Italy: Sports Diplomacy Video Tribute | His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV’s sincere wish that the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda would stand as an example and an inspiration
His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, President of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS)
“We take this opportunity to remember with deep admiration and respect our Founder and President, H.H. the Aga Khan.
His vision established the YCCS as an organisation of excellence and international prominence, and we will continue to uphold the principles promoted by His Highness, honouring his memory.”
~ YCCS Commodore, Andrea Recordati
March 6, 2025
Milan, Italy
Video tribute dedicated to H.H. the Aga Khan, Founder and President of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS)
This year’s annual press conference organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda to present the 2025 sporting season held a special significance, as it was dedicated to the memory of His Highness the Aga Khan, Founder and President of the YCCS, who recently passed away.
The film in Italian, went on to revisit historic milestones for the YCCS and Italian sailing, including the announcement of the first Italian challenge for the America’s Cup with Azzurra, and celebrations aboard Destriero upon setting a still-unbroken Atlantic crossing record. The film concluded with His Highness’ sincere wish that the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda would stand as an example and an inspiration.
Translated from Italian
HH Aga Khan IV on Sardinia:
“It must have been in the month of July in 1961 when I came to Porto Cervo with four or five friends in a 12 m boat. There was nothing! It was the first time that I saw the Costa Smeralda or rather this area of Sardinia during the summer. I had bought a small plot of land without seeing it and I wanted to see a bit of the land that I had bought. We have done a few months of research on the history of Sardinia to see what the characteristics of the structure of architecture were. We wanted to create a development plan that would take all the beautiful things of the history of Sardinia and put them in the Costa Smeralda”
HH Aga Khan IV on YCCS’s Azzurra representing Italy’s challenge of the America’s Cup:
“It is an honor and great satisfaction to have been able to sign the first Italian challenge for the America’s Cup. It is the first time for Italian participation in the most difficult sailing race in the world. It represents an exceptional technical, sporting, financial and organizational effort.”
HH Aga Khan IV on the achievements & impact of YCCS:
“My hope is that the example of Yacht Club Costa Smeralda can be a source of inspiration for many others.”
YCCS pays tribute to His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV
Milan, Italy, 6 Mar 08:26 PST.
The annual press conference organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda to present the 2025 sporting season took place this morning at Casa Gessi, in Milan.
This year’s event held a special significance, as it was dedicated to the memory of His Highness the Aga Khan, Founder and President of the YCCS, who recently passed away.
Attendees were welcomed by YCCS Commodore, Andrea Recordati. Elected in August 2024, the Commodore is a highly accomplished sailor who has taken part in national and international regattas on the maxi yacht circuit under the YCCS burge.
“I’d like to thank everyone attending for their support and enthusiasm for the activities of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. This is an emotional occasion for me, not only because it marks my first presentation of the sporting calendar as Commodore of the YCCS, but above all as this is a significant day for everyone connected to the Club. In addition to presenting the 2025 sporting season, which promises to be of the highest calibre, we take this opportunity to remember with deep admiration and respect our Founder and President, H.H. the Aga Khan. His vision established the YCCS as an organisation of excellence and international prominence, and we will continue to uphold the principles promoted by His Highness, honouring his memory.”
Following the Commodore’s speech, a video tribute dedicated to H.H. the Aga Khan was shown, opening with recollections of his first visit to Sardinia aboard a sailing yacht. The film went on to revisit historic milestones for the YCCS and Italian sailing, including the announcement of the first Italian challenge for the America’s Cup with Azzurra, and celebrations aboard Destriero upon setting a still-unbroken Atlantic crossing record. The film concluded with His Highness’ sincere wish that the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda would stand as an example and an inspiration.
Images, left to right: – 2 images on the left(August 1992): Richard Branson presenting His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy on Destriero’s record breaking Atlantic crossing. – bottom-left: (August 6, 1992) Destriero, an epitome of Italian naval technology, leaves behind the Ambrose Light in New York (USA), the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the Verrazzano bridge to embark on the record-breaking Atlantic Ocean crossing attempt – centre-right (August 1992): New York Yacht Club’s Columbus Atlantic Trophy being awarded to His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV for Destriero setting a still-unbroken Atlantic crossing record. – top-right: Destriero, flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda burgee, crossed the Atlantic Ocean in record time (non-stop 3,106 miles in 58 hours, 34 minutes and 50 seconds, at an average speed of 53.09 knots). – bottom-right (June, 1983): Azzurra, in her first race for the Challenger Series of the 25th America’s Cup in Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Azzurra – America’s Cup Italian challenge
Azzurra, the yacht racing team that competed in the America’s Cup, the Audi MedCup and the 52 Super Series for the Italian Yacht Club Costa Smeralda
Forty years on, the main protagonists recount the sporting feat that popularised sailing in Italy for the first time, and brought the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda onto the international stage.
