The preliminary regattas of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup begin in the Gulf of Angels, with Luna Rossa also on the water with two Italian crews.
Cagliari is once again at the center of international sailing. In the Gulf of Angels, the preliminary regattas of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup are getting underway, marking the first official step on the road to the 38th edition of the America’s Cup, scheduled to take place in Naples in July 2027.
For Italy, this is an important moment. Not only because the America’s Cup will arrive in Naples, but because this first Sardinian stage effectively opens the journey toward one of the most prestigious and closely followed sporting events in the world. First Cagliari, then Naples: two seaside cities, two very different settings, both capable of turning sailing into a spectacle.
The regattas run from May 22 to 24 and feature the AC40s, boats that are smaller than the AC75s that will be used in the 2027 competition, but already extremely fast and spectacular. They are light, highly technical boats, able to rise above the water thanks to their foils. From the outside, what you see is speed and sudden maneuvers. Those who know the sport understand that behind every tack there is calculation, coordination and absolute control.
Eight crews are competing in Cagliari. Italian attention is naturally focused on Luna Rossa, which is taking part with two teams. The first crew includes Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro at the helm, with Maria Giubilei and Giovanni Santi as trimmers. The second crew features Peter Burling, Ruggero Tita, Vittorio Bissaro and Umberto Molineris.
The program includes fleet races over the first two days. Each race awards points for the overall standings: ten points for first place, nine for second, eight for third, and so on down to the eighth-placed team. After the opening races, the top two teams will face each other in the final match race on Sunday, May 24.
These days are not only about finding out who gets off to the best start. They are also a way to understand the form of the crews, the quality of their maneuvers, their ability to read the wind and react within seconds. In modern sailing, the margin for error is minimal. A poor start, a delayed tactical call, or an imperfect tack can change the entire race.
Cagliari offers an ideal setting. Over the years, the Gulf of Angels has proved to be one of Italy’s best locations for top-level sailing. The light, the wind, the open sea and the closeness of the spectators make the event more accessible and easier to follow, even for those who do not usually watch the sport.
The presence of Luna Rossa inevitably adds further attention. The Italian team has long been seen as more than just a sailing team. It has become a symbol of expertise, technology and sporting ambition. Every new outing on the water becomes a way to measure expectations, progress and future possibilities.
Naples remains the great destination of 2027. But the journey begins now, in Sardinia. Cagliari opens the Italian route toward the America’s Cup with a short, intense event that already carries real meaning. Because even before the final challenge, the America’s Cup lives on signals: who finds the rhythm first, who makes fewer mistakes, who manages to turn the wind into an advantage.
And in these days, in the Gulf of Angels, those signals are beginning to arrive.
Alessandro Sicuro
Brand Strategist | Photographer | Art Director | Project Manager
Alessandro Sicuro Comunication
Sure-com America 