Sardinia is getting ready to host the first stop on the ‘Road to Naples’ the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Sardinia from the 21st – 24th May 2026.
For the principle America’s Cup Teams . . . The pressure is on.
Five of the seven AC38 teams have entered their AC40s: Emirates Team New Zealand, GB1, Luna Rossa, Tudor Team Alinghi and La Roche-Posay Racing Team, with their AC38 team crews.
They will compete in fleet racing over eight races from Friday through to Sunday. The top two AC40 teams, after the eight-race series, will then proceed to the match-race grand finale.
The prize at stake for the Preliminary Regatta teams is a wonderful Louis Vuitton trophy, but in essence it is so much more. Winning in Sardinia, in equally matched AC40 yachts, is a way point of where each individual team is at on the ‘Road to Naples 2027.’
Provisional Team crew lists:
Emirates Team New Zealand
Nathan Outteridge skippers the principle team for the Defenders. Co-helm will be Youth America’s Cup sailor, Seb Menzies. Trimming Andy Maloney and new to the team Iain Jensen.
Emirates Team New Zealand Women & Youth
Erica Dawson and International Moth ace Jake Pye on co-helm duties. Trim is provided by Serena Woodall and iQFoil Olympian Josh Armit.
GB1
Dylan Fletcher skippers the newly liveried GB1 team with Ben Cornish, Bleddyn Mon is back on trim, joined by new signing from Luna Rossa, Andrea Tesei.
Athena Pathway
Hannah Mills is joined by Ellie Aldridge on co-helm. Twenty-one year old Sam Webb gets his opportunity on trim, alongside Youth America’s Cup sailor from 2024, Matt Beck.
Luna Rossa 2: Principle Team (Unconfirmed)
The Italians have announced a squad of sailors, but the likely combination is Peter Burling, alongside Ruggero Tita on helming duties. Nd Umberto Molineris and Vittorio Bissarro on trim.
Luna Rossa 1: Women & Youth Team (Unconfirmed)
Marco Gradoni, winning skipper of the Youth America’s Cup in 2024, to skipper in Luna Rossa 1, with Margherita Porro co-helm from the port side. trim positions from Maria Giubilei, Giovanni Santi, Maria Vittoria Marchesini, and Federico Colaninno.
Tudor Team Alinghi (Unconfirmed)
Paul Goodison will skipper alongside match-racing and foiling ace Phil Robertson. Likely trim team will be Pietro Sibello and Nicolas Rolaz. Jason Waterhouse and Nathalie Brugger could also feature.
La Roche-Posay Racing Team
Quentin Delapierre, will lead the French team with Diego Botín on co-helm. On trim Jason Saunders alongside Florian Trittel. In reserve are International Moth World Champion, Enzo Balanger and foiling expert Timothé Lapauw.
