Marco Malgara’s Nice claimed maxi class honours at the 17th edition of the 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar after one of the slowest races in the event’s history.
The annual offshore race from Livorno to Punta Ala formed the fourth event of the International Maxi Association’s 2025/26 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge. Light and unstable conditions dominated throughout the weekend, prompting organisers to shorten the course by 25 miles before Saturday’s start.
Despite the reduced distance, competitors faced a prolonged battle across the Tyrrhenian Sea, with several yachts spending hours parked in near-calm conditions.
Line honours once again went to Furio Benussi’s 100-foot ARCA SGR, which crossed the finish line on Sunday afternoon after 24 hours and 40 minutes of racing. “It was really long, with light winds, but it’s always a nice race – I love the 151 Miglia,” Benussi said. “It was amazingly light. During the night I think the maximum puff was three to four knots – nothing more.”
Benussi said ARCA SGR became trapped for almost three hours near Pianosa, allowing rivals to close the gap and effectively restart the race. “The first four hours were nice because we had nine to 10 knots from the north-west. After Gorgona it all dropped off,” he added.
While ARCA SGR secured line honours, it was Malgara’s 78-foot Nice that delivered the standout performance under IRC corrected time. The veteran yacht, launched 31 years ago and formerly known as Capricorno, finished second on the water and won the maxi division ahead of Durlindana IV and Atalanta II.
Podium Pursuit — Carlo Puri Negri’s Atalanta II, winner of the maxi class in 2024, returned to the podium with third place in IRC corrected time at the 2026 151 Miglia-Trofeo Cetilar. Photo: Clare Keogh
“It was an interesting day – very difficult,” Malgara said. “We had several stops and it was very difficult because of those. But in the end, although this boat is 31 years old, she was the next boat to arrive after ARCA.”
Former Olympian Mitya Kosmina shared helming duties aboard Nice and described the race as physically demanding. “It was very difficult with little or no wind for a few hours,” Kosmina said. “Rounding Pianosa was very tricky. It took a lot of concentration to finish the race and a lot of energy to keep these big boats moving.”
The race attracted 191 starters, including ten entries in the IRC Over 60 maxi class.
At the other end of the fleet, Alessandro Pini’s Ely-J completed the course in the early hours of Monday morning after averaging just 3.46 knots. The event concludes with prize-giving celebrations and a charity fundraising initiative supporting disabled sailors through Fondazione Mare Oltre Onlus.
