The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s 2026 season is already in full swing. From the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta to the recent Smeralda 888 Invitational, Porto Cervo has once again confirmed its status as the capital of international sailing. Among the events that have marked the start of this season, however, there is one set to leave a particularly lasting impression: the return of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup.
There are regattas that award a trophy. And there are others that end up defining a club’s identity. The Range Rover Sardinia Cup undoubtedly belongs to the latter category. Launched in 1978 on the initiative of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the event has helped transform Porto Cervo into one of the major hubs of international offshore sailing, becoming over time one of the most prestigious events on the sailing calendar.
After a fourteen-year hiatus, its return represented much more than simply the revival of a historic competition. It marked the revival of a tradition that continues to place the focus on teamwork, offshore sailing and the authentic spirit of sailing. This significance is well summarised by the words of the Commodore of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Andrea Recordati: ‘I congratulate the RORC team on their victory in the 2026 Range Rover Sardinia Cup. The names of Ino Veritas and Garm will be engraved on the trophy alongside those of previous editions of this historic regatta, which has returned after a 14-year hiatus. I would like to thank our institutional partner, Range Rover, for their support; all the competitors who chose to race off the Costa Smeralda; and, in particular, our member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, who, with the Django team, led the YCCS flag to second place. Next year, he will compete for the Admiral’s Cup alongside our friends from the Royal Ocean Racing Club. I don’t think we could have asked for better conditions: the sea and the wind have given us a sort of good omen for the return of the Sardinia Cup. We look forward to welcoming you back in 2028’.
The return of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup, however, is just one piece of a broader vision through which the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda continues to fulfil its role on the international sailing scene. A vision that looks to the future without losing touch with its roots invests in young people, promotes the local area and continues to make Porto Cervo one of the great stages of world sailing. We spoke about this with Giorgio Benussi, Secretary General and Sporting Director of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
In 1978, a regatta was launched that was destined to become a benchmark in international sailing. Today, almost fifty years on, the Range Rover Sardinia Cup is back. What does it mean for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda?
It represents a fundamental part of our identity. Ever since its foundation, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda has sought to give each regatta a distinct and recognisable character. The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the Settimana delle Bocche and the Sardinia Cup were not merely sporting events, but occasions with their own unique characteristics, capable of standing out and showcasing a different way of experiencing sailing. The Sardinia Cup has always been a team regatta. Initially, it was national teams that competed against one another; today it is clubs. For many years, it was one of the most prestigious events in the Mediterranean and was held alternately with the Admiral’s Cup. Even the format reflected this identity: an offshore race, inshore races and the classic buoy courses. Bringing it back onto the calendar today means reviving that spirit. In the meantime, however, sailing has changed profoundly. The number of classes has multiplied, circuits dedicated to every type of boat have emerged, and putting together teams comprising multiple boats has become increasingly complex and costly. Thus, over the years, both the Admiral’s Cup and the Sardinia Cup have disappeared. When the Admiral’s Cup was revived, we felt the time had also come to bring the Range Rover Sardinia Cup back to life. We consulted with the British organisers and decided to adopt the same technical and sporting framework. Today, the class divisions, the ratings, the presence of young people and women on board, and even the rules are identical. It is a decision born of a shared vision and a common history.
What makes the Costa Smeralda a regatta venue unlike any other in the world?
I’ve been lucky enough to sail and race practically everywhere. And I still believe this is the most beautiful regatta venue on the planet. It’s not just a question of wind or weather conditions. Here, races don’t simply take place between two buoys. The courses wind their way through islands, rocks, natural passages and routes that are constantly changing depending on the wind and sea conditions. We have dozens of different courses, suited to different classes and different weather conditions. Every day presents a new challenge, both for the sailors and for the boats. In many other places, you have a beach and the open sea. Here, however, the landscape becomes an integral part of the regatta.
Why did you choose to revive such a demanding offshore regatta?
