One month out, and Naples is already starting to feel like the centre of the sailing world.
Across the nine-strong fleet gathering for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta, the mood is tense. Redemption, revenge, pride, ambition and anxiety are all in play, sometimes within the same team.
One of the sharpest storylines involves the mixed Women & Youth crews of Emirates Team New Zealand, GB2 and Luna Rossa, and whether they can carry forward the momentum they built in Sardinia back in May.
Their rise there caught plenty of people off guard. Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro, sailing for Luna Rossa, led the fleet all the way through to the final Sunday. Erica Dawson and Jake Pye, meanwhile, kept Emirates Team New Zealand in touch with the front-runners race after race. GB2, then racing as Athena Pathway, even scored a memorable race win, leading the fleet like seasoned campaigners. They'll want more of that in Naples.
But when it mattered most, it was the senior pairings who took over. Peter Burling and Ruggero Tita, for Luna Rossa, faced off against Nathan Outteridge and Seb Menzies of Emirates Team New Zealand, and Luna Rossa won in style. It was a wire-to-wire victory, starting just 0.3 seconds behind the line at full pace, and they never looked back.
First blood to the Italians, and a real momentum boost heading into the next chapter of their campaign.
For some crews, Sardinia arrived early in their Cup journey. That excuse has expired. Training has continued flat out around the world in the AC40s and AC75s, backed by simulator work that has become non-negotiable for anyone serious about winning.
TUDOR Team Alinghi and La Roche-Posay Racing Team both showed strong late-regatta form in Sardinia and will fancy their chances of the podium in Naples. GB1, the Challenger of Record, missed the opening day there after a mechanical failure but still went on to score a race win. They look to have the ingredients for a serious tilt at the title this time.
Then there are the Americans, the dark horses of the fleet.
Their new-look team is expected to centre around helms Harry Melges IV and Lucas Calabrese, both world-class, highly experienced America's Cup foilers. Harry was the defeated finalist in the 2024 Youth America's Cup, and his rivalry with Marco Gradoni, the Luna Rossa skipper who took that title in Barcelona, is shaping up to be one to watch.
It's not just those two. There is a wave of young talent working its way through the AC40 pathway right now, sailors who will likely be shaping America's Cup campaigns for decades to come. This is a transitional era for the Cup, and everyone inside the fleet knows it.
Onshore, Naples is building towards something big.
The city is preparing for a serious influx of visitors, both from within Italy and further afield. Hotel rooms are filling fast. The America's Cup Event organisation is deep into preparations for the free Race Village, now extended along the Via Francesca Carriacolo.
Racing will happen close to shore, so there'll be no shortage of vantage points around the bay. Still, the Race Village will be the place to be, with big screens, live commentary, and a main stage hosting the dock-out and dock-in shows.
The merchandise shop will be well stocked, and food and drink stalls will be scattered throughout the site. Naples hospitality has a reputation, and this regatta will put it fully on display.
Racing gets underway on 25 and 26 September, with three fleet races scheduled each day. On Sunday 27 September, two further fleet races will decide which two boats go through to a single winner-takes-all showdown for the title. As Cup tradition reminds everyone, there is no second.
It's shaping up to be a proper finale to a regatta that has already delivered plenty.
