Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta Sardinia

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Category: France A&E, Lifestyle, Culture

Published on Monday, 25 May 2026 10:47

Written by Contributing Sports Editor

After the eight fleet races of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta Sardinia, the French team, La Roche-Posay Racing Team, finished its first official AC40 competition in fourth place, demonstrating clear progress.

La Roche-Posay Racing Team finished fourth in Cagliari behind the two big favorites for the America's Cup, after a promising first race. The local team, Luna Rossa, took the title after defeating Emirates Team New Zealand in the final match race. 

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The La Roche-Posay Racing Team returns from Sardinia with an encouraging result and a valuable foundation. After the eight fleet races of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta Sardinia, held in the Bay of Angels racecourse, the French team finished in fourth place with 55 points, just four points shy of the podium.

This first preliminary race, contested aboard identical AC40s, allowed the teams to gauge their skill level in a format where execution, precision, and consistency immediately make the difference. In this context, the French crew of Quentin Delapierre, Diego Botín, Jason Saunders, and Florian Trittel experienced an intense weekend: great moments, identified errors, and an ability to correct them that led to clear progress in the final races.

The La Roche-Posay Racing Team had their best day yet on Sunday, in lighter conditions, finishing the last two races in leading positions: a third and a second. A solid finish that leaves a positive overall result, without obscuring the important work that still lies ahead.

©Nicolas Touzé/La Roche-Posay Racing Team

Cagliari, a first real-scale test 

Although this regatta did not count towards the America's Cup 2027 qualification, it had a fundamental value: to confront the teams with the reality of the competition, measure their level of execution and test their automatic responses under the intensity of the regatta.

For La Roche-Posay Racing Team, which until now had relied on training blocks in Lorient, Cagliari represented a significant leap forward. The fleet, the starts, the crossings, the high-speed decisions, and the immediate pressure of results provided a far more revealing environment than any solo sailing.

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The initial tests highlighted several areas for improvement. Some starts penalized the team, certain positions didn't allow them to fully defend their chances, and some transitions need to be more precise. In such a close race, these details are immediately punished: a few seconds' delay, a compromised trajectory, or a loss of speed during a maneuver are enough to create gaps in the standings.

The conditions also contributed to this increase in performance. After a few intense and sometimes spectacular opening days, marked by several capsizes and collisions within the fleet, the lighter winds on Sunday brought a different dynamic, one more reliant on piloting finesse, pressure reading, and the ability to maintain flight. In this context, the French team made better use of their trajectories and secured two podium finishes. 

©Nicolas Touzé/La Roche-Posay Racing Team

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A fully committed crew and ground team
On board, the crew is organized around two well-defined pairs: Quentin Delapierre and Jason Saunders on the starboard side of the boat; Diego Botín and Florian Trittel on the left. In this configuration, each pair only sees a portion of the race from their position. Performance, therefore, depends on the ability to share the right information at the right time, make decisions together, and maintain constant coordination between piloting, setup, trajectory, and stability in flight.

Cagliari has provided the crew with a complete first taste of the competition. During the start phases, crossings, maneuvers under pressure, and changes of pace, the French team was truly able to put to the test the foundations they had laid since the spring. This initial run revealed areas for improvement, but also demonstrated a real capacity for reaction throughout the event.

The progress observed over the three days is the result of a collective effort that extends far beyond the four sailors on board. Under the direction of Philippe Presti, sports director, and Philippe Mourniac , coach, the shore team has supported every phase of preparation, from debriefings to technical analysis. Alongside Lucas Delcourt , performance manager, and his team, reserve athletes Enzo Balanger and Timothé Lapauw in Cagliari have also been fully involved in performance monitoring, sailing analysis, and providing daily support to the crew.

Quentin Delapierre, skipper and pilot of the La Roche-Posay Racing Team: " This regatta was a first challenge for all areas of the team: the crew, the performance department, the shore team, the technical team, and the organization. We achieved many objectives, which strengthens the group's confidence. This is very positive for the future. From a sporting perspective, there were many good things, but also quite a few mistakes. The positive aspect is our ability to remain objective, question ourselves, and correct quickly. We rarely repeated the same mistake twice. Obviously, we would have liked to go a little further in terms of performance, but for a first preliminary regatta with this group, the overall assessment is good."

