VILLA D’ESTE STYLE VINTAGE YACHTING 2026

Villa d’Este Style Vintage Yachting 2026

Between History, Futurism, and Icons of Vintage Yachting on Lake Como

Vintage Yachting Returns to the Spotlight on Lake Como

Cernobbio, 12 September 2026 – Villa d’Este Style Vintage Yachting returned to celebrate the timeless allure of vintage yachting, renewing its annual gathering of yacht owners, collectors, and enthusiasts on the shores of Lake Como.

Villa d’Este, in collaboration with ASDEC, the Associazione Scafi d’Epoca e Classici, and the Museo Barca Lariana, brought extraordinary motorboats with over fifty years of history into the spotlight, showcasing a heritage where design, innovation, craftsmanship, and nautical culture come together.

The event was set against the backdrop of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este, a symbol of Italian elegance and a landmark in the history of Lake Como for over a century. Here, nautical heritage met the region’s natural and cultural legacy, creating a day in which past and present came together through the beauty of the boats and the passion of those dedicated to preserving their authenticity.

Futurism: Speed, Innovation, and a Vision of the Future

The 2026 edition was part of the broader Grand Tour of Lake Como programme, featuring a selection of prestigious historic boats displayed in the grounds of the Grand Hotel from 9 to 19 September. The gardens of Villa d’Este were thus transformed into a journey through nautical culture, offering guests the opportunity to admire, out of the water, vessels that tell the story of different eras, technologies, and traditions.

Among the boats featured in the exhibition was one formerly owned by Guido Cappellini, one of the most renowned powerboat racing drivers and a prominent figure in the history of the sport. In 2025, Cappellini won the Pavia–Venice International Powerboat Raid, setting a new speed record with an average of 207 kilometres per hour.

The presence of this boat proved particularly significant in light of the theme chosen for the 2026 edition: Futurism. A movement that perfectly embodies the spirit of Lake Como and its powerboating history. In the 1920s, these waters were the setting for races, experimentation, record-breaking achievements, and technological innovation.

In 1927, Villa d’Este also embraced Futurist culture, becoming a place where speed, machines, movement, and modernity found a natural form of expression.

Futurism thus becomes a lens through which to reinterpret that same drive towards the future and the constant pursuit of pushing beyond one’s limits.