The Comité International de la Méditerranée (CIM), founded in 1926 and the first body to promote and organise offshore races in the Mediterranean, has for over 30 years been the Mediterranean International Federation for classic yachts. On 19 March 2026 members gathered at its HQ in the Yacht Club de Monaco to elect a new Board of Directors and President.
All CIM members from national sailing federations, founding clubs and class associations voted, representing Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Malta and Switzerland.
The vote was unanimous for Italian Luigi Gigi Rolandi, President of AIVE (Associazione Italiana Vele d’Epoca) and member of the Yacht Club Italiano, to be the new President.
Born in Naples, this world-renowned physician was head of research for 30 years at CERN in Geneva as well as a physics professor at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa. As the owner with his wife Ariella of the classic yacht Crivizza, the last two years he has won the CIM-Classic Yacht Trophy in her category, which is the Mediterranean Championship for classic yachts.
Luigi Rolandi has been on the board for four years and succeeds the outgoing president, the Frenchman Frédéric Berthoz. After his election, he said that one of CIM’s priorities was to put more focus on communications and a media profile to raise public awareness of the heritage and charms of classic yachts.
Francesco Foppiano was re-elected as Vice-President for another term. A Genovese and member of Yacht Club Italiano where he is in charge of culture and the library, advisor to AIVE (the Italian Yachting Association), a nautical historian and university lecturer, at 44 he is the youngest member on the board. He is also the owner of Zest, a small 1935 sloop.
Votes for the second post of Vice-President went to the Spaniard Ricardo Albigñana, a new CIM board member and Vice-Commodore of Real Club Náutico de Barcelona and acclaimed filmmaker. Owner of the 1937 ketch Islander, he regularly participates in classic yacht regattas.
Frenchman Renaud Godard was unanimously voted for the position of General Secretary. A naval engineer and CIM collaborator since the 1990s, he worked along with Olin Stephens, Doug Peterson and Luigi Lang on drafting the original CIM rating formula and will continue to chair its commission. He will be assisted by board member Jérome Nutte.
Thierry Leret, Race Director at the Yacht Club de Monaco, was re-elected as Treasurer and president of the safety and regattas commission.
The Board, comprises 12 members, completed by four re-elected members and three new members:
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