Sardinia has secured its place in America's Cup history, with the island set to host the first preliminary regatta of the 38th America's Cup cycle. The agreement was publicly confirmed by Franco Cuccureddu, Sardinia's Regional Councillor for Tourism, via a Facebook post that followed reports earlier the same day that a deal had been finalised.
Cuccureddu revealed that the Sardinia Region had formally signed an agreement with event organisers, Team New Zealand, the Italian Government, and Sport e Salute S.p.A. to stage the opening preliminary regatta of AC38. The negotiations had been conducted under strict confidentiality and proved both lengthy and complex. News of the agreement had already begun circulating online by the time Cuccureddu made his post, prompting him to confirm the details publicly.
The preliminary regatta in Sardinia will form part of the pathway toward the America's Cup Match, scheduled to be sailed in Naples in July 2027. Cuccureddu also noted the broader importance of the event, pointing out that the America's Cup, first raced in 1851, remains the oldest international sporting competition in the world and continues to attract substantial global media attention.
Full event logistics and dates will be formally presented at a dedicated press conference in Cagliari, scheduled for the following Friday.
While official documentation is yet to be released, Cagliari is widely expected to serve as the base for the regatta. The Sardinian capital has a well-established reputation for hosting international sailing at the highest level and is already home to the base of Luna Rossa, making it a natural fit for the opening event of the AC38 cycle. Should that be confirmed, the regatta would mark the first time Sardinia has hosted an America's Cup event, a significant milestone for the island after several previous attempts failed to materialise.
Those near misses form a frustrating chapter in Sardinia's sailing history. In 2020, the island was due to host an America's Cup World Series regatta until the COVID-19 pandemic dismantled the global sailing calendar. A further opportunity arose in 2023, with races planned for October, but those arrangements collapsed earlier that year amid tensions between regional authorities and event organisers. The regatta was subsequently relocated to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a move that triggered political and public debate throughout Italy and left Sardinia without a place on the America's Cup calendar once again.
The agreement is now signed and publicly confirmed.
The Sardinia preliminary will be followed by a second preparatory regatta in Naples, the confirmed host city of the America's Cup Match itself. Together, the two Italian events will define the opening phase of the AC38 campaign, providing the first meaningful look at team performance, early design direction, and operational readiness ahead of the Challenger Selection Series.
For Italy, the announcement reinforces its central role in the next America's Cup cycle. For the international fleet preparing to contest AC38, Sardinia now represents the first competitive marker on the road to Naples 2027.
