America's Cup organisers have confirmed there will be no further preliminary regattas before the Louis Vuitton Cup opens in Naples on 22 May 2027.
America's Cup Partnership chief executive Marzio Perrelli announced the decision at the Genoa International Boat Show on 4 October 2026, closing the formal preliminary programme that included stops in Cagliari and Naples. Luna Rossa won the Naples regatta, with Emirates Team New Zealand finishing runner-up – a result that gave the Italian challenger momentum heading into the main event.
"This was only the appetiser," Perrelli said, according to PressMare's English report. He appeared alongside Mario Pozzi from Italy's Ministry for Sport and Youth and Confindustria Nautica vice president Marco Monsurrò.
The announcement carries direct implications for Emirates Team New Zealand. The defender must now complete its AC75 preparation without further public racing until the Challenger Selection Series begins. Team New Zealand returned home after the Naples regatta to concentrate on AC75 development and simulator work, according to official Cup reports.
The Louis Vuitton Cup will open with AC75 fleet racing on 22-23 May 2027 — the first time in the 175-year history of the America's Cup that seven AC75s will contest opening weekend fleet races. Match racing follows from 26 May. The defender will participate in fleet races and round robins without its results counting towards challenger standings.
The winning challenger faces Team New Zealand in the America's Cup Match, a best-of-13 series beginning 10-11 July 2027.
Perrelli reported encouraging television performance and growing sponsor interest following the Naples regatta. However, no signed agreements were disclosed.
With the preliminary programme now closed, work shifts to completing team bases at Bagnoli, where Pozzi drew a line between platforms funded publicly and hangars funded by the teams themselves. Monsurrò added that some local businesses had asked for greater involvement in the Naples regatta, a sign of the practical issues still to be resolved before racing resumes in 2027.
AC40s retain their training role through the regulated AC40 training period, restricting teams to two-boat sessions. The smaller foiling monohulls will also contest the Youth and Women's America's Cups in 2027.
The event operates under shared governance established by the America's Cup Partnership, which took effect on 1 November 2025. Participating teams have equal voting power, while the Partnership manages event rights, contracts and revenues.
