In
early-July the summer season is just beginning in Porto Cervo
where this week you'll find
the first-ever Invitational Team Racing Challenge with an impressive regatta
that includes some of the world's most prestigious
yachting clubs from Monaco, Germany, Italy and Greece. Its main yacht harbor is
already at capacity, an aristocratic mix of Middle Eastern royals, media
tycoons and fashion designers that have altogether forgotten about places like
St. Tropez and Capri that they now deem over
trodden with tourists and TV stars.
While many criticize the shopping mall style of its Promenade du Port, Porto
Cervo's main piazza is serious
business with its own Fashion Week starting July 4th and flagships from every fashion
heavyweight from Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli to Emilio Pucci and new
resort flagship by Dsqaured2. By day, visitors separate by land and sea as
those staying on private yachts opt for secret inlets of emerald blue swimming
waters while the hotel crowd hits their own private beach at Cala di Volpe with its
summertime barbecue that's almost
as sensational as its Gala Concert Dinners that include Simple Minds on July
20th and John Legend on August 11th followed by midnight fireworks.
And at 12am the night has yet to even get started in Porto Cervo
where most of the action takes place just outside of town. In recent years,
July and August has been defined by dinners at Cipriani followed by dancing at Billionaire
located in a compound just 5-minutes from town. Owned by the ever-flashy Flavio
Briatore, the club faces its first real competitor in years as Jean-Rock brings
VIP Room to nearby Poltu Qautu where the French "Famous
Club" will parlay a hefty dose of Francophile hip-hop to a location that's even more exclusive.
