TAFANELLI NOTEBOOKS | CORSICAN EVENTS

Corsica Classic 2026: the 17th edition of the most beautiful classic yacht regatta (August 23-31)

Every year at the end of August, as the high season gently fades and the Mediterranean light takes on its golden late-season hues, a flotilla of classic yachts and tall ships gathers in Corsican ports. This is the Corsica Classic, one of the greatest European gatherings of traditional yachting. Organized since 2010 by the Corsica Classic Yachting Association (CCY), chaired by Thibaud Assante, under the patronage of the prestigious Yacht Club de France, this multi-stage coastal race crosses the island's most beautiful ports every summer. The 17th edition will take place from Sunday, August 23 to Monday, August 31, 2026, featuring an exceptional route: Ajaccio, Portigliolo, Propriano, Campomoro, Bonifacio, Saint-Cyprien. At TAFANELLI, we are historical partners of the CCY. Here is our complete guide to the Corsica Classic 2026.

The Corsica Classic, an unmissable event

There are a few sailing events in the Mediterranean that bring together the most beautiful boats in the world. Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, the Imperial Regatta in Ajaccio, Les Voiles d'Antibes, the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge. Among them, the Corsica Classic holds a special place: that of the round-Corsica regatta, a multi-stage coastal race that combines sporting performance and discovery of the most beautiful Mediterranean coastline.

Since its creation in 2010, the Corsica Classic has become, in fifteen years, an essential meeting in the European classic yachting calendar. Each edition brings together between 15 and 30 exceptional yachts, often centenarians, around a course of several hundred nautical miles following the Corsican coasts.

The Corsica Classic is not just a regatta. It is a maritime art of living, a dialogue between period boats, passionate crews, mythical ports, and an island that offers a breathtaking backdrop at every stage. It is probably the most beautiful way to see Corsica: from a classic yacht, under sail.

At TAFANELLI, we have shared this vision of Corsican classic yachting since day one. Our partnership with the CCY is not a marketing operation: it is a natural encounter between two entities that share the same values. Respect for craftsmanship, attention to detail, loyalty to what is meaningful, understated elegance, and local roots.

What exactly is the Corsica Classic

A quick word to provide context for the event.

A multi-stage coastal race

The Corsica Classic is a coastal sailing race organized in several stages connecting the main ports of Corsica. Each stage is raced during the day, in a flotilla, with rankings based on real time and corrected time (since yachts do not all have the same performance, a handicap system allows results to be compared fairly).

A regatta reserved for classic yachts

The Corsica Classic is open to classic and traditional yachts: period yachts (built before 1976), classic yachts (series-built up to 1976), and spirit-of-tradition yachts (recent constructions faithful to classic lines). Modern polyester or carbon yachts have no place here. One sees only wood, bronze, flowing lines, and white sails on elegant hulls.

An exceptional atmosphere

Beyond sporting performance, the Corsica Classic is a Mediterranean lifestyle event. Each stage is punctuated by activities: gala dinners, award ceremonies, musical evenings, exhibitions, and meetings with partners. It is an event that is simultaneously sporting, cultural, and social, in the purest tradition of classic European yachting.

The history of the Corsica Classic since 2010

A look back at fifteen years of history of an event that has become iconic.

The first edition in 2010

In 2010, the Corsica Classic Yachting association organized its first regatta around Corsica. The idea was simple but bold: to bring together the most beautiful classic yachts in the Mediterranean for a multi-stage coastal race, at the moment when the high tourist season ends and navigation conditions are ideal (steady winds, beautiful sea, clear weather).

This first edition brought together a handful of brave boats, but immediately laid the foundations for the event: exceptional course, convivial atmosphere, high sporting standards, and respect for maritime heritage.

Gaining momentum (2011-2019)

From 2011 to 2019, the Corsica Classic gradually gained momentum. Each edition attracted new yachts, new crews, and new partners. The route evolved over the years: Calvi, Girolata, Ajaccio, Porto Pollo, Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio, Saint-Florent… Geographic flexibility is part of the event's DNA, which adapts its course to conditions and local collaborations.

It was from 2015 that the Corsica Classic definitively entered the European calendar for classic yachting, with yachts coming from all over the Mediterranean: Italy, Spain, Monaco, and mainland France.

Consolidation (2020-2025)

Despite the pandemic period that disrupted the schedule of major nautical events, the Corsica Classic was able to consolidate its position. The 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 editions confirmed the event's maturity, with increasingly prestigious fleets and growing international recognition.

