A debut for the history books
The 37th Recife–Fernando de Noronha International Race, the traditional Refeno, already has its big name of 2026. On its very first appearance, Orion Racing Brasil claimed the Blue Ribbon, the prize for the first boat to complete the crossing, and set a new race record in the process.
With the MOD70 Orion, skipper Sérgio Avellar and his crew crossed the finish line at the Boldró Lookout, in Fernando de Noronha, in a time of 14h18m56s. The mark breaks a record that had held for 19 years: since 2007, it belonged to Adrenalina Pura, which had completed the course in 14h34m54s.
The greatest winner in the race's history, with ten Blue Ribbons, Adrenalina Pura was chasing an 11th title, but saw the newcomer come out on top in the most anticipated duel of the edition.
An ocean-racing machine
Orion is no ordinary yacht. The MOD70 is a carbon-fibre trimaran, developed specifically for speed and long ocean crossings, part of an exclusive series of only seven boats in the world. With three hulls, an extremely light structure and a large sail area, it was conceived to reach high speeds in open water, something very different from the conventional yachts that tackle the 300 nautical miles between Recife and the archipelago.
Newly arrived in Pernambuco, the boat brought to the state one of the most impressive high-performance vessels in ocean sailing. On board, alongside skipper Sérgio Avellar, were Cláudio Teixeira, Guilherme Siqueira Araújo, João Pedro Monteiro, Júlio Avellar, Marcus Duarte and Tiago Monteiro, a crew that brings together two generations of sailors, with fathers and sons sharing a passion for the sea.
Orion also carried the Sailing for Autism project, an initiative that uses sailing as a tool for inclusion and awareness, bringing people with autism and their families closer to the nautical world.
A start at Marco Zero, with 94 boats
The celebration had begun on Saturday, September 19, at noon, with the start at Recife's Marco Zero. There were 94 boats and around 700 sailors, from 13 Brazilian states and three foreign countries, Argentina, Portugal and the United States, in what is recognised as one of the largest gatherings of ocean sailing in Latin America.
The 2026 edition introduced a new prize, the Golden Ribbon, for the first monohull to cross the line, alongside the traditional Blue Ribbon that celebrates the overall winner, now in Orion's hands.
Refeno also became a showcase for Brazilian sporting stars: the yacht Algo Mais carried skateboarder Pâmela Rosa, Olympic long-jump champion Maurren Maggi, former footballer Richarlyson and Paralympic swimmer André Brasil.
Fact file
37th Refeno, Recife–Fernando de Noronha International Race
Start: September 19, 2026, Marco Zero, Recife
Course: about 300 nautical miles to Fernando de Noronha
Organisation: Cabanga Iate Clube de Pernambuco
Blue Ribbon and new record (14h18m56s): MOD70 Orion, skipper Sérgio Avellar
By: Redação Mundo Mar
Photo: Divulgação: REFENO / Cabanga Iate Clube