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©Nicolas Touzé/La Roche-Posay Racing Team

A top-level fleet with already very valuable references
Beyond the French result, this first regatta has confirmed the extremely high level of the fleet registered for the 38th America's Cup cycle. Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand occupied the top two positions at the end of the fleet races, with 63 and 60 points respectively, before facing off in the final match race. The Italian team ultimately prevailed over the New Zealand Defender, securing a benchmark victory in this first event of the cycle.

Another key takeaway from the weekend came from the performance of Luna Rossa Women & Youth. Impressive from the start of the race, the Italian team demonstrated that Women & Youth crews are not just there to fill out the fleet, but can fully compete for the top positions.

For La Roche-Posay Racing Team, this competitive density provides a useful benchmark. It allows them to place the French project within an extremely demanding international environment, without yet establishing a definitive hierarchy. Cagliari has not yet defined the order of strength, but it does provide an initial basis for comparison to guide their work in the coming months.

Florian Trittel, trimmer for La Roche-Posay Racing Team: "It's been a very positive weekend for La Roche-Posay Racing Team. We've learned a great deal, with areas for improvement, but also with very valuable lessons for the future. We knew we were going to make mistakes; the important thing was to be able to understand them, correct them, and progress day by day. This progress isn't only reflected in the results, although our fourth position represents quite well where we are today. The most encouraging thing is our learning curve. It's very steep, perhaps faster than some other teams', and we feel we're closing the gap."

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A solid foundation before the return to the AC75
The next stage is already marked on the calendar: the second preliminary regatta will be held from September 24 to 27, 2026 in Naples, while the following months will be dedicated to sailing on board the AC75 in Lorient, starting at the end of June and throughout the summer.

Sardinia has offered La Roche-Posay Racing Team a clear first reference point: an encouraging result, an organization strengthened by experience, and a now much more precise roadmap towards Naples 2027.

Philippe Presti, sporting director of La Roche-Posay Racing Team, said: "It's been a great day for the team. We came to this race determined to improve every day, and a day like today confirms we're on the right track. With today's results, we would have been in a position to reach the final. It's therefore a real source of satisfaction."

The overall assessment is very positive. We're still a young team, and I'm referring to both the crew and the entire structure. It was our first real competition. We need these moments when the team is under pressure, when we have to adapt, react, and learn quickly. I'm very satisfied, and even quite proud, of the way the group responded. The members of this team are incredible: they're hungry, they have an immense desire to win.

We've made mistakes, and that's normal. You can't progress without going through them. The most important thing is the team's progress. The goal is to be at the starting line of the America's Cup in a year's time. Today, in this launch phase, we finished as the second-best challenger in these regattas. If we can maintain this momentum and this position, it will obviously be a success. From now on, we're going to shift our focus from the AC40 to the AC75, because that's the boat that will host the America's Cup. That's our absolute priority for next year.

We're returning to Lorient with a lot of simulator work ahead of us, and there's a second World Series event in Naples in September, which has just been announced. We love competition. The athletes are really looking forward to it."

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CAGLIARI IN SUMMARY 

Louis Vuitton Event 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta Sardinia
Location: Cagliari, Sardinia
Angels Bay Regatta Course
Dates : May 21-24, 2026
AC40 one-design boat
Format: Eight fleet races, followed by a final in match-race format between the two best crews.
Standings after the 8 fleet races 

1 - Luna Rossa — 63 points
2 – Emirates Team New Zealand — 60 points
3 - Luna Rossa Women & Youth — 59 points
4 - La Roche-Posay Racing Team — 55 points 
5 – Emirates Team New Zealand Women & Youth — 50 points
6 – Tudor Team Alinghi — 40 points
7 – Athena Pathway Women & Youth — 38 points
8 - GB1 — 27 points

Match-race final Luna Rossa / Emirates Team New Zealand 
Winner Luna Rossa 

La Roche-Posay Racing Team Crew
Quentin Delapierre — pilot
Diego Botín — pilot
Jason Saunders — trimmer
Florian Trittel — trimmer 

Reserve athletes
Enzo Balanger — pilot
Timothé Lapauw — trimmer