The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s return to the Range Rover Sardinia Cup felt less like a comeback and more like a coronation. After the regatta’s 14-year absence from the Mediterranean calendar, RORC claimed the trophy in Porto Cervo last week, reasserting its dominance in a format that demands something rarely seen in modern racing: genuine teamwork.
James Neville’s Ino Veritas won the SC1 class while Niklas Zennström’s Ran took SC2, combining to deliver RORC the overall team honours. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda finished second, with the RORC Gold team in third. What mattered most, though, wasn’t the individual class victories but the fact that these boats were racing as a unit, their success tied to collective performance rather than personal glory.
The final day delivered what organisers could only have dreamed of. Eight to ten knots of breeze painted Porto Cervo’s waters in that particular shade of blue that makes sailors understand why Sardinia’s northern coast has held their attention for centuries. Both classes lined up for a single start and tackled a 16-mile coastal race that took them past Isola dei Monaci, around the Tre Monti shoal, and through the Passo delle Bisce before the run home.
Jolt 3 won that final race in SC1 with crisp manoeuvres and cleanly executed tacks, but the day’s results mattered less than the week’s accumulation. Neville reflected on what made the Sardinia Cup different from ordinary fleet racing. “The most important aspect is that the result counts at team level, not for individual boats, and success comes from collaboration and mutual support between teammates,” he said. “That’s the most important aspect of the format, just like the Admiral’s Cup.”
Per Roman, who helmed Garm in SC2, spoke to the human side of the event. “It was an incredible regatta in what I think is the most beautiful place in the world to race,” Roman said. “We were fortunate to have outstanding teammates. I’ve been working with James for two years and I couldn’t ask for better.”
The offshore race had proven decisive. Roman identified it as the moment momentum shifted in RORC’s favour, winning when it counted most. Over the winter, he plans to continue refining Garm’s performance, though he sounded a note of contentment beneath the competitive hunger. “One thing is certain though: Porto Cervo is a special place and I hope to keep coming back here for the rest of my life.”
YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati welcomed the regatta’s return with evident pleasure, acknowledging not just the victors but the broader significance of reviving an event dormant since 2012. Django, owned by YCCS member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, claimed the Calandriello trophy as the best Italian team, a nod to the first edition’s history.
The format alternates with the Admiral’s Cup, which RORC hosts in odd-numbered years. The next Sardinia Cup is scheduled for June 2028, and there’s little doubt these teams will spend the intervening months preparing intensely. Roman’s comments suggest exactly that appetite for return.