The 17th edition in 2026

In 2026, the Corsica Classic celebrates its 17th edition, from Sunday, August 23 to Monday, August 31. A route concentrated on Southern Corsica with a continental extension: Ajaccio, Portigliolo, Propriano, Campomoro, Bonifacio, then a return towards Saint-Cyprien (Pyrénées-Orientales) for the finale. A route designed to offer crews optimal conditions and spectators a variety of exceptional coastal atmospheres.

The CCY association and Thibaud Assante

Behind the Corsica Classic, there is first a non-profit association, the Corsica Classic Yachting Association (CCY), based at the Harbormaster's Office of Port Charles Ornano in Ajaccio (20000).

The association's mission

The CCY's mission is to promote classic and traditional yachting in Corsica and the Mediterranean. This involves organizing the annual Corsica Classic regatta, but also activities to raise awareness of maritime heritage, meetings with students, exhibitions, and publications.

Thibaud Assante, the captain

Thibaud Assante, president of the association, has been the face and energy of the Corsica Classic since its creation. A fan of classic sailing and a man of action, he embodies the CCY spirit: sporting rigor, human generosity, and local roots. It is he who, every year, recruits yachts, negotiates with ports, mobilizes partners, and orchestrates the volunteer teams.

Without Thibaud, there would be no Corsica Classic. And without the team he has united around him (volunteers, sponsors, harbormasters, town halls, service providers), the event would not have reached this scale.

Some projects exist thanks to specific people. The Corsica Classic is one of them. Thibaud Assante is its beating heart, the one who knew how to create and sustain this exceptional event through conviction and hard work. The result is this regatta that has become unmissable in barely 17 years.

Patronage of the Yacht Club de France

The Corsica Classic benefits from the patronage of the prestigious Yacht Club de France (YCF), founded in Paris in 1867 by a group of gentlemen passionate about yachting, including the Count of Paris. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious sailing clubs in the world.

What this patronage means

The YCF's patronage is not just an honorary endorsement. It means that the Corsica Classic meets the highest standards of international classic yachting:

Quality of the jury and race committee: recognized, experienced referees who guarantee an impeccable ranking.
Yacht eligibility: rigorous selection according to international categories (Grand Cru, Classic, Spirit of Tradition).
Ethics and tradition: respect for maritime heritage, rejection of intrusive sponsoring, and anchoring in the great tradition of the gentleman sailor.
International network: the yachts participating in the Corsica Classic are part of a European circuit of classic regattas, with connections to Antibes, Cannes, Saint-Tropez, Imperia, and Porto Cervo.

This patronage also explains why the Corsica Classic attracts yachts from all over Europe and sometimes beyond (United States, United Kingdom, Northern Europe). It is a label of international prestige.

The route of the 17th edition 2026

The 17th edition of the Corsica Classic takes place from Sunday, August 23 to Monday, August 31, 2026. The 2026 route is as follows:

Stage 1 (Ajaccio): yacht reception and registration at Port Charles Ornano.
Stage 2 (Portigliolo): first warm-up regatta, heading for Portigliolo.
Stage 3 (Propriano): technical regatta, arrival in the Gulf of Valinco.
Stage 4 (Campomoro): heading southwest, mooring at the foot of the Genoese tower.
Stage 5 (Bonifacio): long stage to the jewel of the south, up the Strait of Bonifacio.
Stage 6 (Saint-Cyprien): crossing towards the continent, arrival in the Pyrénées-Orientales for the finale.

Each stage is punctuated by activities in the arrival port: yacht welcome, crew cocktail, intermediate award ceremony, gala dinner, and free time to visit the city. This is what makes the Corsica Classic so rich: every evening, a new backdrop, a new atmosphere, a new encounter.

Stage 1: Ajaccio, the grand departure

Everything starts in Ajaccio, the historical base of the Corsica Classic Yachting Association. The Port Charles Ornano, in the city center, welcomes the yachts for registration, technical checks, and crew briefings.

Ajaccio, the historical capital of Corsica, is a setting worthy of the event. The city of Napoleon, with its palm trees, colorful port, citadel, cathedral, and old quarters, immediately puts the crews in the Mediterranean mood.

On the Saturday preceding the departure, an opening cocktail gathers crews, partners, and guests at the port. It is a moment for reunions, boat presentations, and final tactical adjustments. The atmosphere is warm and familiar, tinged with the excitement that precedes every great regatta.

