Sailing-America's Cup crews square up for first skirmishes off Sardinia

America's Cup teams packed with the world's best sailors take to the sea off Sardinia on Friday to test their skills and form in ‌the first preliminary regatta leading up to the 38th edition of the event next year in Naples, Italy.

Five teams are competing off Cagliari in eight one-design AC40s, the smaller four-person version of the AC75 foiling monohulls in which they will battle for a shot at lifting the "Auld ‌Mug" in the Mediterranean in 2027. Defenders New Zealand as well as challengers Britain and Italy will each field two crews in the ‌three-day event, which will be decided in a head-to-head match race showdown on Sunday, with France and Switzerland each represented by a single crew.

"The AC40s are such amazing boats to get racing around, and we're very fortunate to have two boats to race against each other," Hannah Mills, who is helming one of the British ⁠entries, told ​a press conference. Australia and the United ⁠States, whose teams both made late entries to challenge for the America's Cup, will not be competing off the Italian island of Sardinia, but closely scrutinising the ⁠action.

ITALY'S YOUTH SET EARLY PACE In a break from previous preliminary events, the racing off Cagliari also includes both the women's and youth teams, adding to the ​intrigue over who will come out on top.

"It's just an amazing opportunity to be going up against these sailors who ⁠have been my heroes in established cup teams," said Erica Dawson, who is helming the second New Zealand boat. "We've all just got such a big learning curve that we're ⁠just ​giving it everything. Who knows where we'll end up?" Dawson said during the press conference in Cagliari.

Italy's Luna Rossa women and youth team, co-helmed by Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro, set the pace in practice with two race wins, while Britain's GB1 skippered by ⁠Dylan Fletcher clinched the third and final race of the day. Sunday's regatta final will be between the two crews leading after up ⁠to three fleet races scheduled for ⁠Friday and Saturday, and a further two to be held on the last day.

A second preliminary regatta will be held from September 24 to 27 in Naples, marking the first time the America's Cup ‌defenders and aspiring challengers ‌will test the winds and water off the Italian city.

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