See Naples and then win: Luna Rossa is already hungry for the America’s Cup

See Naples and then win. Easy to say when thinking about the 38th America’s Cup, but it is clear that Luna Rossa’s performance in the preliminary races in Naples has whetted the appetite. Four wins in eight fleet races and an unquestionable dominance in the final match race against Team New Zealand. It is clear that the Louis Vuitton Cup races, which from 22 May 2027 will determine the official challenger who will then, from 10 July, take on the New Zealanders in a bid to snatch the Old Jug from them, will be a different matter altogether. Max Sirena and his crew are well aware of this and, after a few days’ rest, have in fact returned to work with their heads down at the base in Cagliari.

The main difference between this year’s preliminary races and those scheduled for next year lies in the boats: in recent days, the races were contested using AC40s (13 metres), which are all identical; in 2027, the AC75s (22 metres) will take to the water – each one different, the result of a team of designers’ work. Under the rules of the 38th America’s Cup, no one is permitted to build a new hull, but the modifications that can be made are significant. On the larger boats, the crew will consist of five people plus a guest, with the requirement that there must be one woman on board. This is an area where Luna Rossa is ahead: in fact, Maria Giubilei, the philosopher proud of her degree, was on board the winning boat. No other team had a woman in its main crew.

By early November, the Bagnoli venue – set to be the heart of the 2027 Cup – should be ready ‘on time’, although the Caracciolo seafront, closed to traffic, will once again be used; over four days, it attracted 250,000 people, with one eye on the sea and the other on the six giant screens. The setting is unique in the world: Vesuvius, Castel dell’Ovo and Ischia mark its boundaries. One significant statistic from the recent regattas is that the Italian Sailing Federation’s stand recorded 1,294 new members, representing a 17.3 per cent increase in FIV membership in Campania. Ninety per cent of the new members are aged between 6 and 14.

Returning to what we saw out at sea, Luna Rossa draws on the experience of Peter Burling (35), the New Zealander who has won the last three editions of the Cup, drawn in by a new challenge and a multi-million contract. This sailing phenomenon is joined by a group of young – if not very young – sailors, such as Marco Gradoni, who is just 22 and was his crewmate in Naples, and Ruggero Tita (aged 34 and a two-time Olympic gold medallist), who had partnered Burling in their victory in Cagliari last May. It is too early to say who will be the second helmsman next year, but in any case we are talking about two top-class sailors: it’s better to be spoilt for choice.

The biggest disappointment of the event held in Naples a few days ago came from the British team, who finished in the bottom two places, eighth and ninth. The British are the Challenger of Record, having been the main contenders in the 2024 Cup in Barcelona. The withdrawal of sponsor Ineos and the legal dispute over ownership of the boat certainly do not help Ben Ainslie’s team. The French, on the other hand, were outstanding, putting on a show with their capsizes – one of which came within a hair’s breadth of being the day’s winner. The inclusion of the Spaniard Botin, a 2024 Olympic gold medallist, has paid off: they won two races. It remains to be seen how the full-size boat – which has already arrived in Naples, the first of all the challengers – will perform. The Swiss Alinghi team, third in the standings without a single victory, have made consistency their strength. The Americans also performed well on their debut in the qualifiers. The Australians were absent, but their base in Bagnoli is already under construction: they’ll be back next year, competing in an America’s Cup challenge for the first time in 27 years.