To learn everything about the departure city, consult our complete guide to Ajaccio 2026.

Stage 2: Portigliolo

Portigliolo, in the southwest of Corsica, is a more private stopover but highly appreciated by the crews. Located in the Gulf of Valinco, the bay offers a sheltered anchorage and a wild beach that recalls Corsica before mass tourism.

The Ajaccio-Portigliolo regatta is traditionally a warm-up stage of about 20-25 nautical miles, which allows the crews to test their configuration, find their pace relative to one another, and start separating from the fleet.

Stage 3: Propriano

Propriano, a historical port in the Gulf of Valinco, hosts the third stage. A small town of 3,500 inhabitants, it offers preserved charm between the fishing port and marina, with renowned restaurants and a typically Corsican atmosphere.

It is often in Propriano that part of the general classification is decided. The technical regatta in the gulf, with its sometimes fickle winds, tests the crews' tactics and rewards the finest sailors.

Stage 4: Campomoro

Campomoro is probably the most wild and poetic stopover of the route. This small bay in the Corsican southwest, dominated by a magnificent Genoese tower (one of the best preserved in Corsica, a UNESCO World Heritage site), offers an exceptional anchorage.

Here, there is no marina, no urban bustle: just a fishing village, a light sandy beach, fragrant scrubland, and this tower that has watched over yachts since the 16th century. A suspended moment, often cited by crews as the best memory of the regatta.

Stage 5: Bonifacio, the jewel of the south

This is probably the most iconic stage of the Corsica Classic 2026. Bonifacio, with its citadel perched on limestone cliffs, its spectacular marina, and its straits, offers one of the most beautiful nautical backdrops in the Mediterranean.

The approach

Approaching Bonifacio in a classic yacht is an anthological moment. The crossing of the inlet, this natural 1.6-kilometer-long fjord between the cliffs, sets all the yachts in a procession in a cinematic setting. Then comes the arrival at the Quai d'Honneur, a few meters from the old town, with the yachts moored stern-to along the marina.

The Bonifacian welcome

Bonifacio reserves a particularly attentive welcome for the Corsica Classic. The Bonifacio Tourist Office mobilizes for the event: atmosphere, activities, and communication. The Quai d'Honneur is the best place to come and admire the yachts, open to the public free of charge.

To learn everything about the city of cliffs, consult our complete guide to Bonifacio 2026.

Stage 6: Saint-Cyprien, the finale

The 17th edition of the Corsica Classic ends in Saint-Cyprien, in the Pyrénées-Orientales. An audacious choice: leaving Corsica to reach the mainland, with an open-sea crossing of several dozen nautical miles.

Saint-Cyprien, a seaside resort in the south of France, boasts an exceptional marina capable of hosting the fleet for the official closing. This mainland stage offers the Corsica Classic new visibility and allows crews to continue their European season (Voiles de Saint-Tropez in September, Autumn Regattas in Cannes, etc.).

The final prize-giving ceremony, on Monday, August 31, concludes this 17th edition. Trophies, speeches, emotional moments: crews say their farewells before heading back to their home ports, carrying the memory of an exceptional week.

The participating yachts

What makes the charm of the Corsica Classic is above all the beauty of the yachts that appear there. Each edition brings together around twenty exceptional boats, often a century old, with fascinating histories.

The main categories

Grand Cru: vintage yachts built before 1949, living maritime heritage.
Époque: built between 1949 and 1975, often made of wood with pure racing lines.
Classique: constructions between 1975 and 1976, often in fiberglass but faithful to classic lines.
Esprit de Tradition: recent constructions that incorporate classic aesthetics into a modern design.

Some iconic yachts

Over the editions, the Corsica Classic has hosted legendary yachts of the European maritime heritage. Notable examples include the SY Cambria, the SY Pacha, the SY Mister, the SY Elysion of Blue, the SY Hiti, the SY Mister Fips and many others. Each yacht carries its own history, its naval architect, its successive owners, its great victories.

Seeing these boats sail together along the Corsican coast is a rare, almost anachronistic spectacle. As if time had stopped, a century ago, in the golden age of aristocratic European yachting.

The Corsica Classic spirit

To fully understand the Corsica Classic, one must look beyond the sporting dimension. It is a three-dimensional event: sporting, cultural, and social.

The sporting dimension

The regatta is a true sporting challenge. Classic yachts require large and experienced crews. Sailing in the classic style, without electric winches, without intrusive modern instruments, while respecting international racing rules, is a demanding practice that rewards technique, tactics, and intimate knowledge of the boat.