It was a deliberate choice. Many boat owners who now compete on these circuits are used to day races: breakfast at the hotel, the race, and back to the quay for dinner. We wanted to recapture the essence of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup. If we want to breathe new life into this event, we must also recapture its original spirit. This means returning to challenging routes, night-time sailing and situations where the human factor once again makes all the difference. I fully understand those who express some concern about evening starts or severe weather conditions. Safety comes first. But anyone who has been sailing for years knows full well that winds of twenty-eight or thirty knots are part and parcel of a sailor’s normal experience. The aim is not to create extreme situations, but to restore authenticity to the regatta.
In the age of foiling, what role can regattas like the Range Rover Sardinia Cup play?
Sailing is sailing. Whether it’s a dinghy race on Lake Garda, a regatta on the Costa Smeralda, an ocean crossing or a competition on foils, we’re always talking about the same sport. I think it’s a mistake to think that foiling represents the only possible future for sailing. It’s an extraordinary, spectacular discipline, capable of attracting younger people. It’s fast, exciting and immediate. But it doesn’t replace everything else. These technologies still need to evolve. There are already pioneering projects seeking to bring foiling to major offshore races, but we’re still in the development phase. The two worlds, however, are constantly interacting. The very same sailors who compete today in the Rolex SailGP Championship or the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup are often also key figures in major offshore races and the maxi circuits. I like to use a very simple metaphor: foiling is like the 100-metre sprint; offshore racing is the marathon. They are different disciplines, but they belong to the same sport. And that is precisely why major offshore races continue to hold a unique appeal and remain a fundamental part of professional sailing.
You took over as head of the sporting division at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda a few months ago. What was your first priority?
I joined an organisation that was already operating at the very highest level. I didn’t need to teach anyone anything. I simply see myself as the final piece in an extraordinary team. My first priority was to extend the racing season. This year we kicked off the calendar on 22 April and will wrap it up in October. We started with the Cape 31s and will finish with the J/70s. I believe this is an important step not only for the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, but for the whole region. Sardinia must continue to grow as an international sailing destination. To do so, we need infrastructure, efficient transport links, services and a vision that goes beyond the traditional concept of the summer season.
The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda organises some of the most prestigious events in world sailing. Is this your hallmark?
Absolutely. In the same year, we organise the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, the TP52 World Championship, the Range Rover Sardinia Cup, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. These five events alone would be enough to place any yacht club amongst the world’s sailing elite. We organise twelve of them every year. Of course, some events require greater organisational effort than others, but what I believe truly makes our calendar unique is the exceptionally high standard, the prestige of the events we organise, and the consistency with which the Yacht Club organises them year after year.
Following the return of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup, which other historic regatta would you like to bring back onto the calendar?
Sport is at the heart of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and we are constantly evaluating every opportunity. The Settimana delle Bocche is an important part of our history. The return of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup has inevitably led us to reflect on the future of this event as well. These regattas are part of our identity. It is up to us to find the right way to bring them back into the present without betraying their spirit.
Alongside the major events, there is an investment that looks much further ahead: that in young people. How important is this for the club?
It is one of the fundamental aspects of any yacht club’s mission. We have just launched a new talent selection programme, Call for Young Sailors, which will feed into Young Azzurra, the pinnacle of our sporting pyramid. Today we can count on top-class athletes such as Maddalena Spanu, Federico Pilloni and Cesare Barabino, who represent some of the finest talents in Italian sailing. But our aim is not merely to train future champions. On the one hand, we want to continue fostering excellence. On the other, we wish to keep broadening the base of participants. I would love to see, one day, many of the crews on our members’ boats made up of sailors who have come through the ranks right here, within the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. This would be the natural culmination of our work and would help create a virtuous circle for the entire sailing movement. Today we have over a hundred junior members. Some will become professional sailors, others will join top-level crews, and still others will be the yacht owners of tomorrow. Our task is to nurture this passion and provide them with the tools to turn it into a path of personal growth.
With the America’s Cup in Naples, it’s inevitable that we’ll be talking about Azzurra again. How difficult is it not to get carried away by the dream?
All the ingredients for dreaming are there. Azzurra is part of the history of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The America’s Cup is finally returning to Italy and this, inevitably, rekindles emotions and memories. For the moment, it remains a dream.
Matteo Zaccagnino
