Nine AC40s will take to the water in Naples at the end of September for the second Preliminary Regatta of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup campaign, with American Racing Challenger Team USA confirmed as a welcome addition to the fleet.
The Americans have been pushing hard in two-boat practice and team selection out of their new Pensacola, Florida base in recent weeks. Who will be aboard for the regatta has yet to be decided.
Led by CEO Ken Read, a multiple world champion and past America's Cup skipper, the campaign also counts Giles Scott as Head of Sailing. Scott is a double Olympic gold medallist, and the team is expected to perform at a very high level.
All eyes, though, remain on Luna Rossa. Their performance in Sardinia set the benchmark, and they arrive in Naples as hometown favourites with a target firmly on their backs.
In the period between regattas, training camps have been intense across the fleet. GB1, the Challenger of Record, and Athena Pathway have been ramping up out of Cagliari. Emirates Team New Zealand completed a block of work in Auckland before relocating to Naples with two AC40s, fielding both a Principal Team and a Women and Youth Team.
TUDOR Team Alinghi have been working out of Barcelona under Paul Goodison and will field one senior team in Naples. La Roche-Posay Racing Team have been training from Lorient in the north-west of France and will send their Principal Team under Quentin Delapierre. Team Australia, a confirmed entry for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup, will not be on the start line in September.
The Americans are being watched closely as potential dark horses, having looked proficient in training. The question carrying over from Sardinia is whether the Women and Youth Teams of Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa, and Athena Pathway can once again take the fight to their Principal teams and score race wins, or maybe even the regatta.
The regatta format mirrors Sardinia. Practice racing takes place on 24 September, with the opening three fleet races starting at 14.13 CEST on 25 September 2026, expected to conclude by 16.00 CEST. Three more fleet races follow on Saturday 26 September, then two on Sunday 27 September. The top two boats advance to a one-race final, a straight one-on-one for the title. Winner takes all. And as is famous in the America's Cup: "There is no Second."
The Official Race Village on the Naples waterfront is free to all, open from 11am to approximately 8pm daily from Thursday 24 September through the regatta. A presentation of the teams is scheduled for approximately 6pm on Thursday. The main stage will host dock-out and dock-in shows each race day, with large screens carrying live race action and commentary. Food, drinks, merchandise, and partner activations will all feature, and the Via Francesco Caracciolo will be closed to traffic so spectators can enjoy the promenade and the best viewing spots of the AC40s in action.
The Bay of Naples also offers designated areas on the water for private vessels. AC40s flying at speeds in excess of 40 knots in that setting will be a hard spectacle to match.