The cultural dimension

The Corsica Classic is a heritage event. It contributes to promoting and preserving the European maritime heritage. Each yacht is a piece of living history, each crew a repository of expertise. Encounters with the public, publications, and documentaries produced around the event contribute to this mission of transmission.

The social dimension

Finally, the Corsica Classic is an event of conviviality. Crew dinners, partner cocktails, musical evenings, and impromptu meetings on the pontoons create a warm community, where sailors, artists, craftsmen, chefs, and journalists cross paths. It is a Mediterranean art of living in its most beautiful expression.

The Corsica Classic is the opposite of yachting as a spectacle. It is yachting that takes its time, respecting the boats, the crews, the ports, and the landscapes. A yachting that has meaning, in an era where meaning is being lost. That is also why it is so beautiful.

How to watch the regatta as a spectator

Good news: the Corsica Classic is a free event to admire. Here is how to make the most of it.

From the stopover ports

The best place to see the yachts is in the stopover ports, in the late afternoon, as the boats arrive. The yachts moor stern-to, the crews disembark, the sails are carefully folded: a true lesson in maritime elegance. The spectacle is particularly beautiful in Bonifacio, at the Quai d'Honneur, and in Ajaccio, at the Port Charles Ornano.

From coastal vantage points

To see the regatta in open water, a few spots are particularly well-placed:

Tour de Campomoro: a sweeping view over the bay, an ideal spot to photograph the fleet.
Bonifacio Cliffs: impressive at the entrance to the channel when the yachts arrive in a procession.
Sentier des Douaniers (Customs Path) in the Gulf of Ajaccio: to see the start of the first stage.
Cap de Feno (Bonifacio): an exceptional viewpoint over the Strait of Bonifacio.

From the water

The most impressive way, of course, is to see the regatta from the water. Several solutions: boat rental (motorized preferred to follow the fleet), water-taxi excursion, participation as a follower with certain local agencies. Please note: always keep a minimum safety distance of 100 meters from the yachts in the regatta.

Follow live

The Corsica Classic has an Instagram account (@corsicaclassicyachting), a Facebook page, and an official website that publish photos and videos in real-time. A great way to follow the event even from a distance.

TAFANELLI, partner of the Corsica Classic

At TAFANELLI, we are historical partners of the Corsica Classic Yachting Association. This partnership, initiated several seasons ago, is part of our commitment to supporting Corsican cultural and sporting events that carry the brand's values.

Why this partnership

There is a cultural evidence between TAFANELLI and the Corsica Classic. We are two entities that:

Anchor their identity in Corsica and the Mediterranean.
Reject industrial standardization in favor of respect for craftsmanship and detail.
Celebrate a living heritage (maritime for CCY, textile and graphic for TAFANELLI).
Believe in an elegant yet relaxed aesthetic, without ostentation.
Make a bet on the long term rather than immediate buzz.

Past collaborations

Our partnership has materialized in several forms: official apparel with the TAFANELLI signature on certain editions, presence during the stages, media coverage on the brand's channels. A partner relationship that grows with time.

Supporting the Corsica Classic is not a marketing operation for us. It is an editorial choice that makes sense. Like the CCY, TAFANELLI was born with the desire to tell the story of Corsica differently: without stereotypes, without shortcuts, with respect for what has been passed down and what remains to be transmitted.

The TAFANELLI wardrobe for the regatta

Whether you are a crew member, a spectator, or just an enthusiast, here are the TAFANELLI pieces that perfectly accompany a week of the Corsica Classic.

For sailing

The Mediterranean Diver t-shirt, 280g/m² Made in France cotton, resistant to salt, sun, and onboard wear and tear.
The Corsica Shark Cap, robust and functional, essential in regattas against the sun and sea spray.
The Corsican bandana, to cover your neck, wipe off sweat, or simply affirm an affiliation.

For stage evenings

The Corsica 1755 t-shirt, a tribute to Paoli, an elegant silhouette for cocktails and crew dinners.
The Roccapina t-shirt, a tribute to the wild Corsican south.
The Club Mermaid t-shirt, a reference to the Mediterranean nautical imagination.

Find the full collection on our online store or at our official retailers. Note: our Corsican retailers (Bastia, Ajaccio, Bonifacio, Calvi, L'Île-Rousse, Saint-Florent) are particularly well-positioned to equip you before the start.