10-06-2025
New Superyacht Regatta The Cyclades Cup Starts This Week In Greece
Competition will be fierce this year.
The Studio Illume
High-caliber sailing meets a low-key vibe at the 2025 Cyclades Cup, the new Greek superyacht event that gets started in just a few days.
Now in its second edition, the invitation-only event is set on the Greek island of Antiparos. Held between June 12 to 15, 2025, this under-the-radar island will once again play host to the Cyclades Cup, a superyacht regatta that trades pomp and fanfare for pure sailing pedigree.
The sailing regatta is capped at just 20 entries and is organised alongside the Yacht Club Greece and endorsed by the SuperYacht Racing Association (SYRA) and ORC (Offshore Racing Congress) and follows a simple premise: community and camaraderie set against the backdrop of one of the Mediterranean's last untouched cruising grounds.
Clear seas and stunning scenery await.
Quin Bisset, The Studio Illume
Ilia Riga, organizer of the event and owner of 164-foot Almyra II, explains that the race began with the dream of offering a 'fresh venue' for superyacht owners. 'After all, everyone appreciates Greece for the cruising, but they forget how beautiful the sailing is,' explains Riga. 'We wanted to have a nice balance of competitive sailing in Corinthian spirit together with the social programme that only an unpretentious but chic Greek island can offer'.
The Cyclades Cup only accepts entries for yachts measuring above 100 foot, and this year the lineup includes a mix of sizes and yacht types. For maxis that don't meet the size requirements, there's a possibility to attend under special circumstances. The 95-foot reigning champion Tawera will be back to defend her crown, alongside contestants such as 109-foot Barong D.
New faces include Galma and Aiolos. Competition is divided into classes, from the spinnaker-free, owner-operated Corinthian Spirit division to the fiercely contested Meltemi and Apollo categories (and each category is named after figures from Greek mythology). The fleet is international, with Tawera hailing all the way from New Zealand.
Partners include UBS, IYC, Perini Navi and Oceanco
Quin Bisset, The Studio Illume
Each morning kicks off with a tactical briefing, and the fleet then follows one of six circuits that snake through the islands of Despotiko, Sikinos, and Ios, averaging between two and 3.5 hours of sailing daily. Speaking about creating the circuits for this year's event, Stratis Andreadis, race chairman from the Yacht Club of Greece, explains that this involves certain challenges. 'We designed a course through the channel of Despotiko with a moderate northerly and ended up with some of the most beautiful images yacht racing has seen in a long while,' he said.
In the evenings, the social programme offers networking at a relaxed pace. A sunset welcome soirée hosted by UBS and a barefoot crew BBQ and a paddleboard race are two of the highlights, but Antiparos has no shortage of beauty, history and culture on its shores for participants to make the most of.
Mike Mahoney, owner of last year's winner Tawera calls it 'without a doubt the best regatta we have ever attended.' He adds: 'I have no doubt Cyclades Cup will be the foremost regatta on the circuit in years to come.'
The event partners with a number of key players in the superyacht sector, including yacht brokerage and management firm IYC. Steve Bailet, IYC's global marketing director, believes the event is well on its way to becoming 'a must-attend fixture' on the regatta calendar and is only 'growing in popularity among sailing enthusiasts'. He adds: 'The combination of world-class sailing, warm company and exceptional cuisine is sure to make this another successful edition'.
The Cyclades Cup is offering racing as it should be: strategic, spirited, and rooted in seamanship.
