First pasta the post!

Here's a unique regatta for yachties with a passion for food.

Suspense and excitement are building in the run-up to the 13th edition of the S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup, the exclusive 12-mile regatta set on the scenic Venetian Lagoon. This year’s regatta will take place on June 15 and a bunch of Aussies are preparing to take on the world in both sailing and cooking.

The regatta embodies the most important values of the Italian lifestyle: the art of dining, the pleasure of togetherness, a passion for sailing and the beauty of one of the country’s most beloved cities, Venice.

The annual regatta, organised in collaboration with the historic Venetian Yacht Club, is a unique challenge that attracts not only sailors and skippers but also chefs and fine dining lovers from around the world. While crews are above deck, busy taming the winds to make the best possible sailing time between the Lido of Venice and the Island of San Giorgio, the young chef is down in the galley executing the dish he hopes will earn enough points to secure his team’s victory.

Each chef’s creation will be judged by an esteemed panel of ten internationally-renowned chefs. The race within the race involves ten boats and ten crews, each with a young and talented chef on board, representing a country where the sponsor's products S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. This year, chefs have been chosen to represent Australia, Austria, Belgium, China, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the USA. They are all united by their great culinary talent and their desire to be the best.

At the finish line, each young chef will present his dish to the panel of judges aboard the Timoteo (a boat belonging to the Missoni family) and give a brief description of its preparation. The judges will then evaluate the dish. The votes each dish garners are added to the finish time of the boat it was prepared on to determine the winner of the S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup.

The Australian boat is represented by Chef Stewart Wesson. Stewart is the 25-year-old head chef at Public, a café, bar and event space in Adelaide. Not only is he passionate about creating simple, yet intriguing bistro-style dishes, he is also an internationally renowned chef, having recently won the gold medal at the 2012 IKA Culinary Olympics in Germany. Stewart is also recipient of the Electrolux Young Chef of the Year, the opportunity to participate in the S.Pellegrino Cooking Cup is provided by Sanpellegrino Asia Pacific, a major sponsor of the awards.

"I am always eager to explore new aspects of cooking, new techniques and local products," said Stewart. "I believe modern food techniques can be used to enhance food and the dining experience for customers," he added.