 After World War I, de Bernardi began racing seaplanes in the international races being held at the time.Perhaps his greatest success in these races came on 13 November 1926, when then-Major de Bernardi, representing Italy, won the Schneider Trophy race at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in the United States.He completed the course in a Macchi M.39 with an average speed of on a 350-kilometer (217-mile) circuit; this was a new world speed record for seaplanes.