THE ROAD TO NAPLES BEGINS IN SARDINIA
The "Road to Naples" officially begins in Sardinia, with Cagliari confirmed as the Host Venue for the first Preliminary Regatta of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, to be sailed from 21–24 May 2026.
For Emirates Team New Zealand and the rest of the America’s Cup fleet, the regatta in the Gulf of Angels, off the port of Cagliari, marks the first true opportunity of the new cycle to line up against one another and measure performance on the racecourse. With the main America’s Cup set to take place in Naples in 2027, the Sardinian event opens a crucial competitive chapter in the build-up.
The return of the Preliminary Regatta series follows the highly successful programme staged ahead of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, where tight, high-intensity racing in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Jeddah, and Barcelona delivered exciting action on the water. Emirates Team New Zealand claimed victory in both Jeddah and Barcelona, and finished runner-up in Vilanova i la Geltrú, underlining the value of the series as both a performance benchmark and a proving ground under pressure.
Each team will be racing one-design foiling AC40 yachts, with the option to field a second AC40 crewed by Women’s and Youth America’s Cup sailors, which Emirates Team New Zealand will do. Fielding two race boats will give the new look sailing team the opportunity to test new combinations and get some white-hot racing experience to the young new recruits, test speed, systems, communication and decision-making, and to observe emerging sailing styles and tactical approaches.
Racing will follow a proven and demanding format: multiple fleet races across the opening days, followed by a winner-takes-all final match race between the top two teams on the leaderboard.
For Emirates Team New Zealand, Cagliari is an early but important test. It is a chance to see how the work done on the water and ashore translates into performance under race pressure.
