Italian Match Race Championship 2026 in Gaeta

From September 24 to 27, 2026, the Golfo di Gaeta turns into a racecourse for sailing duels: the Campionato Italiano Match Race returns, with the Open, Under 23, and Women’s titles awarded over four days.

Match racing is unlike any other regatta. There is no fleet starting all together: there are just two boats, head-to-head, sizing each other up right from the pre-start. The goal is simple: cross the finish line ahead of your opponent. It is the America’s Cup format, and it is also the easiest to follow from the shore without knowing anything about sailing: two boats, one in front, one behind.

Who is competing

A maximum of twelve skippers are admitted. Automatic entry goes to the reigning Italian Overall Champion, the reigning Italian Under 23 Champion, and the top four Italian Under 23 skippers from the World Sailing ranking list; one wildcard spot is allocated by the organizing committee. All-women crews, international skippers, and mixed-nationality or mixed-gender crews are all eligible to compete.

Races take place on Match 25 boats provided by the club and drawn by lot each day, ensuring that skill at the helm makes the difference rather than the hull you happen to draw. Crews consist of four sailors — five if all-female — up to a maximum total weight of 350 kg.

The schedule

• Thursday, September 24 — registration, practice sessions on the water, and crew weigh-in from 12:00 to 18:00. Opening ceremony at 18:30.
• Friday, September 25 — skipper briefing at 9:00, first warning signal at 12:00. Pasta party upon returning to shore.
• Saturday, September 26 — skipper briefing at 9:00 and racing. Gala dinner at 20:00.
• Sunday, September 27 — skipper briefing at 9:00 and final races: no start signal will be given after 16:00. Prize-giving ceremony to follow.

The format features a full round-robin stage, followed by semi-finals among the top four (first against fourth, second against third) and finals, raced as a first-to-two-points series. The Women’s and Under 23 titles are decided solely by the round-robin standings.

Where to watch

The races are held in the gulf, close to the shore: that is the very nature of match racing, designed to be a spectator sport. The boats are moored at the Yacht Club Gaeta, on Lungomare Caboto, and it is along that stretch of the promenade that you can easily follow the action back and forth between the harbor and the racecourse. Watching the races is completely free.

The organizers

The Federazione Italiana Vela delegates the event to the Sezione Vela della Guardia di Finanza — celebrating forty years of activity in 2026 — in collaboration with the Comitato IV Zona FIV and Yacht Club Gaeta E.V.S., with the support of the Municipality of Gaeta, Base Nautica Flavio Gioia, and Visit Lazio. The event has applied for World Sailing Grade 3 status.

Eight days later, on the very same stretch of water, the Campionato Italiano delle Zone FIV will take place: two national championships in ten days.