The Cup is coming to Naples and will be organised in the volcanic area of Mount Vesuvius. This was announced on Thursday by the Italian government together with the Cup defenders from Emirates Team New Zealand and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup is to be held in the capital of the Campania region in spring and summer 2027.
Without the sea, we really wouldn't be what we are." Giorgia Meloni
Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: "I am proud to announce that the America's Cup will be held in Italy for the first time in history." Meloni continued: "Italy's decision is a decision that makes us proud, because it recognises the identity of our nation." With Naples as the venue for the Cup, a famous harbour city on Italy's west coast and south of Rome is moving into the international sailing spotlight.
The battle for the jug on the Azzurri's home turf
First held in 1851 off the British Isle of Wight, the America's Cup is the oldest active international sporting event. The 37th Cup duel was won in Barcelona in 2024 by New Zealand with helmsmen Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge against Sir Jim Ratcliffe's team Ineos Britannia with skipper and CEO Sir Ben Ainslie.
According to the foundation charter, winning the Cup comes with the right to organise the next edition and determine the venue. Because there is still a lack of money at home in New Zealand, the Kiwis have once again opted for overseas defence in Europe. New Zealand team boss Grant Dalton said of the choice of Naples: "I couldn't be more delighted."
It feels like we're entering the lion's den." Grant Dalton
The experienced Cup manager continued: "The Italians are the most passionate and committed audience in the America's Cup. And of course it is the home of Luna Rossa, such a great team and strong competitor. So from the defending champion's point of view, it certainly feels like we're entering the lion's den. But from an event perspective, it seems like the perfect place to host the 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup."
Naples has already hosted pre-regattas for the America's Cup in 2012 and 2013. In Italy, which has a strong affinity for sailing and for which Prada patriarch Patrizio Bertelli and his team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli have been chasing the Cup since the turn of the millennium and have long since started preparing for the seventh summit race, around one million people came to watch the races off the coast of Naples over the course of a week. The harbour city prevailed over competitors such as Athens and Cagliari as the future venue.
Azzurri successful at home for the seventh time?
In Barcelona last year, Patrizio Bertelli's racing team was unable to tame the fast-learning British team after initial successes at the end of the challenger round. However, Bertelli and his Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team followed up the Azzurri's exit in the challenger final with the British team just one day later by announcing the continuation of their Cup chase. The 79-year-old Prada patriarch and record Cup chaser Bertelli has the energy for a seventh attempt!
His enduring passion for the Cup was also fuelled by the youth and women's victories in Barcelona: Italy's high-flyer Marco Gradoni, aged just 21, and his compatriot Giulia Conti led the Italians to triumphs in the 3rd Youth America's Cup and the premiere of the Women's America's Cup. If you have talent like this in your team, you don't have to fear the future. The fact that Italy is now competing for the ornate silver jug on home soil for the first time makes the America's Cup in Naples the ultimate challenge for Italy's Cup enthusiasts.
The event will be the most important sporting event that Naples has ever organised." Gaetano Manfredi
Preparations for the major event have long been underway in Naples. The hosts only have around two years to prepare. Naples' mayor Gaetano Manfredi said: "We have worked intensively on this bid over the last few months in close cooperation with the government and have prevailed against other competing cities. This success will have a significant economic impact on our region, as previous host cities such as Barcelona and Valencia have already experienced." Click here for the Barcelona numbers of the 37th Cup edition.
An ex-Olympic venue for the America's Cup
The America's Cup is set to make Naples shine brightly in terms of sailing on the water and on land. In 1960, the area was already the stage for a world event on the water: the regatta of the Olympic Games. Rolf Mulka, Ingo von Bredow and substitute Achim Kadelbach (4th race) won a bronze medal for Germany. In the Finn Dinghy, the great Paul Elvström won one of his four gold medals and in the Dragon, Constantine of Greece and his crew showed that crown princes can also become Olympic champions.
The Italian investment, which was initially not quantified in detail, is also described by Italian officials as an opportunity to drive forward redevelopment programmes in the Naples city area. This applies in particular to the Bagnoli neighbourhood, where the team camps are to be built. The races take place in the waters between Castel dell'Ovo and Posillipo.
Ciao, Naples! The upcoming venue for the 38th America's Cup:
