From 24 to 27 September 2026, the Gulf of Naples becomes the stage for the second stage of the Preliminary Regattas of the 38th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup. For four days, nine crews will compete on board the AC40s (flying monohulls on foils all identical to each other) in view of the main event which will take place from 10 July 2027. Between eight fleet races (fleet race) and the final two-way crossing for the victory, the Neapolitan program between Castel dell’Ovo and Posillipo brings together the main international teams (Emirates Team New Zealand, GB1 and Luna Rossa among others) and the new talents of the categories Women & Youthwithin a competition system rigidly marked by rules of engagement, weather limits and boundaries drawn with GPS buoys.
The program of the preliminary regattas: the dates and how to follow the event
Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Naples will take place from 24 to 27 September 2026. This is the second preliminary stage after that of Sardinia and is used by the teams to “take measures”, in fact, the results do not affect the ranking of the main event. The program is spread over four days:
- Thursday 24 September: the teams complete the final checks and preparation tests.
- Friday 25 September: the first fleet races begin
- Saturday 26 September: further tests are added to the overall score
- Sunday 27 September: after the eight scheduled fleet races, the first two boats will compete in a head-to-head match race final.
How do you follow this busy schedule? For those lucky enough to be in Naples, they can follow the event from the ground, in Rotonda Diaz the Race Village has been set up with free entry with giant screens while from the seafront it is possible to see the races from different observation points, or from the sea – there are spectator areas outside the regatta field. For everyone else, the races are live for free on the America’s Cup YouTube channel, with reruns and highlights.
The regulations of the 38th America’s Cup Louis Vuitton
The fleet will compete in eight scheduled races, before the top two boats face off in a match race final that counts for everything. It is the historical principle of the America’s Cup, summarized in the motto “There is no Second“, there is no second place, you win or nothing.
But how are points assigned? With a “high scoring” system: 10 points to the winner of each race, moving up the fleet by one point, with the last one getting 2 points. The scores from all the races are added, the ranking is drawn up and the two boats in the lead advance to the final, where a single regatta decides the winner.
Then there are the technical constraints, which explain why races are sometimes postponed or shortened:
- Time limits: the maximum racing time is 30 minutes, the maximum gap to the winner is 5 minutes and the maximum time to reach the first gate is 7 minutes. In practice, 5 minutes after the arrival of the first, the regatta ends and the procedures for the next one begin.
- Wind Limits: Minimum wind speed must be 7.5 knots and maximum 21 knots. Below or above this “window”, foil boats do not compete, it is a question of control and safety.
- Departure: is managed with electronic instruments that precisely detect the position. If a boat crosses the line early (the OCS, On Course Side)must slow down until losing 75 meters compared to the boats that started regularly.
As he explains The Sailing Journalthe race course is delimited by the so-called boundarythe borders you see on TV. These are marked by a series of geostationary buoys of different colors, i.e. buoys that remain stationary thanks to a motor. Each is a platform with two hulls, a central engine connected to the GPS and a pole in the middle that detects the wind, so the committee has the precise and documented data to confirm that the race can be held.
The boats and teams competing in Naples
The preliminaries are raced with the AC40s and not with the gigantic AC75s of the main event. These are monotypes flying on foils capable of exceeding 40 knots driven by a crew of 4: two helmsmen and two regulators. Monotype or one designmeans that the boats are identical and equal, placing the emphasis on the work of the crew and on the tactical choices, leading to victory not whoever has the most technological boat but whoever is able to drive it best.
Nine AC40s compete in the water:
- Emirates Team New Zealand
- GB1
- Red Moon
- Tudor Team Alinghi
- La Roche-Posay Racing Team
- American Racing Challenger Team USA
These six main teams are joined by three boats entrusted to the Women & Youth crews of the first three teams mentioned, a novelty introduced precisely in this cycle of the Cup. In the first Preliminary Regatta, held in Cagliari last May, Luna Rossa triumphed, beating Emirates Team New Zealand in the final.
