Do you have a vintage boat or IOR? Here are all the must-see regattas of 2025

Last weekend Venice was the center of vintage sailing, hosting for the first time in the Adriatic the traditional gathering of theAssociazione Italiana Vele d’Epoca (A.I.V.E.). At the prestigious headquarters of the Compagnia della Vela on the Island of San Giorgio, the winners of the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian 2024 Championships were celebrated and the long-awaited A.I.V.E. Regatta Calendar 2025 was presented. We at the Journal of Sailing were present to tell you about it.

The A.I.V.E. Gathering in Venice

Italy has one of the most numerous fleets of vintage sails in the Mediterranean, and this was evident from the hall, packed with sailors and enthusiasts. The event was opened by A.I.V.E. President Gigi Rolandi, flanked by Secretary General Francesca Lodigiani and Compagnia della Vela President Giuseppe Duca. Unmissable was the presence of the Italian Navy, the largest Italian owner of vintage and classic boats in Italy, which participates in A.I.V.E. regattas with jewels such as Stella Polare and Corsaro II, the twin RORC class I RORCs from the Livorno Naval Academy built to a design by Sparkman & Stephens, or the legendary Capricia, the boat the Avvocato was enamored with, later donated in 1993 by the Agnelli family to the Navy.

The vintage sails regatta calendar 2025

During the evening, the A.I.V.E. Regatta Calendar 2025 was presented. Nine appointments in the Tyrrhenian and six in the Adriatic, as well as all the stages of the CIM Trophy (Comité International de la Méditerranée), which has been regulating and harmonizing offshore racing in the Mediterranean since 1926. Then in 2025, between September 10 and 13, the biennial Monaco Classic Week returns, the first gathering to unite classic sailing and motor boats, which this year will host a gathering of the historic Riva powerboats

Tyrrhenian

• XXVIII French Admiral Trophy – Viareggio May 10-11, 2025
• High Tyrrhenian Vintage Sails – Valdettaro Trophy – Le Grazie May 23-24-25, 2025
• Great International Regattas San Remo – CIM Championship Stage – May 29-30-31 and June 1, 2025
• V Capraia Sail Rally – June 12-13-14-15-16, 2025
• Argentario Sailing Week – CIM Championship Stage – Porto Santo Stefano June 18-19-20-21-22, 2025
• Big Sails in Gaeta – 26-27-28-29 June 2025
• Vintage Sails in Imperia – CIM Championship Stage – September 2-3-4-5-6, 2025
• Vintage Sails in Morin Promenade – La Spezia October 10-11-12, 2025
• XX Viareggio Historic Sails Gathering – October 15-16-17-18-19, 2025

Adriatic

• X Portopiccolo Classic – Sistiana May 31 – June 1, 2025
• II Artù Chiggiato Trophy – Venice June 20-21-22, 2025
• XII Principality of Monaco Trophy – Venice June 28-29, 2025
• IX International Hannibal Classic – Memorial Sergio Sorrentino – Trofeo Dei Due Guidoni – Monfalcone September 26-27-28, 2025
• 28th Gathering City of Trieste – October 4-5, 2025
• Barcolana Classic SIAD Trophy – Trieste October 11, 2025

CIM Trophy 2025

• Grand International Regattas San Remo – May 29-30-31 and June 1
• Voiles d’Antibes – June 4-5-6-7-8
• Argentario Sailing Week – June 18-19-20-21-22
• Puig Regatta Barcelona – July 9-10-11-12
• Vela Clasica Mallorca – Palma August 13-14-15-16-17
• Sailing Clasica Menorca – Mahon August 26-27-28-29-30
• Vintage Sails in Imperia – September 2-3-4-5-6
• Monaco Classic Week – September 10-11-12-13-14
• Regates Royales – Cannes September 22-23-24-25-26-27
• Voiles de Saint Tropez – 29-30 September 1-2-3-4 October

To aspire to the CIM Trophy podium, a boat must participate in a minimum of 3 events in at least 2 different countries, including Italy, France, Spain and Monaco. The final score then takes into account for each regatta the number of competitors who participated.

Awards and recognition

The evening also saw the awards ceremonies for the A.I.V.E. Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Championships. As prizes for the winners were watercolors made by Davide Besana, a great lover of vintage sails as well as a competitor and owner himself with Midva, a three-quarter tonner built in mahogany laminate by Petronio and Pecarich in 1982 to a design by Ron Holland. Prominent among the winners were Roberto Dal Tio’s Serenity and Nicolò De Manzini’s Nembo II for the Adriatic, while Margadi Alessandra Angelini, Ariella Cattai and Gigi Rolandi’s Crivizza and Susan Carol Holland’s Ojalà II triumphed on the Tyrrhenian.

Adriatic Championship

EPOCA

1. Serenity by Roberto Dal Tio
2. Hello Pais by Massimo Fonda
3. Navy Sister.

CLASSICS

• Nembo II by Nicolò De Manzini
• Naif by Ivan Gardini
• AL Na’Ir II by Gian Maria Amatori

Tyrrhenian Championship

EPOCA

1. Marga by Alessandra Angelini
2. Barbara by Roberto Olivieri

CLASSICS

1. Crivizza by Ariella Cattai and Gigi Rolandi
2. Penelope of the Navy
3. Navy Arctic II

CLASSIC IOR

1. Ojalá II by Susan Carol Holland
2. Sagittarius by Thierry Lafitte and Florance Urrutti

Finally, special prizes were awarded to boats and personalities who have distinguished themselves in the sailing world, such as the AIVE Giancarlo Lodigiani Challenge Award given to Ferdinando Zanoletti for his commitment to the preservation of Italian nautical history. Ferdinando, together with his sister Alberta, presides over the Museo della Barca Lariana, which houses an incredible collection of vintage freshwater boats and tells new generations about the nautical history of an area, the one between Lombardy and Lake Como.

James Barbaro