The America's Cup in Italy, for the first time

The America's Cup is coming to Italy. The next edition of the most important sailing competition in the world will be held in Naples in 2027. The official confirmation came after an agreement was reached between Emirates Team New Zealand, the team that won the last edition of the Coppa America, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and the Italian Government. The competition rules allow the defending team to choose the location of the races for the next edition. This is not the first time that Emirates Team New Zealand has not defended the title in their own country, as they also chose not to compete in New Zealand in 2024 and instead opted for Barcelona.

And so, the 38th edition of the America's Cup Louis Vuitton will take place in Italy for the first time in its history, with Naples beating out other cities such as Cagliari and Athens. The races will take place between Castel dell'Ovo and Posillipo, with the silhouette of Mount Vesuvius in the background, while the team bases are expected to be located in the urban area of Bagnoli. As always, the Coppa America will be preceded by the Louis Vuitton Cup, the preliminary event in which the winning team earns the right to challenge the defending team of the America's Cup, which will also take place in Naples and will include Luna Rossa. The Italian boat, probably the most anticipated in the competition, will try to overcome its result from the last edition, where it was defeated in the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup by INEOS Britannia, and attempt to win the America's Cup, which they failed to do in 2021 when they were defeated by Team New Zealand.

The bond between Italy and sailing is not only enduring but actually strengthening: born thanks to Il Moro di Venezia in the early 1990s, developed around the myth of Luna Rossa and which in turn has brought other Italian companies to invest in this sport. And more generally, the trend of Italy becoming the host for major sporting events continues. Sailing is just the latest sport: 2026 will be the year of the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, starting from the 2025 edition the Davis Cup Finals of tennis will be held in Italy, while Torino has been the location of the ATP Finals since 2021. Not to mention, there is great anticipation in the world of football for the 2032 edition of the European Championships, which will be organized in collaboration with Turkey.