Naples to Host ‘America’s Cup of the People’, Says Mayor

Naples: Naples will host the America’s Cup of the people, Mayor Gaetano Manfredi said at the presentation of sailing’s ultimate event, which will take place in the southern Italian city in the summer of 2027. “Sport is the people in Naples, it belongs to everyone, it belongs to the people,” Manfredi stated. “The America’s Cup will be the cup of sailors, of enthusiasts, but it will also be the cup of everyone, everyone will have access to and will have the opportunity to experience it. Social value will be the fundamental element of the America’s Cup in Naples, which will be the most open and widely participated in ever.”

According to Ansa News Agency, Sports Minister Andrea Abodi highlighted the economic impact of the event, estimating it to be around one billion euros. “We have chosen the best place,” Abodi remarked. “You can’t not choose the Gulf of Naples.” Italy’s challenge for the Cup is set to be led by the Prada-backed Luna Rossa team.

Grant Dalton, the CEO of defender Emirates Team New Zealand, expr
essed his hopes for multiple Italian teams participating in the event. “We couldn’t be happier to bring the America’s Cup to Naples after 174 years and my hope is that we will see more than one Italian team,” he said. “Luna Rossa is an incredible competitor. It is among our greatest rivals. So, it certainly would not be impossible to see a challenge between New Zealand and Luna Rossa in the final in Naples, in two years’ time.”