Marco Pocci, owner and president of the RS21 class, won the Italian championship 2026 of the RS21 Cup in Scarlino, closing the season with a success that confirms the team among the international protagonists of the class. His Les Freaks, the colour holder of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, won the last leg of the Act 5, completing a championship that adds to the world title conquered in Porto Rotondo in 2025. Eleven tests in Scarlino, all planned by the program, in conditions of wind that required ability to adapt and manage the fleet.
A success built on regular squares and two victories
The success of Les Freaks was built with a series of regular placements and two victories, in the sixth and ninth test, closing the Act 5 to 46 points after the discard of the worst result. Andrea Musone with Freccia Blu, who finished at 59 points and also won the silver medal in the Italian Open Championship. Third overall Bogatyrs of Igor Rytov, representative of the Neutral Individual Athletes, scored two consecutive victories in the seventh and eighth rounds, closing at the same points with the German Melanie Höveler on RS Enterprise, fourth only because of the placements.
A title that confirms the strength of the team
"It seems that destiny is on our side. On September 27, 2025 we won the World Championship title in Porto Rotondo and now on September 27, 2026 here is the Italian title", Pocci commented. «I must immediately thank my team, that of the three “G”, that is Giacomo, Giorgia and Giovanni. The merit is largely them if we have achieved this last success. It was a pleasure to race with them and I think that the winning weapon that makes the difference is the climate of great friendship that reigns in boat”. The podium of the Italian Open Championship is completed by Andrea Musone with Freccia Blu, second, and by Matteo Di Maio with Era l’Ora, third ranked among the Italians and seventh in the general ranking of the Act 5.
In the Corinthian Act 5 ranking, behind Tiga Tiger and Magique et Terrible, the third was Ita 238. The result of Scarlino allows Malika Bellomi, winner of the category, to close the season with the Italian title Corinthian 2026. Magique et Terrible preceded the national championship Ita 238 by Riccardo Benvenuto, of the Italian Naval League of Mandello del Lario, while the third step of the tricolor podium went to Woodstock by Ivan Sorbo, of the Circolo Velico Ravennate.
The Italian season of the RS21 Cup ends in Scarlino, but not the international one of the class. The next round will be the RS21 World Championship, scheduled in Cannes from 28 to 31 October. For Les Freaks it will also be the occasion to return to defend the world title won last year. A new international challenge that will bring the RS21 fleet from the Tuscan coast to the Croisette, with the title once again played.