Craving for some sailing action? Catch this year's Rolex Swan Cup, to be held on September 11 to 18, 2016.

 

Every two years, since 1980, the Swan fleet gathers at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in Sardinia for the biennial Rolex Swan Cup. Owners, crews and guests meet for a week of spirited activity on and off the water. 2016 will be a celebratory event, marking the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Nautor’s Swan. An eclectic fleet of 121 yachts have entered, ranging in size from 36 (10.9 metres) to 115 feet (35m), and in age from 49 years to a few months. The competition will be held on September 11 to 18, 2016.

The range of competing yachts pays testament to both the longevity of Swan yachts and the company’s desire to continually push the design envelope through friendly competition. The fleet will be divided into six classes and contest five days of racing in one of the world’s most compelling and challenging sailing environments. The one who emerges as class winner is rewarded with a Rolex timepiece at the final prize giving, besides the corresponding honorarium.

As the leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex has always sought to associate with activities that, like itself, are always motivated by passion, excellence, precision and team spirit. Naturally, Rolex gravitated toward the elite world of sailing, forming an alliance that dates back to the late 1950s. Today, it is a Title Sponsor of some 15 major international events. 

A Rolex Yacht Master 116655-11 photo from http://timeandtidewatches.com

Catch the 2016 Rolex Swan Cup which will feature nearly 40 designs from the pen of famed New York studio Sparkman & Stephens, all built from the from the mid-1960s through to the early 1980s. Fittingly this historic occasion will be graced by the very first Swan creation, with the Swan 36 Tarantella featuring among the entrants, the smallest boat in the fleet at 36ft (10.91m). Swan 36 Tarantella is a significant part of the Nautor’s Swan narrative, a yacht which when released included several genuine innovations for her time and helped set the company on the path to becoming the leading boat builder it is today. Parallels are evident with the launch of the first waterproof wristwatch, the “Oyster”, by Rolex in 1926 and the subsequent rise of the Swiss watchmaker to be a leader in its field.

 

This and much more is to be witnessed in the already historic event. Pay tribute to the assorted selection of international yachts that will be competing, and their monumental voyage on September 11 to 18, 2016.