-2 months to the VELA Cup Costa Smeralda. Sailing paradise is waiting for you!

The VELA Cup, after the Marina Cala de’ Medici and Brindisi stops, enters the “summer mood.” And we’re there for the long haul, even in the fall, because the further we go in the calendar, the more we, as Negrita sings, “roll south.” The next three stops are not to be missed and are an opportunity to extend – and make unique – your boating vacation. It starts on August 22 with the VELA Cup Costa Smeralda at Marina Cala dei Sardi, a green oasis in a Caribbean paradise, then continues, new this year, in Procida on September 28 and ends as usual on the first weekend of October with the VELA Cup Sicilia! Here’s everything you need to know about the VELA Cup Costa Smeralda and the next stages.

VELA Cup Costa Smeralda: August 22

The long summer of the VELA Cup starts in Sardinia, August 21/22 (the regatta is on the 22nd), at Marina Cala dei Sardi, the Mediterranean’s greenest port. The VELA Cup Costa Smeralda is more than just a regatta: it is a great celebration of sailing in an enchanted setting. It is the perfect opportunity to explore a Caribbean paradise by boat, taking advantage of the free mooring for the regatta.

The formula is always the same, simple and remarkably effective: a sailing competition among boats of all sizes and shapes, with no age restrictions, no bureaucracy or technical complications, with rankings drawn up by length. First come, first served wins. And in the evening, party on the Marina’s sea-view lawn with awards ceremony and appetizer. There are prizes for almost everyone, including last place.

The route is breathtaking! 10 miles of coastal sailing in one of the paradises the whole world envies us, departing from Porto Rotondo, exiting the Gulf of Cugnana, heading for the Soffi Islands, circumnavigating Mortorio and arriving in front of Cala dei Sardi. Here, in the evening, after the regatta, we will meet to celebrate summer together. The Marina Cala dei Sardi is a true marine and land oasis, built with Breakwater pontoons, a floating structure designed to naturally dampen wave motion without changing underwater currents or ruining the transparency of the water.

Along with the VELA Cup is the Beneteau & Lagoon Cup, reserved for boats and catamarans from the two shipyards.

VELA Cup Procida’s big news on Sept. 28

After Sardinia, the VELA Cup continues its journey south. Fall is coming but the VELA Cup is chasing summer! On September 28, the competition will stop in Procida, a first for this year. Procida, known as the “pearl” of the Phlegrean islands, is an island of sailors enveloped by a clear blue sea, located just a stone’s throw from Naples.

The island offers delicious fresh seafood restaurants, historic churches, museums, long sandy beaches, small bays, inlets and breathtaking views. On Sept. 27, participants can register and relax in the regatta village set up at the Marina, enjoying events related to sea culture (in collaboration with the Elsa Morante literary prize) and enjoying a seafood dinner. On Sept. 28, the regatta will start in front of Corricella, and the route will include one clockwise and one counterclockwise circumnavigation of the island, for a maximum total of 16 miles. At the end, cold beer on the dock at Marina di Procida, awards ceremony in the churchyard of Santa Maria in Marina Grande, and a rich buffet for all participants!

To end with the VELA Cup Sicilia on October 4.

The first weekend of October comes to a close in style! A now fixed stop on the calendar is the VELA Cup Sicilia, the last stop of this season in one of the most beautiful seaside locations in the world: Capo d’Orlando Marina, just a breath away from the Aeolian Islands. This is the ideal time to visit Sicily, away from the hustle and bustle of the summer months, offering unique views, delicious food and many places of cultural interest.

The Capo d’Orlando Marina of course will again offer free mooring to boats coming in from outside, becoming precisely the perfect base for exploring the Aeolian Islands and the Sicilian coast, with the beautiful Cefalù just a few miles away. The regatta will take place on a fascinating coastal course and will last no more than four hours. As usual, there will be a dock party at the end of the day with drinks, food and prizes for all, celebrating together the end of the “long summer” of the VELA Cup.