ALL SET FOR CAGLIARI AND THE FIRST PRELIMINARY REGATTA
The ‘Road to Naples 2027’ begins in Cagliari in 2026 between the 21st - 24th May with the opening Prelim Regatta of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup. It’s the first time since Barcelona in 2024 that the teams competing for the oldest trophy in international sport, the America’s Cup, will come together for a thrilling long-weekend of high-pressure, high-stakes, no-holds-barred fleet racing, leading to a winner-takes-all, one-off, match-race to decide the outcome.
For on the water sailing fans this first Prelim Regatta promises so much. Racing gets underway with no less than four fleet races on Friday 22nd May, another four races on Saturday 23rd May, and on the final day, Sunday 24th May, there will be three fleet races before the top two teams go through to the shoot-out final.
Each of the teams competing in the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup are allowed to field two AC40s with one of those boats being the primary team of sailors, and the second boat being crewed by a combination of Youth & Women sailors from their squads.
Inevitably the storyline to watch is whether the Youth & Women’s sailors can take the big scalps off the primary teams. It is sure to happen as across the America’s Cup it is bursting at the seams with new foiling talent emerging, all desperate to make their mark.
The AC40 yachts will all race under full one-design specification, meaning that skill on the water is rewarded over development or technical enhancements.
As we saw in the lead up to the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, the fleet racing where all of the teams set off on the same starting line and race collectively against each other, can get fast and furious with multiple position changes occurring during every race.
Cagliari is a jewel of a venue that embodies the Island of Sardinia’s lust for life. The busy port city is an ever-changing fusion of modern with tradition, an idyllic location skirted by the sea. The Italian Challenger for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup - Luna Rossa - calls Cagliari ‘home’ and in recent years we have seen that training on the waters of the Bay of Cagliari can be both challenging and electrifying.
Racing will take place in two alternative dedicated course areas of approximately 2 kilometres in radius close to the shoreline, making viewing along the front and up to the headlands accessible to all.
Shoreside there will be a Race Village with a main stage, large jumbotron screens, exhibits, an official merchandising store, and a range of food and beverage opportunities to keep fans entertained and informed. From the city and all along the waterfront up to the Lazaretto di Cagliari will be the AC Viewing Promenade with views out towards the race area and a large screen where, weather permitting, there will be ‘Try Sailing’ activities as well as food and beverage concessions and team/sponsor engagements.
The teams will start to arrive in Cagliari from the 5th May to set-up their team bases at the Military Port of Cagliari, and fans should see the first AC40s on the water from Saturday 16th May through to Wednesday 20th May which is the unofficial practice period.
On Thursday 21st May, all of the teams will attend the opening press conference before heading out on the water for an official practice day with non-counting racing and starting practice anticipated. In the evening of the 21st May, the Race Village will be opened with a presentation of all the teams to the fans on the main stage, and the Region of Sardinia authorities welcoming visitors and fans to this very special event.
Mark the dates in your diaries and set a course for the beautiful island of Sardinia and its bustling, thriving capital - Cagliari.
The ‘Road to Naples 2027’ begins.
Magnus Wheatley