On 18th June 1983, in Newport, Rhode Island, Azzurra took part in her first race for the Challenger Series of the 25th America’s Cup. That day the opponent was France III and Azzurra claimed victory, the first in a long series that took the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s 12 Metre yacht all the way to the semi-finals of the qualification stage.
This endeavour, supported by H.H. the Aga Khan and Gianni Agnelli, would touch the hearts of Italians and go down in the history of sailing in the country. Azzurra’s crew was led by skipper Cino Ricci and helmsman Mauro Pelaschier, with an organisational structure supported by 17 companies, entrusted to Gianfranco Alberini, Riccardo Bonadeo and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo.
His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV with Gianni Agnelli, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo and the crew of the 1981 America’s Cupper, Azzurra
To celebrate the 40th anniversary, during the dinner held at the YCCS on 18th June, a short film was screened, which is now available below. The short film includes interviews with Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Mauro Pelaschier, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Riccardo Bonadeo, Tiziano Nava, Nicolò Reggio, Nicola Sironi, Patrizia Ferri, Andrea Vallicelli, Enrico Isenburg, Carlo Borlenghi and Jacopo Marchi.
The 40th anniversary of Azzurra continues to be retold through the recollections of the main protagonists interviewed for the short film.
Prince Karim Aga Khan has forever remained in the hearts of Italian sailors especially for the wonderful adventure that was “Azzurra” the first challenge of an Italian yatch in the mythical America’s Cup. Despite Azzurra coming third in the competition, it was still very much like a victory because Cino Ricci, Mauro Pelaschier and teammates returned to Italy welcomed as heroes. In fact, with that feat they had made an entire population fall in love with a sport until then considered for the few. Thanks to the Aga Khan sailing is now the third most popular sport after football and Formula 1 racing.
Destriero – an unbeaten transatlantic record
The Destriero Challenge was born from H.H. the Aga Khan’s passion for new naval technologies He promoted the project with the support of the leading representatives of the Italian industrial sector of the time: Giovanni Agnelli (Fiat), Franco Nobili (IRI), Umberto Nordio (Alitalia) and Arrigo Gattai (CONI) and prestigious sponsors such as Agip, General Electric, MTU and KaMeWa.
The name, Destriero, in the Middle Ages indicated the most daring and courageous of steeds, just as the idea of building the fastest ship of all time was a daring and courageous one in 1990. The design was entrusted to Donald Blount, who called on the support of Pininfarina, and was built in record time by Fincantieri at the Muggiano shipyard.
On 6 August 1992, Destriero, a fantastic example of Italian naval technology, left behind the Ambrose Light in New York, the skyscrapers of Manhattan and the Verrazzano bridge to embark on the record-breaking attempt.
At dawn on 9 August 1992, at 6.14 a.m. and 50 seconds, staff manning the Bishop Rock lighthouse in the Scilly isles off England, still shrouded in fog, were surprised to hear the voice of Cesare Fiorio over the radio: “Good Morning, this is the commander of the ship Destriero, we left from New York, please register the date and time of our passage.” “Good morning Destriero, we were not expecting you so soon…” was the operator’s reply.
Destriero, flying the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda burgee, had covered 3,106 miles in 58 hours, 34 minutes and 50 seconds, at an average speed of 53.09 knots, or 98.323 km/h, taking 21 hours less than the English catamaran Hoverspeed, holder of the previous record.
His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, YCCS President with the Destriero crew, celebrating and posing following the new Atlantic crossing record
Waiting for the crew on their arrival was H.H. the Aga Khan, President of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and the main supporter of the project. In addition to the Blue Riband, Destriero was also awarded the New York Yacht Club’s Columbus Atlantic Trophy and the Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy, created by Richard Branson.
