America's Cup Trophy Boards Amerigo Vespucci in Naples Ahead of Preliminary Regatta

The Auld Mug arrives at Molo Beverello

The America's Cup trophy, known as the Auld Mug, was brought aboard the Italian Navy training ship Amerigo Vespucci while moored at Molo Beverello in Naples. The gathering brought together delegations from competing sailing teams ahead of the preliminary regatta held across the Gulf of Naples from Friday to Sunday. Forged in London in 1848 and first won by the yacht America in 1851, the trophy met the 95-year-old tall ship roughly two months after their previous encounter in New York during the 250th anniversary celebrations of United States independence. Italian Minister for Sport and Youth Andrea Abodi attended the event alongside Italian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto, Sport e Salute President Marco Mezzaroma, and America's Cup Partnership CEO Marzio Perrelli.

Without taking anything away from New York, there is a different atmosphere here, Naples is truly something else.

Fleet technology and technical partnerships

Preparations for the 38th America's Cup in 2027 involve seven total yachts in the water, including the defender Emirates Team New Zealand and six challenger syndicates led by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Australian challengers did not participate in the preliminary trial races in Naples. Both AC75 and AC40 class boats feature distinctive black sails, an engineering outcome resulting from raw carbon fiber composite matrices designed to maximize stiffness under extreme loads while reducing every gram of weight. In parallel corporate preparations, French apparel brand K-Way announced the renewal of its technical partnership with the French syndicate La Roche-Posay Racing Team for the 2027 campaign in Naples, supplying protective technical gear developed for marine environments.

Water, wind and protection are part of the DNA of K-Way and the America's Cup represents an extraordinary context to put our know-how, our materials and our technologies to the test.

Community outreach in Caivano

Organizers extended promotional activities into the surrounding region, staging a youth sports event at the Pino Daniele Sports Center in Caivano. More than 350 students from the IC3 Parco Verde school gathered around the Auld Mug trophy and watched sailing demonstrations in the facility's swimming pool. Italian Sailing Federation world and European champions demonstrated hydrofoil vessels in the pool, while students operated Optimist dinghies propelled across the water by large mechanical fans. The outreach initiative drew senior America's Cup leaders to the suburban community, including Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton, Luna Rossa CEO and skipper Max Sirena, and representatives from GB1, Alinghi, Team USA, and La Roche-Posay.

The Amerigo Vespucci navigation itinerary

The Naples port call forms part of a broader 2026 global tour for the Amerigo Vespucci, which was originally launched on 22 February 1931 in nearby Castellammare di Stabia. Commanded by Captain Nicasio Falica, the vessel operates with a standard crew of approximately 220 personnel, expanding to over 400 individuals during summer navigation with Naval Academy students. The ship sailed from Genoa in May, crossing the Atlantic for three port visits in the United States and two stops in Canada, including the Rendez-vous Naval de Quebec. Following the America's Cup events in Naples, the vessel is scheduled to sail to Venice before concluding its tour in Trieste from 8 to 12 October during the Barcolana regatta.