Regata dei Tre Golfi - Tre Golfi Sailing Week
The great classic of offshore sailing in the Gulf of Naples, held since 1954 between Ponza, Capri, and Li Galli
About Tre Golfi Sailing Week
A seventy-year-old Neapolitan classic
Established in 1954, the Regata dei Tre Golfi is one of the longest-running and most beloved offshore races in the Mediterranean. Every May, the Santa Lucia harbor in the city of Naples (Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania) fills with masts and sails. The starting line is drawn in front of the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia clubhouse, with Castel dell'Ovo serving as a buoy and Mount Vesuvius in the background. Few races worldwide can boast such an iconic backdrop, which is why the event has become a permanent fixture on the international calendar.
The course: 150 miles across three gulfs
The route remains true to its original vision: approximately 150 nautical miles that, after departing from Santa Lucia, pass off Capo Posillipo, head northwest to the island of Ponza, and then return to the Gulf of Naples, leaving Capri, Punta Campanella, and the Li Galli islets to port before the Amalfi Coast. It is a course that ideally connects the gulfs of Naples, Gaeta, and Salerno, challenging crews with long night navigation, light coastal breezes, and delicate tactical passages.
From race to Sailing Week
In recent years, the regatta has evolved into the heart of a full sailing week, the Tre Golfi Sailing Week, which complements the offshore race with several days of coastal and windward-leeward races in the waters off Sorrento. The event is organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, the oldest nautical club in Naples, in collaboration with the Yacht Club Italiano of Genoa and the Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia, with support from the International Maxi Association. This format has allowed the event to host continental and world titles, bringing fleets of maxi yachts, TP52s, multihulls, and ORC boats from around twenty countries to Campania.
Naples and Sorrento: two bases for one week
The event's structure is now well-established: Naples hosts the start and finish of the offshore race, while Marina Piccola in Sorrento serves as the headquarters for the coastal races, featuring the regatta village, prize-giving ceremonies, and social events for the crews. The inshore races take place in the stretch of sea between the Sorrento Peninsula and Capri, with circumnavigations of the island offering spectacular views of the Faraglioni.
The experience from the shore
The Tre Golfi Sailing Week is not just for industry insiders. The departure from the Santa Lucia harbor is one of the most beautiful free sporting spectacles of the year in Naples: it can be comfortably viewed from the Caracciolo waterfront, via Partenope, Borgo Marinari, and the terraces around Castel dell'Ovo. On the Sorrento side, the coastal races can be watched from the viewpoints of the Villa Comunale di Sorrento and various scenic spots along the coast, while the fleet moored at Marina Piccola is easily visible from the quay.
A local landmark
For Campania, the event is a premier tourism showcase. Held in May, outside the peak summer season, it brings crews, technicians, journalists, and enthusiasts to the gulf. Yet, the bond with Neapolitan maritime tradition remains its hallmark: the Regata dei Tre Golfi was born as a challenge between local boat owners and clubs, and it remains the race that Neapolitan sailors consider the home regatta.
Tre Golfi Sailing Week — edition 2026
A record-breaking edition
The Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2026 took place from May 5 to 28 between the Gulf of Naples and the Sorrento Peninsula, with 211 total entries: a historic milestone for the event organized by the Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia. The calendar brought together three major international events: the ORC World Championship, the 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi, and the IMA Maxi European Championship, with crews from around twenty countries.
Two starts for the offshore race
For the first time in its history, the 150-mile classic started in two separate waves: Friday, May 8 for the ORC fleet, engaged in the World Championship long race, and Friday, May 22 for the Maxi yachts, with the first signal at 1:30 PM from the Santa Lucia harbor, using Castel dell'Ovo as a buoy. The course followed the traditional route: northwest toward Ponza, then returning to the gulf via Capri and Li Galli, finishing in Naples.
World and European titles
The ORC World Championship concluded in Sorrento on May 14, while the Maxi European Championship awarded its titles on May 28 after four days of coastal races in the waters of the Sorrento Peninsula, including the classic circumnavigations of Capri.
Programme Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2026
ORC World Championship (May 5-14, 2026)
- May 6-7 - Crew registration and measurement checks in Sorrento, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
- May 8 - Registration closes (9:00 AM - 12:00 PM) and start of the 71st Regata dei Tre Golfi from Naples, first warning signal at 5:00 PM, with the long night navigation toward Ponza.
- May 11-14 - Four days of coastal and windward-leeward races in Sorrento waters, first signal usually at 12:00 PM; the May 13 coastal race started at 11:00 AM.
- May 14 - Prize-giving ceremony in Sorrento around 5:30 PM.
IMA Maxi European Championship (May 21-28, 2026)
- May 22 - Start of the offshore race for Maxis from Santa Lucia harbor in Naples, first signal at 1:30 PM, following a brief delay due to a drop in wind pressure. 27 Maxi yachts started, divided into four IRC classes, plus the Multihull Trophy.
- May 25-28 - Four days of coastal and windward-leeward races based in Marina Piccola, Sorrento, under race director Stuart Childerley, including circumnavigations of Capri with the Faraglioni in the background.
- May 28 - Awarding of continental titles and prize-giving in Sorrento.
Off the water
- Crew party at Villa Zagara, Sorrento, hosted by partners Rolex and Loro Piana.
- Regatta village and fleet moorings at Marina Piccola, Sorrento, with the first 80 registered ORC boats guaranteed a spot in the harbor.
Highlights Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2026
- 211 registered boats, a historic record for the event, including ORC, Maxi, and multihull fleets.
- 118 boats at the start of the ORC World Championship, with crews from around twenty countries.
- In the ORC World Championship, the world title went to Andrew Berdon's Summer Storm, who also took line honours and victory in the offshore race; other titles went to Julian Somodi's Katara and Luigi Buzzi's Robe da Mat.
- In the IMA Maxi European Championship, the new European champions are V (Karel Komárek), Jolt (Peter Harrison), Cippa Lippa X (Guido Paolo Gamucci), and Fra Diavolo (Vincenzo Addessi); the Multihull Trophy went to Adrian Keller's Allegra.
- Among the Maxis at the start were Bella Mente, Jethou, Proteus, North Star, Django 7X, Magic Carpet, and the Wally 100s Galateia and Tilakkhana.
Prices Tre Golfi Sailing Week 2026
Practical information — Tre Golfi Sailing Week
How to get there
The start can be viewed from the Naples waterfront: take Metro Line 6 to Municipio or Chiaia, or Line 1 to Municipio or Toledo, then walk 10-15 minutes toward via Partenope. By train, arrive at Napoli Centrale and connect via metro. By car, paid parking is available in the Piazza Vittoria and via Nazario Sauro area (expect heavy traffic on race days).
Sorrento
The coastal races are based at Marina Piccola in Sorrento, accessible via the Circumvesuviana train (Naples-Sorrento line, terminal station a few minutes' walk from the port) or by hydrofoils and ferries from Naples Beverello and Capri.
Costs
Watching the start and the races from the shore is free. Registration for the regattas is reserved for vessels meeting the requirements of the official notice of race, with fees and deadlines published on the official website.
Tips
Arrive at least an hour before the start signal to find a spot on the waterfront; bring binoculars, as the fleet moves away quickly toward Capo Posillipo. Rankings and real-time tracking are available on the event's official website.
Contacts
Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia, Banchina Santa Lucia, Naples - [email protected] - www.tregolfisailingweek.com
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Where does it take place — Tre Golfi Sailing Week
Rada di Santa Lucia - Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia
Banchina Santa Lucia 21, 80132 Napoli