Marina Militare dominates the Tropea–Naples leg as foiling thrills the Gulf

The Tropea–Naples offshore leg of the Giro d'Italia a Vela concluded with a spectacular finish in the Gulf of Naples, where the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) claimed an emphatic victory. Leading the Beneteau Figaro 3 fleet from the opening stages of the race, the Navy crew delivered an outstanding performance, maintaining control throughout the passage and crossing the finish line with an impressive advantage of approximately three to four hours over the rest of the fleet—an extraordinary margin in such a highly competitive one-design class.

The victory was built on a combination of excellent seamanship, tactical awareness and precise weather routing. During the nearly two-day passage along Italy's Tyrrhenian coast, the crew made the most of the thermal breezes and expertly managed the key transitions around Cape Palinuro and the approach through the Phlegraean Islands into the Gulf of Naples. Their strategic decisions proved decisive, leaving the chasing teams with no opportunity to close the gap. The Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee (VSaW) crossed the finish line in second place, followed by the Flushing Sailing Club in third.

Weather conditions turned out to be far more favourable than forecast. While pre-race models had predicted very light winds and the risk of prolonged calm areas typical of the Tyrrhenian Sea in summer, the fleet instead benefited from consistent breeze throughout most of the course. The improved conditions allowed the Figaro 3 crews to maintain high average speeds and complete the leg approximately six to seven hours ahead of the race committee's estimated time of arrival.

As the offshore fleet completed its challenge, racing continued close to shore with the InShore programme in the Gulf of Naples. Young Waszp sailors and WingFoil riders enjoyed ideal foiling conditions with steady thermal winds of 10 to 11 knots, enabling race officials to complete four races for each class. The day's competition rewarded athletes capable of maintaining stable flight through changing pressure while executing precise manoeuvres, once again showcasing the Gulf of Naples as one of Italy's finest venues for high-performance foiling racing.