Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi toured the team bases at Nisida this week, inspecting progress ahead of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup and declaring the city's enthusiasm for the event "great."
Nisida sits just off the Bagnoli redevelopment, where construction is underway on the bases from which the AC75 yachts will eventually be launched and retrieved.
"There's great enthusiasm in the city, a lot of participation, great anticipation, a strong desire to be part of this wonderful event, great joy, and we are of course organising ourselves to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that this Preliminary Regatta serves as a dress rehearsal for what will then be the main event starting next May: the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup," Manfredi said.
He said the city was ready to welcome the sport with open arms.
"There really is great public participation, there's great excitement, and we'll do everything we can. We're organising the event together with the teams and of course with the AC Partnership to make sure participation is as broad as possible and everyone can freely watch the regatta, because Naples is a true natural amphitheatre."
Work at Bagnoli remains on schedule, he added.
"The work in Bagnoli is progressing according to the schedule we had set. The teams are building their bases, which are growing quickly. Our goal is that by October 8, as we had promised, all the main activities we had planned will be completed, so that they can begin moving into the teams' hangars with the AC75s. In the meantime, we will continue working on the complementary infrastructure: the pier, the roads, the yards, so that Naples is ready and in the best condition for this extraordinary event in which all of us will take part."
Joining Manfredi on the visit was Marzio Perrelli, chief executive officer of the America's Cup Partnership, who described the Preliminary Regatta as a taste of things to come.
"The Preliminary Regatta will be what we say here in Italy, an antipasto of what we're going to be seeing next year, and I think everything is going in the right way. I appreciate the effort of the teams that are now in Nisida, and I believe it's going to be a great time for the world of sailing," Perrelli said.
He pointed to the mood on the street as proof of the city's support.
"The city is behind us, that's clear every time you cross the road, or you're in a cab and talk to the cab driver, or you get a coffee in a bar, it's pretty unique."
