Naples has had its moment, and by every measure it delivered. As the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Preliminary Regatta wraps up, the headline news is confirmation of the full 2027 schedule, laid out by Marzio Perrelli, CEO of the America's Cup Partnership.
"The Louis Vuitton Cup will start on the 22nd May 2027 with an opening weekend of AC75 fleet racing," Perrelli said. "Then the action switches to one-on-one Match Racing with the final to be concluded by the 4th July 2027 and the selection of the Challenger to face the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand."
There is a full programme either side of that too. "The Women's America's Cup will be held from the 5th July 2027 to the 9th July 2027 inclusive and the previously announced Youth America's Cup will run from the 2-6 June 2027," Perrelli added. "The Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Match is set to begin on the 10th July 2027 and will run to a conclusion at the latest, depending on scoreline, by the 19th July 2027."
That is close to two months of world-class sailing now locked in.
The reception in Naples was something to behold. From the moment teams and shore crews rolled into town, the city took to the Cup with an energy felt everywhere, not just on the water. Tens of thousands of spectators packed the Lungomare Caracciolo and the Race Village at Rotonda Diaz, filled the hills above the bay, and lined the waterfront in numbers befitting one of the great sporting cities anywhere in the world.
On the water, the Bay of Naples proved just as demanding as it was beautiful. Thousands of vessels registered to watch nine AC40s, representing the senior crews alongside the Women's and Youth fleets, contest tight fleet racing with Vesuvius, Capri and the sweep of the Neapolitan coast as backdrop. The racing itself was tense and close throughout.
There is no second in this sport, as the old line goes. Luna Rossa made sure the home crowd went away happy, delivering a stunning win in the final.
Off the water, Naples matched the spectacle stride for stride. Thanks go to the City of Naples, the Regione Campania, Sport e Salute, local authorities, emergency services, the Coast Guard, police and volunteers, along with the countless people working behind the scenes who made an event of this scale possible.
Credit too to the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, which gave the international media an extraordinary base for the week, and to everyone behind the Race Village, which turned the Lungomare into a genuine celebration of sailing, sport, life and Naples itself.
But it was the people of Naples who made it. They turned out in extraordinary numbers, cheering sailors as they flew past with battle songs blaring from the shore, filling the waterfront and giving the America's Cup a welcome that only this city seems capable of producing.
And this is only the beginning.
Across the bay at Bagnoli, transformation is already under way at remarkable speed. Team bases are rising, infrastructure is going in, and the future home of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup is becoming a reality before our eyes.
This Preliminary Regatta offered the world its first real look at what Naples and the America's Cup can build together. In 2027, the fleet comes back for the main event, and the Road to Naples is already full of possibility. The Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup is shaping up to be something very special.
Grazie Napoli. Ci vediamo nel 2027.
