Organised by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano (Genoa) and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, in partnership with the Offshore Racing Congress and supported by Rolex and Loro Piana, the 2026 ORC World Championship once again confirmed itself as one of the most prestigious events in international sailing, combining world-class competition with the unique settings of Naples and Sorrento.

In Class 0, the American TP52 Summer Storm, owned by Andrew Berdon, with Volvo Ocean Race rockstar Stu Bannatyne and tactician Joachim Aschenbrenner, was crowned 2026 ORC World Champion after an exceptional week that included five race wins (one shared) and only one below-par performance in the coastal race. Second place went to Vudu, the TP52 owned by Mauro Gestri, with Michele Regolo calling tactics, while the podium was completed by the Wallyrocket51 RocketNikka, owned by Roberto Lacorte and sailed with Lorenzo Bressani.

In the Summer Storm team, besides Berdon, were winning the ORC 0 Class title: Stu Bannatyne, Chris Welch, Robin Zinkmann, Nick Heiner, Stefano Nava, Mal Parker, Ryan Foley, Tate Shaffer, Simon Hunter, Ben Bardwell, Brad Terpstra, and Joachim Aschenbrenner.

“It is an incredible satisfaction! We received an extraordinary welcome here in Sorrento. I love Italy, and the level of competition was truly exceptional,” said Andrew Berdon, owner of the American TP52 Summer Storm and winner of the ORC Class 0 World Championship title.

He continued, saying: “It has been a fantastic week in every respect. We came into the final day after a difficult race the previous day, with three boats separated by just one point on the leaderboard. We knew that, to win the title, we would have to sail flawlessly. We therefore adopted a very precise strategy, focusing on our direct rivals and keeping very fast boats such as Vudu and RocketNikka behind us, while Django broke away. It was exactly the kind of challenge we thrive on: a close-fought competition, battled right down to the final leg, against world-class opponents. Although our TP52 performs particularly well under both the IRC and ORC rating systems, the fleet’s standard was extraordinary. The best TP52s were on the water, along with three highly competitive Wally Rockets. The racing was so close and intense that it felt like a true one-design regatta, with constant duels and no margin for error. This success is, of course, the result of an outstanding team effort. None of it would have been possible without the contribution of our program manager Alex Snyder, sailing master and sailmaker, Stu Bannatyne, and boat captain, Simon Hunter.

My sincerest thanks go to them and to the entire team. Their expertise, dedication and attention to every detail were fundamental to this victory. I would also like to thank the ORC, the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia and the entire Tre Golfi Sailing Week organisation for delivering such an extraordinary event. Once again, we felt warmly welcomed and treated with professionalism. It has been an exceptional week, both on and off the water, and I would return here at any time with the greatest pleasure”.

Seven TP52s and a PAC52 raced in the 15 strong ORC-0 field. Mauro Gestri’s Vudu’s next event will be the Rolex TP52 Worlds in Porto Cervo.

TP52 details:
Summer Storm is the 2015 JV designed Platoon.
Vudu is the 2015 Botin Partners designed Azzurra.
XIO is the 2011 Botin Partners designed Quantum.
RED BANDIT is the 2008 JV designed Mean Machine.
SPIRIT OF LORINA II is the 2012 Botin Partners designed Azzurra.
ARKAS BLUE MOON is the 2011 JV designed Container.
MUSICA is the 2014 Botin Partners designed Phoenix.