacular planing conditions off Porto Cervo. SWISH won race seven, with CICLONE second and J-CURVE third. CAIM# JENIALE finished eighth in that race but stormed back with a victory in the eighth and final race, tying J-CURVE at 16 points net. The overall winner was decided by the countback tiebreaker rule based on best race results, which ultimately favored J-CURVE.
Roversi’s crew of Stefano Cherin, Giulia Conti, Diego Larcher, and Filippo Amonti secured the Italian J/70 Championship title and the J/70 Cup for the first time. Rama’s CAIM# JENIALE team of Filippo Vulcanile, Matteo Ferretti, Matte Capurro, and Francesca di Gangi finished second overall and first in the Corinthian division. Yannick Inghilesi’s CICLONE crew of Francesco Gabbi, Niccolo Bianchi, and Carlo Fracassoli earned the final podium spot with a strong closing day of second- and third-place finishes. Steven Proud’s SWISH finished fourth overall, while Pushkin’s TENZOR TEAM rounded out the top five.
“Winning the Italian title for the first time—in the waters of Porto Cervo, against a highly competitive fleet and in typical Costa Smeralda conditions—is a source of great pride for me,” commented Roversi. “The event was hard-fought throughout, culminating in a unique finish with two boats tied on points. We were fortunate to come out on top on the tiebreaker, and I congratulate Massimo Rama’s team—brilliant rivals who challenged us every step of the way. I also want to thank my crew for their hard work, not just here at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, but throughout the entire season.”
In the Corinthian Division, Rama’s CAIM# JENIALE won with 16 points net. Guglielmo Frangi’s HOLD-FAST crew took second with 53 points net, and the German team on Justuss Reinke’s HALBTROCKEN SAILING placed third with 68 points net.
The full 2026 Italian J/70 Cup season series spanned four events at Scarlino, Lerici, Torbole, and Porto Cervo, comprising 28 races with five discards. Roversi’s J-CURVE topped the series with 77 points net, followed by Rama’s CAIM# JENIALE on 146 points, Manfredo Toninelli’s T-ONE on 155 points, Gianfranco Noe’s WHITEHAWK on 193 points, and Matteo Marenghi Vaselli’s G-SPOT on 209 points. In the Corinthian season standings, CAIM# JENIALE led with 146 points net, ahead of William Twomey’s Irish entry WILDCARD on 229 points and Denis Infante’s French team EUROVOILES on 272 points.
During the prize-giving ceremony, the Tenzor Sailing Club presented awards including discount vouchers for the Tenzor International Cup, held during the winter in Bodrum, Turkey. The recipients were J-CURVE, CAIM# JENIALE, and CICLONE. The J/70 Italian Class, which uses the VAKAROS RaceSense system to manage starts, is supported by Lincoln International, Garmin, VelaMania, North Sails Collection, UtilGraph, Gottifredi Maffioli, and Gin Vento.
