Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Primary Activity

The club is focused on organising and hosting international sailing regattas across various classes, including superyacht, maxi, and one-design classes. It also operates a recognised sailing school and provides marina, clubhouse, and on-the-water services from its Porto Cervo base.

History

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was founded on 12 May 1967 by H.H. the Aga Khan and associates as a non-profit sporting association. The club has a significant regatta history, including campaigning Azzurra in the America’s Cup campaigns in 1983 and 1987, as well as the powerboat Destriero’s 1992 transatlantic record. Over the years, it has developed an extensive international regatta calendar and related activities, including the One Ocean sustainability initiative launched during the club's 50th anniversary.

Accommodation

On-site clubhouse accommodation includes 24 suites, featuring a Presidential Suite that opened in 2016, along with guest foresteria options used for sailing school residential courses. The clubhouse also offers dining and pool terrace areas for members and guests, as detailed on the clubhouse facilities page.

Boatyard Facilities

The YCCS Sports Centre, which is exclusive to members, provides on-water support including 16 berths and a crane with a lifting capacity of 1,700 kg. Additional ancillary services such as haul-out, launch, dismasting, and maintenance are available upon request, with booking required. More information can be found on the boatyard facilities page.

Moorings and Anchorage

The YCCS Sports Centre has 16 berths that can accommodate yachts up to 20 meters in length, and occasionally up to 25 meters, with a maximum draught of 2.8 meters. The club coordinates berthing and marina services for its members in Porto Cervo and provides reservation and contact procedures for approaching the mooring area, as outlined on the moorings and anchorage page.

Clubhouse Features

The YCCS clubhouse complex, which underwent renovations from 2001 to 2003, spans over 6,000 m². It includes a panoramic pool terrace, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a members’ lounge and bar, a wellness centre/spa, and seasonal restaurant/bar services. More details can be found on the clubhouse features page.

Training Summary

The YCCS Sailing School is recognised by the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV) and runs seasonal courses from May to October for both children and adults. The school utilizes a fleet of dinghies and keelboats, offering progressive levels from Basic through Advanced Racing. It also provides resident course options and publishes weekly course fees, which can be viewed on the training summary page.

Racing Summary

The club organizes a comprehensive seasonal regatta calendar, featuring flagship events such as the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, Rolex Swan Cup, Sardinia Cup, and Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta. It also hosts various world-class championships, inshore and offshore races, including the Palermo–Porto Cervo–Montecarlo race, along with one-design championships and members’ regattas, as detailed on the racing summary page.

Cruising Summary

The club supports coastal and offshore transits and races, utilizing its training fleet for coastal and training cruises around the local archipelago. It also hosts offshore race transits as part of its regatta programme, with more information available on the cruising summary page.

Social Summary

YCCS maintains an active social programme centered around the clubhouse, which includes food and beverage outlets, a pool terrace, and a members’ lounge. The club organizes member events tied to the regatta season, youth initiatives, and sustainability/community activities in collaboration with the One Ocean Foundation, as well as seasonal public events, as noted on the social summary page.

Seasonal Operation

The primary on-water and training activities are seasonal, with the Sailing School operating mainly from May to October. The clubhouse food and beverage services also follow seasonal opening hours, which correspond to the YCCS sporting season, as outlined on the seasonal operation page.