Luna Rossa Comes Back to Cagliari Ahead of the 38th Cup

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s AC75 returns to Cagliari for a concentrated upgrade and testing campaign

The AC75 Luna Rossa was transported back to the Cagliari shore base in early November, berthed alongside the design shed and rigging hall where the shore crew and engineering teams began an intensive refit. The boat that finished third at the 2024 America’s Cup in Barcelona will undergo structural and appendage upgrades while adhering to the current campaign protocol that allows teams to resume sailing in mid-January 2026 with a strict cap of 45 sailing days through the calendar year. Every permitted test day is therefore a high-value commodity in the logistical and technical race to refine foils, control systems, and hydrodynamic appendages.

Upgrade program priorities and operational logistics

Planned work on the AC75 prioritizes weight redistribution, foil geometry updates, and control systems integration. The design department has scheduled iterative CFD validation, tank testing feedback assimilation, and on-deck structural reinforcements before the first permitted on-water sessions. Shore-side logistics involve coordinated haul-outs, supply chain deliveries for composite materials, and phased loadouts to minimize downtime during the limited testing window.

Key operational constraints include port berth availability in Cagliari, specialized crane access for foil changes, and adherence to class measurement checks prior to each sea trial. With only 45 allowed sailing days, campaign managers will sequence trials to capture specific data sets: foil lift regimes, tack/gybe transitions at race angles, and control load limits under race-pace conditions.

Testing timeline and regulatory checkpoints

Teams must calendarize their permitted days around weather windows and international regatta schedules. Each test session will be accompanied by measurement and data-capture operations, and any modifications that affect class compliance must be logged and, where required, presented to the event technical committee. The compressed schedule increases the premium on shore-based simulation and virtual testing tools to validate changes before committing the hull to the water.

Youth and Women’s Camps relaunched in Cagliari following 2024 success

Parallel to the technical program, Luna Rossa has relaunched its observation and training sessions aimed at identifying and developing emerging Italian talent. The Youth and Women’s Camps, credited with producing champions who shone in 2024, return with expanded selection pipelines and integrated coaching modules that pair on-water practice with design-seat exposure.

Training components and selection focus

The new Camps in Cagliari combine practical sailing, physical conditioning, and tactical education. Emphasis is placed on crew ergonomics aboard high-performance foiling boats, sail-trim discipline, and live-debrief techniques supported by telemetry review. The program also runs talent-identification days for sailors transitioning from dinghy and keelboat classes into foiling disciplines.

• On-water sessions: foiling drills, crew changes, and match-race scenarios.
• Simulator and telemetry work: virtual repetitions of maneuvers and data analysis.
• Design briefings: exposure to foil geometry and control mechanics used by the AC75 program.
• Physical conditioning: strength and endurance programs tailored to high-load sailing.

Training Schedule & Facilities

Regional impacts: marinas, tourism, and charter demand

High-profile campaigns returning to Sardinia create ripple effects across local maritime infrastructure. Increased berth utilization, demand for specialized boatyard services, and a higher tempo of technical freight traffic are immediate logistical outcomes. On the tourism side, regatta-related activity and training camps typically boost visitors to marinas, restaurants, and charter operators — a trend that often raises interest in short-term yacht and boat hire.

Technology and tactics developed on AC75s tend to filter down to the broader yachting community: innovations in foil control, composite repair, and lightweight systems influence maintenance standards and performance upgrades in performance sailing charters and private yacht owners. For those who rent a boat to experience a regatta atmosphere or to cruise the same clearwater bays where training takes place, the presence of an America’s Cup program can make a destination more attractive.

The human factor: talent pathways and shore crew logistics

Coordinating shore crew, designers, and trainees requires tightly integrated planning. Accommodation logistics for the extended design and shore crew, shuttle arrangements to the training zone, and secure storage for specialized tooling are all part of the campaign’s operational backbone. The relaunched camps also provide a pipeline of experienced hands who can transition into technical roles across the marinas and charter sector, improving local service quality for visitors and boat owners alike.

GetBoat always keeps an eye on such developments in sailing and seaside vacations, recognizing how professional campaigns and regional events shape marinas, charter offerings, and the wider boating market.

The most interesting points of this development are the concentrated upgrade timeline for the AC75, the regulatory constraint of 45 sailing days that forces high-efficiency testing, and the renewed emphasis on youth and women’s development in Cagliari. Experiencing a new sailing location is always multifaceted: you learn about local culture, nature, the indescribable palette of local colors, its rhythm of life, and the unique aspects of service. If you are planning your next trip to the sea, you should definitely consider renting a boat (boat rentals, rent a boat, rent a yacht), as each inlet, bay, and lagoon is unique and tells you about the region just as much as the local cuisine, architecture, and language GetBoat.com

Provide a short forecast on how this news could impact the global tourism and travel map: while the return of Luna Rossa to Cagliari is most significant at the regional and European level, its ripple effects on charter demand, marina services, and sailing interest are notable for coastal destinations. Start planning your next seaside adventure and make sure to book the best boat and yacht rentals with GetBoat before the opportunity sails away!

In summary, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli campaign’s relocation to Cagliari signals a compact, high-pressure development phase centered on structural upgrades, foil and control refinements, and an active talent pipeline through Youth and Women’s Camps. That concentrated testing schedule — constrained by mid-January 2026 restart rules and a 45‑day sailing cap — places extraordinary value on each trial and on shore-based simulation work. For sailors, charter clients, and coastal businesses, the campaign amplifies interest in local marinas and yachting activities and showcases advances in hull and foil technology that eventually trickle down into the broader market. GetBoat.com supports this landscape by offering a global, user-friendly platform to book or buy yachts, boats, and charters with transparent listings, detailed specifications, and options to suit every budget and taste. Embrace the horizon.