The 9th of August is a historic date for the Italian shipbuilding industry, marking 30 years of a record that still stands undefeated, set by the ship Destriero. Since 1992 the “Blue Riband” for the Atlantic crossing has belonged to all those who participated in the design and construction of the ship and the realisation of the challenge.
For more than 30 years now, Destriero has been the fastest ship in the world.
YCCS & Sustainability – One Ocean Foundation & Charta Smeralda Ethical Code
Charta Smeralda – an ethical code, a forward looking legacy of the 50th anniversary of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda
In 2017, the year of its 50th anniversary, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda launched the One Ocean environmental sustainability project.
The YCCS’ desire to add its voice to one of the most urgent issues of our time came from the knowledge that as a Yacht Club, the sea is the primary element underpinning all of its main activities. In 2017 the initiative culminated in the One Ocean Forum, the first forum organised in Italy on the subject of marine protection, realised in partnership with UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and the SDA Bocconi Sustainability Lab.
On 3-4 October at the Forum in Milan 800 people participated in 12 hours of work featuring contributions from researchers, eye witnesses and international companies. Following the success of the forum, in 2018 was established the One Ocean Foundation.
At the conclusion of the One Ocean Forum that took place in Milan in October 2017, the Charta Smeralda was presented and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was its first signatory.
The Charta Smeralda represents an ethical code intended to guide individuals and organisations to adopt environmentally friendly behaviour. YCCS promotes this code of conduct to its Club members, its partners and all participants in its sporting activities.
Everyone can contribute to preserving the marine environment by signing the Charta Smeralda and pledging to follow the guidelines it contains.
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) Board of Directors
The 35 mile-long Emerald Coast – or Costa Smeralda in Italian – was an undeveloped stretch of rocky coves when it caught the eye of the Aga Khan, in the late 1950s while sailing his yacht. Since then, the Emerald Coast famous for its landscape heritage, unique white sand beaches, deep coves and pink granite rocks was developed into a premier tourist destination. The impact of its development has become a text book example for economic and social development for many countries and the Italian government lost no time in awarding His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan with two of its highest state honours.
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) was founded on 12th May 1967 by His Highness Prince Aga Khan IV, Andrè Ardoin, Giuseppe Kerry Mentasti and Luigi Vietti as a non-profit making sporting association for fellow sailing enthusiasts and with a view to promoting related activities. The sporting events organized by the Club and the victories won by Members flying the Club’s burgee have helped to establish the YCCS’ position at the forefront of international yachting. Today the YCCS enjoys reciprocal agreements with the Yacht Club di Monaco, the New York Yacht Club, Royal Yacht Squadron and Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. The YCCS is represented by the Board of Directors headed by its President, Princess Zahra Aga Khan and His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV is the President of the YCCS.
Italian State Honours
Twice decorated with Italy’s highest state honours, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV has been recognized by the Italian government for his immense contribution to the economic transformation of Sardinia through the development of Costa Smeralda.
The Italian government recognized his contributions by awarding His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV two state decorations:
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1977, and
Knight of Labour, Cavaliere del Lavoro in 1988
These honours captures the continuing appreciation of the Government and peoples of Italy, especially the people from Sardinia for His Highness and the permanent bond they share with him, one of people, place and history.
Editor’s note:
While every effort is made in trying to remain true to the original author of all articles we bring to our audiences at Ismailimail, much gets lost in translating the original piece from one language to another. The choice of words, the expression of feelings, the historical and cultural norms, semantics, the author, all these and many other factors get diluted and/or lost, even with the aid and convenience of the all powerful tool like Google translate.
This piece, originally in Italian was highly poetic and exuded profound love in the expression of sentiments that the people of Sardinia feel for His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan. Reading it to learn, internalizing it to understand, and translating it to share was an eclectic dance of the heart with the mind.
It is our hope that you were inspired by the impact that His Highness continues to have in Sardinia, Italy and around the world.
Research, Translation, Insight & Perspective by A. Maherali
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The Destriero Challenge was born from H.H. the Aga Khan’s passion for new naval technologies He promoted the project with the support of the leading representatives of the Italian industrial sector of the time: Giovanni Agnelli (Fiat), Franco Nobili (IRI), Umberto Nordio (Alitalia) and Arrigo Gattai (CONI) and prestigious sponsors such as Agip, General Electric, MTU and KaMeWa.
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