As Cagliari prepares to host the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta from 21 to 24 May 2026, attention is fixed not only on racing in equalised AC40s but on the personnel decisions and geopolitical shifts that are quietly redefining the Cup landscape.
The Sardinia regatta will be the first public test of crew combinations across primary, Women and Youth entries, and in a cycle without new hull launches, selection decisions carry unusual weight. Four sailors per boat will contest a fleet series before a match race final, meaning chemistry, communication and trust will be exposed immediately.
For Emirates Team New Zealand, Nathan Outteridge is confirmed at the helm, yet the surrounding configuration remains closely watched as the Defender balances Olympic pedigree with emerging talent. Great Britain’s GB1, built around Dylan Fletcher, faces equally significant calls, particularly in light of its deep Olympic bench and structured pathway programme. Hannah Mills is expected to lead the British Women and Youth crew, bringing unmatched Olympic experience into direct fleet competition, while further helm decisions remain a focal point.
Luna Rossa arrives with Peter Burling anchoring one side of the cockpit, but the second helm and trim combinations remain under scrutiny as the Italian programme weighs experience against youth, with Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro prominent within its Women and Youth structure.
France’s K Challenge continues to develop depth under Quentin Delapierre, while Tudor Team Alinghi is expected to confirm further names alongside Nicolas Rolaz in the lead up to racing. Women and Youth crews competing within the same fleet programme will ensure that Sardinia becomes an early audition stage for future AC75 roles, with performance under pressure likely to accelerate internal decisions.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the American picture has shifted dramatically. American Magic has purchased ROCKWOOL Racing in a transaction valued at approximately USD 60 million, bringing Doug DeVos into SailGP ownership while signalling a clear focus on the global league rather than the immediate America’s Cup cycle. With Terry Hutchinson and CEO Mike Cazer involved in strengthening performance systems, the move underscores where American resources are currently concentrated.
At the same time, Riptide Racing continues to assemble commercial backing through partners including Pindar and Harken as it works toward meeting the financial threshold for a late entry into the 38th Cup, highlighting the scale of the modern campaign challenge.
Against that backdrop, Sardinia becomes more than an opener; it is the first visible expression of how teams are positioning themselves in a Cup era that now rewards early structure, depth and decisive selection.
