151 Miglia: the great Mediterranean classic starts today

In the Italian sailing scene, the 151 Miglia – Trofeo Cetilar represents an iconic event, an engaging sporting challenge and an unmissable appointment for all sea enthusiasts. Open to all types of crews, this regatta was created to enhance the strategic skills of the participants and give those unique emotions that only the combination of passion, sport and sea can convey.

Over 15 years of sailing and passion

Conceived by owners for owners, the 151 Miglia is the pure essence of sailing, fueled by the power of the wind and the call of the ocean. “A regatta organized by shipowners for shipowners, a time to breathe passion and enthusiasm for the sea, an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to meet and compare and be united by a common spirit. I wanted a regatta to watch all year round, one that would create excitement. A regatta whose contagious aroma you cannot do without,” says regatta creator Roberto Lacorte, also owner of Flying Nikka (photo above).

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The story of “151” takes shape from an idea: an offshore race of medium duration, capable of crossing one of the most picturesque stretches of the Mediterranean: the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. The result is a challenging competition for experienced sailors, but also accessible to the less navigated, thanks to the safety of the course. Fifty-three boats participated in the first edition on May 20, 2010.

229 registered for the 2025 edition

In the space of a few years, this number has grown to 229 boats that will report today at 2 p.m. on the classic start line in front of Livorno, then continue with a disengagement buoy in front of Marina di Pisa and then take off for a redesigned course: no more Giraglia, but passages to Pianosa, Elba Island and the Formiche di Grosseto, before heading back up to the Piombino channel, with the doubling of the islet of Cerboli and the grand finale at Marina di Punta Ala.

This is a course loved by the most experienced, but also ideal for those less experienced in racing, given the safety of the waters in which the fleet will sail. The 2025 edition promises to be one of the most technical and exciting because of the weather conditions, dominated by high pressure that will give very weak winds to the participants; g he crews will need to be prepared to cope with wind drops, variables, and bonanza, especially in the early and middle sections of the race, and they will need to know how to interpret the orographic effects of the islands, which could accelerate breezes or create deleterious shadow cones. Tactics and resilience will be the key words of the regatta.

151 Miglia, What boats to beat and what the weather will be like

Among the big names that will take part in the regatta are boats such as Furio Benussi’s Arca SGR (Don Jones custom 100′), winner in real time of the 2024 edition, Carlo Puri Negri’s Atalanta II, a Farr 70 that has to defend last year’s class victory, and other boats of the caliber of Pigi Loro Piana’s My Song (Swan 80) (with Tommaso Chieffi on tactics), Gamucci’s Cippa Lippa X (Mylius 60), as well as Roberto Lacorte’s Flying Nikka and other aficionados of the event scattered throughout the various categories, such as Vincenzo Pallonetto’s Parthenope (Dufour 350 GL), Tommaso Oriani’s Cheyenne (Rodman 40) or Paolo Ricaldone’s Spirit of Nerina (X-35).

As anticipated, a high pressure with low winds will reign over the race, which only toward the finish could lower and intensify the wind, with gusts even over 20 knots; Meteomed experts warn the slowest racers in the fleet to prepare for the wind in the very last part of the race, the part that includes the passage to the Formiche di Grosseto and the doubling of the Scoglio dello Sparviero near the finish. In short, from flat calm we will move on to the brio of the wind with formed seas: we will see some great things!

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To follow the regatta live, click on the tracking link

Federico Lanfranchi