Next Thursday, 23 April, the high performance one design RC44s set sail on their second event of the 2026 44Cup at a venue that, for them, will be a new experience: Puntaldia, close to Olbia on Sardinia’s northeast coast.
‘Variety being the spice of life’, the 44Cup aims to visit new venues each year and the first of two in 2026 will be Puntaldia, followed by Cartagena in Spain concluding the season over 11-15 November.
Located just 20km southeast of Olbia, the 380 berth Marina di Puntaldia is a boutique marina. It has its own shipyard in Olbia, Nautica di Puntaldia and, in addition to the marina’s own facilities, Puntaldia also features a luxury resort and residential complex plus a nine hole golf course by the sea, tennis courts, fine dining and exclusive shopping.
With crystal clear water and white sandy beaches, some of which are the best Sardinia has to offer, Puntaldia is also located right by Tavolara Marine Park. Centre piece of this, and visible to those arriving in Olbia by plane, is the towering 5km long, 1km wide but 565m tall wedge-shaped limestone island of Tavolara. This will form a backdrop to the racing when it takes place next week over 23-26 April.
Marie-Hélène Polo, CEO of the Marina di Puntaldia commented: “We are honoured to host the 44Cup Marina Puntaldia. The 44Cup is one of the most iconic and competitive circuits in international sailing. For the Marina and our new yacht club, this represents a unique opportunity for us to grow and challenges us to deliver an excellent experience both on the water and ashore. We are proud to welcome our guests and sailors in this unique and most spectacular corner of the Mediterranean.”
Marina di Puntaldia has hosted regattas for shorter one design yachts in the past. The Melges 20 and 32 classes and ClubSwan 36 have previously raced there as have the 69F foilers. Aleph Racing’s skipper Pietro Loro Piana competed there in the Melges 20 with his present tactician Michele Ivaldi’s brother Francesco. “It is a beautiful venue,” he recalls. “It’s in Italy in the Sardinian Sea. Everything, the colours, look shiny – similar to the Caribbean. And then you have Tavolara Island standing there, which is beautiful to go and climb and see. Puntaldia is one of the most beautiful places we have in Sardinia. And I'm really looking forward to sailing there.”
As ever, Loro Piana is greatly looking forward to returning to the race course on a circuit which in 2026 has always thrown up some surprises on the leaderboard: John Bassadone’s Peninsula Racing is currently topping it (and thus holder of the 44Cup’s ‘golden wheels’) after her spectacular victory at the 44Cup Puerto Calero in Lanzarote in early February – her first event win on the 44Cup since 2017.
“I'm really looking forward to the next event,” Loro Piana continues. “Because sailing with these boats and with these guys, is something else. Up until the last day, you're always there fighting. And you always have a chance to do something. It just makes you push and push and push.”