First vacation of summer? Make it to the VELA Cup Marina in Porto Rafael-Palau (June 28)

The weekend of June 27-29 is 60 days away and everything is almost ready for the first VELA Cup of the summer and the fourth of the 2025 circuit, that Marina di Porto Rafael-Palau. It is the new and already highly sought-after stop on this year’s VELA Cup racing circuit and not only because it is staged in one of the most beautiful and desirable sea areas in the entire Mediterranean.

Indeed, we are already in summer, but not yet in a period when the “crazy” August crowds come to sail, and not only, around Sardinia. That is why the first edition of the VELA Cup Marina di Porto Rafael-Palau (staged on Saturday, June 28 on the sidelines of an all-sailing-and-sea weekend) is therefore first and foremost an opportunity to enjoy a preview of a vacation in a magical place to be discovered and rediscovered.

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VELA Cup Marina of Porto Rafael-Palau, who has already signed up

Confirming this great desire to get at the helm, despite the fact that the start of the VELA Cup in Porto Rafael-Palau is about two months away, there are already quite a few boats registered: in fact, the Grand Soleil 52 LC Mira of owner Fortunato Unali and the very fast ClubSwan 42 Suspiria The Revenge of Antonino Venneri, winner of the Giraglia 2023 (combined classification), for example, have confirmed their presence.

And there are also Classic Boats like the Baltic 33 Velite, and weekenders like Edoardo Bulgheroni’sERYD 30 Feu Vert II. There are also those from Germany, such as Ralf Cramer with his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 389 Madaran. And many, many others.

Goatherds from all over Italy unite and come to Porto Rafael

In short, for Saturday, June 28 – on the sidelines of a whole weekend, from the 27th to the 29th, dedicated to sailing vacations – a sailing trip all to be discovered and experienced is planned that will have as its setting a mythical and special place. It is the stretch of sea “nestled,” it really has to be said, between the coast of northern Sardinia around the village of Palau and the “thousand and one nights” islands of the Maddalena Archipelago.

These are the waters beloved especially by the many sailors who have “made their bones” sailing at the legendary Sailing Center of Caprera, an island in the group that “looks” right toward the race course. What better occasion then for all the “caprerini” of yesterday and today than to participate in the Sardinian VELA Cup to return to the places where they learned to sail. A true “call” of the forest that will also be propelled by a special jury prize awarded to the boat with a caprerino on board that achieved the best result.

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VELA Cup Marina in Porto Rafael-Palau, a vacation not to be missed

But even if you haven’t sailed around the island of Garibaldi taking a few days of early summer vacation then allows you to set course in the real magic of Mare Nostrum; as evidenced first of all by the race course that has been designed by the very strong sailor and racer Camillo Zucconi, coach and sports director of the Nox Oceani team. It starts, of course, from the cozy and charming Marina of Porto Rafael and points to the delightful Rada di Mezzo Schifo and the Gulf of Palau which is a true paradise for sailors, and again the coast of La Maddalena and in particular the magnificent inlet of Cala Francese, and the islands of Spargi and Spargiotto.

In short, a sailing race that “touches”, coasts and doubles some of the places that the whole world, of sailing and beyond, envies Sardinia and Italy. And that before and after the regatta you can continue to explore freely on vacation. Starting, of course, with the two islands of La Maddalena and Spargi, not forgetting Spargiotto, which-protected like the entire archipelago by the National Marine Reserve-are dreamy places especially outside high and very high tourist seasons. If Cala Francese is a wild, rocky cove famous for its clear, transparent waters, no less fascinating are Cala Ferrigno and Cala Granara in Spargi. Although perhaps the most special cove on the island is Cala Corsara, a unique mix of pink granite boulders, ultra-white sand and blue sea.

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A historic regatta thanks to the Latin sails of tradition

Finally, however, could the VELA Cup in Porto Rafael-Palau not also honor Latin sailing, the iconic boat of North Sardinia, which has one of its most prestigious homelands here?

Solicited by Sara Pincioni, daughter of Ottavio Pincioni, founder of the Marina of Porto Rafael, and Alessandro Bifulco, secretary of the class (two institutions in Sardinia when it comes to Latin sails) so the first Sardinian leg of the VELA Cup has gladly followed up on the proposal to welcome to the Porto Rafael regatta-sailing event-through the creation of a course, a ranking and special prizes-just the magnificent Latin sails. For the VELA Cup circuit then it will be an evocative first time, an event within the event to which all owners of a Latin sail are invited: not least because they will have free registration and mooring at the Porto Rafael Marina.

VELA Cup Marina of Porto Rafael-Palau, prizes for (almost) everyone!

There will be more than just Latin sails in Porto Rafael: the VELA Cup regattas are open as always to all sailors: in fact, the regatta-sailing events are also beloved because, as always, any type of boat from 3 meters in length overall can participate; and no specific requirements other than those for recreational sailing are required. The VELA Cup is open to everyone, any type of boat and crew. From dinghies to bluewater, from cruising boats with family crews to the more “pulled” boats, from Classic Boats to full-carbon behemoths: with only one “diktat”.

That of having fun and enjoying the surrounding beauty. Those who have participated in a VELA Cup before know that one of the ingredients that makes each leg unique is the Saturday awards ceremony, held in the afternoon after the conclusion of the race at the Marina of Porto Rafael. With more than 50 prizes awarded in every single leg, (almost) everyone wins at the VELA Cup: and not just those who went the hardest at sea. There are plenty of raffle prizes raffled off by our partners. Then music, drinks, and chill time for everyone: to tell each other about their experience at sea, while photos of the regatta scroll on the big screen.

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