The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was founded in Porto Cervo, Sardinia in 1967 by current president H.H. the Aga Khan and a group of founder-members as a non-profit sporting association for fellow sailing enthusiasts.

The YCCS is renowned for organizing international sailing events such as the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup as well as World and European championships for top one-design fleets and Superyacht regattas.

The Club has also promoted international challenges such as Azzurra, the first Italian challenger for the America's Cup in 1983 which became a legendary Italian brand and was relaunched by the YCCS in 2009 with a victorious participation in the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice, in 2001-2002 the participation in the Volvo Ocean Race with a two boat campaign one of which had an all-female crew, and the motor yacht Destriero which to this day holds the transatlantic crossing record set in 1992.

In 2020, the YCCS also launched the Young Azzurra Sporting programme dedicated to young Italian sailors, with a focus on equal opportunities.

For further information please visit www.yccs.com - www.youngazzurra.com