On Saturday at 9:00 AM, as the time limit expired, the long offshore race of the Loro Piana Giraglia 2025 officially came to an end. The 72nd edition was marked by high pressure and light winds yet remained full of charm, poetry, and technical challenges. All crews sought to sail through the light breezes, chasing wind patches along the 200-mile triangle course from Saint-Tropez to Giraglia to Genoa.
After the start on Wednesday, June 11, at noon, the largest boats began arriving at the finish line in Genoa as the sun set on Thursday, June 12.
Two of the favourites in this light-wind Giraglia emerged on the horizon on a grey sea as smooth as ice: the Maxi 100 Scallywag and Magic Carpet E crossed the line after over 200 miles of close-quarters racing, with only 2 minutes and 13 seconds separating them in favour of the former. The winning time: 32 hours, 58 minutes, and 47 seconds.
The Maxi skippered by Australian veteran David "Witty" Witt – with multiple Ocean Races and countless Sydney-Hobarts under his belt – commented at the finish:
"We knew what we were getting into, but we always managed to sail well and keep up the pace. Especially considering our boat is more suited to the ocean than the Mediterranean. With the Giraglia, after our victory at the Middle Sea Race, we successfully wrap up our European campaign ahead of the Fastnet in August before returning to Australia."
There was a touch of disappointment aboard Magic Carpet E, the 100-footer owned by Sir Lindsay Owen Jones. Alongside the usual superstar crew, tactical calls came from Francesco De Angelis – the legendary helmsman of Luna Rossa – who fought to the very last tack in a thrilling match-race-style duel.
Third across the finish line in Genoa was the Maxi Capricorno of Alessandro Del Bono, completing the race at 21:29:34 – an excellent result for a yacht that debuted just last year and is several meters shorter (80 feet vs. the 100 of its closest rivals).
As always, while Scallywag takes home the Loro Piana Trophy for being first across the line in real-time, the overall winner of the Loro Piana Giraglia 2025 – the first in corrected time among the largest group – is the Luxembourg-based Ker 40 Vito 2.3, skippered by Gian Marco Magrini, who etched his name on the most prestigious prize: the Loro Piana Challenge Trophy.
"Perseverance always pays off," Magrini commented upon arrival. "We came close three years ago, just missing the podium in ORC, and this year – in totally different conditions – we pulled it off in the light airs of this edition."
And indeed, it was a feat: the small Ker 40, a yacht just under 12 meters, managed to finish over two hours ahead – in corrected time – of the runner-up Capricorno, the Maxi J/V 80 of Alessandro Del Bono.
