Admiral’s Cup
Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron prepare for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup.
Django unleashed: YCCS launches assault for the Admiral’s Cup
Giovanni Lombardi Stronati has entered two boats for the 2025 Admiral’s Cup that will be competing under the burgee of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS). The YCCS team will consist of a brand new design, the Wallyrocket 51 for the big boat. The small boat will be a JPK 1180. Both boats are called Django.
Italy has a long and sometimes torrid love affair with the Admiral’s Cup. Italian teams competed in every Admiral’s Cup from 1969 to 1999, marking a strong and consistent presence. The nation’s sole victory came in 1995 when the Italian team claimed the prestigious trophy with a powerful trio: Ranaldo Del Bono’s Capricorno in the Big Boat class, Pasquale Landolfi’s Brava Q8 in the ILC40s, and Paolo Gaia’s Mumm a’Mia in the Mumm 36 class. Italy came close to winning in 1991, finishing a narrow second to France – just under a single point behind.
Django WR51 © Gilles Martin-Raget
Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s Django WR51 epitomises cutting-edge yacht design tailored for high-performance racing. Designed by Botin Partners, renowned for their America’s Cup victories and IRC-winning designs, the Wallyrocket 51 is one of six Botin entries in this year’s Cup.
Weighing a mere 6.3 tonnes, Django WR51 boasts an ultra-light displacement achieved through the use of advanced materials like pre-preg carbon, Nomex, and Corecell. Its design includes a 550-litre water ballast system, enhancing stability and allowing for rapid adjustments – taking just 80 seconds to fill and 60 seconds to empty. An innovative keel trim tab further optimises upwind performance by generating additional lift and reducing leeway.
Django WR51 © Gilles Martin-Raget
Starts are always important, but even more so in the elite world of the Admiral’s Cup. There is no doubt that Django WR51’s trim tab will give an edge upwind off a start line, but even as fast as the water-ballast movement is, it will impede the tacking-speed of Django’s against other non-water ballast competitors.
Django’s sail plan is equally impressive, featuring 167 square meters upwind and 363 square meters downwind; the full inventory is aimed at maximising speed across various wind conditions. Designed for a crew of 11, the Wallyrocket 51 emphasises ease of handling without compromising on performance.
With its sleek aesthetics and state-of-the-art engineering, the Wallyrocket 51 is poised to make a significant impact at the Admiral’s Cup, showcasing the pinnacle of modern yacht racing design for dual-purpose offshore and inshore performance. The crew is yet to be formally announced but is believed to be led by Vasco Vascotto, with Bruno Zirilli as navigator and Michele Paoletti, plus Guillermo Parada as principal drivers.
Django JPK © Paul Wyeth/RORC
Racing for the YCCS in Admiral’s Cup IRC 2 will be the JPK 1180 Django JPK. The YCCS team raced the boat for the first time in the RORC Myth of Malham Race. With the wind speed gusting over 30 knots and at times over two metre waves, the 235-mile race was a big test for the boat. On top of the challenging conditions, Django JPK had a terrific battle with Per Roman’s JPK 1180 Garm, which will be racing for the RORC in the Admiral’s Cup. On board Django JPK was a top crew led by Alberto Bolzan, including Dirk de Ridder, Mickie Mueller, Ross Halcrow and Juan Vila as navigator.
Back with a bang: RNZYS charge for the Admiral’s Cup
Teams from New Zealand have competed in seven editions of the Admiral’s Cup since 1971. However, it was not until 1987 that New Zealand recorded their one and only win with Propaganda, Goldcorp and Kiwi taking victory.
For this year’s edition, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) will be represented by Max Klink’s Caro, the Botin 52 that won the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race. Alongside James Murray’s Callisto – a modified GP42. Both boats have undergone cutting-edge upgrades and a top-tier sail programme under the watchful eye of Mike Sanderson and Ian Moore. Caro and Callisto forms a formidable two-boat team representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Botin 42 Callisto © Paul Wyeth/RORC
Adrian Stead will be tactician on Max Klink’s Caro. At the 2025 IMA Maxi European Championship in late May, Adrian Stead spoke about the Admiral’s Cup. Stead has competed at least four times for the Admiral’s Cup. In 1999, he was on board Mumm 36 Barlow Plastics, the highest scoring boat with four race wins. In 2003, Stead was part of the Royal Price Alfred YC team, winning the Admiral’s Cup under the Australian flag.
The RORC IRC Nationals will take place in the Solent from 13-15 June and two thirds of the Admiral’s Cup fleet are expected to be racing. The championship does not count towards the Admiral’s Cup but it will be the first big inshore test for the Admiral’s Cup contenders
