Our member Roberto Bosio‘s newborn XR 41 CRABX climbs onto the podium of the 73rd Loro Piana Giraglia 2026: first in Overall, first in the Combined and first in ORC 1.
In 2nd place in the ORC 1 class, Marco Babando’s Swan 45 Miss K Checkmate followed in 4th place by her sister ship Change Transparent owned by Andrea Zaoli
“We scored a strike, and it was completely unexpected. The new CRABX arrived a few days before the Giraglia, and we showed up at the start with just one day of testing,” Bosio commented. “The coastal races gave us extraordinary results, including victory in ORC 1 and Overall. In the offshore race, Saint-Tropez–Giraglia–Genoa, a good strategy allowed us to stay in the top positions until the finish in Genoa, despite the very light winds in the final part of the race. A success built thanks to the determination and hard work of the entire crew.”
Winner of the 2026 Loro Piana Trophy, awarded to the first-place boat in the largest group of the Combined (inshore + offshore races ), and the Bellon Trophy, Bosio, originally from Cuneo, already a protagonist for over 15 years in the world of Superbikes and then in motorsports in the Porsche Cup, only approached sailing in 2021: first, with his partner Andrea Tonello, a Solaris 44 with which he began to build an increasingly professional team, and then the recent XR 41 from the Danish shipyard X-Yachts. “I would like to thank the very young crew, for whom I have a deep admiration, captained by Lorenzo Bodini, multiple medalists in national, international and world regattas, and the only expert of the XR 41; Davide Ortelli, Team & Boat Manager, Andrea Totis and Camilla Michelini for their decisive and professional contribution at every stage, allowing us to achieve an impossible mission ; and our sponsors Aquarama and Fraber,” comments Bosio.
CRABX has eight sailors on its crew, all under 30: Leonardo Bonelli, 20, Camilla Michelini, 21, Valerio Mugnano, 22, Francesco Padovani, 25, Alessandro di Seyssel, 25, Luca Falzoni, 26, Andrea Totis, 27, and Nicoló Borgo, 28. “Working first and sailing with a team of young sailors, full of passion and energy, was fantastic. Roberto put us in the best possible conditions so we could operate independently. His growth as a helmsman has been a constant ascent,” comments Ortelli. “Camilla and Andrea have been the secret weapon of this sporting miracle, supporting and enduring CRABX’s months of preparation with their experience.”
The Giraglia proved once again to be an important testing ground for the two Swan 45s owned by members of the Yacht Club Sanremo, protagonists of a hard-fought and technically high-level regatta.
“A wonderful regatta with very competitive teams,” commented Marco Babando, Miss K Checkmate . “I thank my crew, who managed to integrate the newcomers and secure second place in the ORC 1 class , thanks also to the collaboration of the Dolomiti Energia team. We are very happy and confident in a project with a promising future. A special congratulations to our friend Roberto for his feat with a boat that is still in its infancy.”
Andrea Zaoli, Change Transparent: “It was a different Giraglia than we expected: the forecast called for less wind, but the race turned out to be faster than expected, making the sailing particularly intense and interesting. I had the pleasure of racing with the Yacht Club Italiano crew, captained by Antonio Solinas; together with him, a very close-knit group of friends who responded promptly to the numerous sail changes required by the conditions. Beyond the sporting aspect, I will cherish a special moment from Thursday’s sailing, when a sperm whale approached our boat, treating us to a rare and thrilling spectacle. Experiences like this remind us how sailing is a unique combination of competition, sea, and nature.”
The Yacht Club Sanremo congratulates Roberto Bosio, Marco Babando, Andrea Zaoli, and all the crews who represented the Club at the 2026 Loro Piana Giraglia, once again confirming the sporting excellence of Sanremo sailing.
