For ten days, between late September and early October, the Golfo di Gaeta becomes the regatta course for two Italian Championships. First the Match Race, from September 24 to 27. Then the Campionato Italiano delle Zone FIV, from October 1 to 4. Same stretch of water, same organization, two national titles.
It is not a scheduling coincidence: both regattas are entrusted by the Federazione Italiana Vela (Italian Sailing Federation) to the Sezione Vela della Guardia di Finanza, which is based in Gaeta and celebrates its fortieth anniversary in 2026.
What match racing is, in a nutshell
If you know nothing about sailing, this is the perfect format to start with. In a standard regatta, twenty or thirty boats start together, and figuring out who is winning from the shore is almost impossible.
In match racing, there are only two boats. One against the other. They size each other up before the start, circling around to steal each other’s wind, and whoever crosses the finish line first wins. You don’t need to know anything else: one is ahead and one is behind. It is the format of the Coppa America (America’s Cup), and it was created to be watched.
Campionato Italiano Match Race — September 24-27
Four days, a maximum of twelve skippers, and three titles up for grabs: Open, Under 23, and Femminile.
Races take place on Match 25 boats provided by the club and drawn by lot each day—so the outcome is decided by who helms them, not by the hull they get. Four people on board, five if the crew is all-female, up to a maximum total weight of 350 kilos.
Automatic qualification goes to the reigning Absolute Italian Champion, the reigning Under 23 Italian Champion, and the top four Italian Under 23 skippers in the World Sailing rankings. Foreign skippers and crews of mixed nationality and gender are also admitted. The event has applied for World Sailing Grade 3 status.
The schedule:
- Thursday 24 — registration, practice on the water, and crew weigh-in from 12:00 to 18:00; opening ceremony at 18:30.
- Friday 25 — briefing at 9:00, first race at 12:00.
- Saturday 26 — briefing at 9:00 and racing all day long.
- Sunday 27 — final races: no start signal given after 16:00, followed by the awards ceremony.
First a round-robin where everyone faces everyone, then semifinals among the top four, and finals, first to score two wins. The Femminile and Under 23 titles are awarded based on the round-robin alone.
All details and the map on the event page →
Campionato Italiano delle Zone FIV — October 1-4
Eight days later, everything changes except the sea. Here, it is not clubs competing against each other: it is territories. Taking to the water are teams from the fifteen Comitati di Zona of the Federazione Italiana Vela—Liguria, Sicilia, Garda, Lazio—with mixed Under 25 crews and the umpired fleet racing format, where umpires are on the water making calls on the spot, with no protests postponed until evening.
And there is one more reason to follow it from here: IV Zona, representing Lazio, arrives as defending champion. They won the title in October 2025 in Desenzano del Garda, away from home and on a lake to boot. This time, they defend the national title on home waters.
The Campionato Italiano delle Zone event page →
Where to watch the regattas
The race course is in the Golfo, right in front of the town. The boats moor at the Yacht Club Gaeta, at number 93 on Lungomare Caboto, and that is where they set out and return each day: the promenade is the natural spot to watch them, and it is completely free.
A practical tip: races start at noon and continue through the afternoon. The best light to watch them—and to photograph them, with the historic centre and the castle behind the sails—is in the late afternoon, as the sun moves west and illuminates the town.
A full year of sailing
These two national championships bring to a close a season that began in Gaeta in June, featuring the Campionato Italiano Assoluto di Vela d’Altura and the Coppa Primavela. We covered them all in our guide to the 2026 regattas in the Golfo.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Campionato Italiano Match Race take place in Gaeta?
From September 24 to 27, 2026, in the Golfo di Gaeta. The first race is on Friday 25 at 12:00; on Sunday 27, no start signal is given after 16:00.
Can you watch? How much does it cost?
Yes, and it is completely free: the races take place close to shore and can be watched from Lungomare Caboto, where the boats are moored. No ticket is required.
What is the difference between the Match Race and the Campionato delle Zone?
In the match race (24-27 September), two boats at a time compete head-to-head, awarding the Open, Under 23, and Femminile titles. In the Campionato delle Zone (1-4 October), teams from the fifteen Comitati di Zona of the FIV race together with Under 25 crews.
What boats are used for racing?
On Match 25 boats, one-design craft provided by the organizers and assigned by lot: all crews race on the same boats on a rotation basis.
Who organizes the two regattas?
The Federazione Italiana Vela delegates them to the Sezione Vela della Guardia di Finanza, in collaboration with the Comitato IV Zona FIV and the Yacht Club Gaeta E.V.S., with the support of the Comune di Gaeta, the Base Nautica Flavio Gioia, and Visit Lazio.
Want to know what else is going on in Gaeta during those days, or where to eat after a day along the seafront? Ask Enea: ready to answer at any time.
