2026 Range Rover Sardinia Cup ©YCCS / Studio Borlenghi
Ino Veritas and Garm teams, winners for the RORC in the 2026 Range Rover Sardinia Cup – photo © YCCS / Studio Borlenghi
The regatta for yacht club teams, organised by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda since 1978, returned this year after a 14-year hiatus, and was supported by the club’s institutional partner Range Rover. The 2026 edition took place in Porto Cervo from 31 May to 7 June, with the next edition scheduled for 4 to 11 June 2028, alternating with the Admiral’s Cup, which the Royal Ocean Racing Club organises in the UK in odd-numbered years.
The final day of the Range Rover Sardinia Cup delivered a picture-perfect coastal race in 8 to 10 knots of breeze with a single start off Porto Cervo for both the SC1 and SC2 classes. The fleet sailed upwind to round the Isola dei Monaci to port, and from there downwind towards the Tre Monti shoal. Leaving the shoal to port, the boats continued through the Passo delle Bisce before a final run to the finish line off Porto Cervo, covering a total of around 16 miles.
In SC1, Jolt 3 closed the regatta in style, winning the day with perfect manoeuvres and tacking, ahead of Ino Veritas and RocketNikka. In SC2, Django JP clinched the win in the coastal race, followed by Ran and Nola.
YCCS Commodore Andrea Recordati paid tribute to the winners: “Congratulations to the RORC team on winning the Range Rover Sardinia Cup 2026. The names of Ino Veritas and Garm will now be engraved on the trophy alongside the winners of previous editions of this iconic regatta, which has returned after a 14-year absence. I would like to thank our institutional partner Range Rover for their support, all the competitors who came to race on the Costa Smeralda, and in particular our member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, whose Django team carried the YCCS burgee to second place and will be competing for the Admiral’s Cup against our friends at the RORC next year. We couldn’t have hoped for better weather – as if the coast was wishing us fair winds for the return of the Sardinia Cup. We look forward to welcoming you back in 2028.”
James Neville, owner of Ino Veritas: “Winning the Range Rover Sardinia Cup at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda as helmsman and owner of Ino Veritas is enormously fulfilling. We’ve had a fantastic week, making the most of a format that rewards teamwork, just like the Admiral’s Cup. That’s the most important aspect of the Sardinia Cup: the result counts at team level, not for individual boats, and success comes from collaboration and mutual support between teammates. The Sardinia Cup is a trophy steeped in history and we are proud to see our name, representing the Royal Ocean Racing Club, alongside those of so many great teams from the past. The standard of competition was extremely high and we know it will be even higher at the next Admiral’s Cup. So we’ll continue to work on improving, but in the meantime we are enjoying a win against formidable opponents like Django and Jolt.”
Per Roman, owner of Garm: “It was an incredible regatta, in what I think is the most beautiful place in the world to race. We were fortunate to have outstanding teammates: I’ve been working with James [Neville] for two years and I couldn’t ask for better. The whole team worked hard and the offshore race was key, winning it gave us the momentum needed for our ultimate success. After the Admiral’s Cup, we were determined to keep improving, knowing that the Sardinia Cup would be our next big objective. We invested in a more competitive boat and gradually upgraded our equipment to match our teammates, who competed exceptionally this week. We know there’s still room for improvement, the boat is new to us and this is only the beginning. Over the winter, we’ll put in a lot of work to become even better and faster. 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.”
During the awards ceremony, which concluded with the presentation of the celebrated Sardinia Cup to the RORC team, a trophy was presented in memory of Bruno Calandriello, owner of Dida V, winner of the first edition of the Sardinia Cup for Italy in 1978 alongside teammates Vanina and Yena. Presented by his son Filippo, the Calandriello trophy went to the best Italian team, Django, owned by YCCS member Giovanni Lombardi Stronati.
Tomorrow, 8 June, to mark World Oceans Day, the YCCS Clean Beach Day will be held at Capriccioli beach, with the patronage of the Municipality of Arzachena.
Racing at the YCCS resumes with the Rolex TP52 World Championship from 15 to 20 June 2026, which will also serve as the second leg of the 52 Super Series.
by Yacht Club Costa Smeralda
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