America's Cup gets enthusiastic reception at the Official Host Venue Presentation in Naples
by America's Cup Media 28 May 15:07 BST
Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup - Naples Presentation event, Castel dell'Ovo - May 28, 2025 © Ian Roman / America's Cup
The Castel dell'Ovo, set on the tuft peninsula of Megaride - formerly named 'Megaris' by the Greeks - one of the most iconic symbols of Naples along with Mount Vesuvius as a backdrop, was the outstanding setting for the Official Host Venue Presentation of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup.
This was the unveiling of the next chapter in the America's Cup's 174-year history with the warmest of receptions for the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.
The vaulted inner hallway of the castle was transformed for the presentation with projections on the ancient walls and the presence of both the America's Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup trophies unveiled on stage.
Speakers at the event were the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, and the President of Sport e Salute, Marco Mezzaroma, all key governmental and regional ministers, who unveiled the event to the audience and set out a bold vision for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup being held, for the first time, in Italian waters on the stunning Bay of Naples.
In a packed auditorium, an enormous number of enthusiastic regional and national broadcast, print, yachting and social media journalists were in attendance reflecting the excitement that is building right across Italy for the America's Cup. Delegates, VIPs and representatives of State Departments were greeted and seated ahead of the unveiling of the trophies from their Louis Vuitton travel cases.
Speaking first, Mayor Manfredi of Naples, one of the key architects of the bid success, was full of enthusiasm and foresight for what is set to be a remarkable America's Cup. The Mayor said: "Thank you for choosing Naples - to keep a secret in Naples is not something easy, but we've worked very well together and have won a huge international competition."
"To bring this event here is not a casual choice; when the first people from Greece arrived to found the city, they said that this is a place to create the future and when Emirates Team new Zealand saw, in particular Bagnoli, they said this is where we need to hold the America's Cup. We are up to the challenge for our city, and we need to do all we can to show Naples as a great capital city of Europe."
The Mayor also referred to Napoli Football Club's recent success in winning Serie A and contextualised it to sport saying: "Naples is a city of sport, sport of the people, sport of families and sport is about health. The America's Cup is about professionals, but it is also for everyone and the social value to this event is enormous."
Andrea Abodi, the Minister for Sport and Youth, was equally effusive in welcoming the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup to Italy and praised all the people that worked on the successful bid saying: "Thank you Grant (Dalton), for the work you have done on this adventure for many months and thank you to everyone in the City of Naples. We worked on this silently but with a great deal of passion. It has been a long journey...but the real work starts now and moving forward there is a need for competence and professionalism, so we arrive at the event in 2027 with the best result possible. We will not stop in this endeavour."
The biggest reception of the presentation was reserved for Grant Dalton, CEO of the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, and CEO of America's Cup Events, who accepted the long rapturous applause, genuine warmth and hospitality of the assembled audience and the City of Naples before qualifying just how and why the city secured the event, saying: "In 2012 and 2013, Naples hosted the America's Cup World Series and we all remember the hundreds of thousands of people that supported the racing. That was in our mind and was a very important factor in the decision-making to bring the America's Cup to Naples."
Dalton went on to quote the Maori phrase 'He Tangata, He Tangata, He Tangata' meaning 'The People, The People, The People' highlighting just how effective the Italian bid was merging government and regional departments to secure success: "The Italian government have been amazing to deal from the very start, setting out a vision that the America's Cup should be in Italy and we have worked together so effectively. I honestly could not have wished for more and we look forward to the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup here in Naples in less than two years' time."
Grant Dalton also highlighted the participation of Italian teams stretching back to the very first campaign, 'Azzurra' of the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club in 1983, which received wide, fond applause. He also highlighted that the current holders of the Puig Women's America's Cup, and the UniCredit Youth America's Cup was Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, who were in attendance in the audience alongside the K-Challenge team, calling them: "Our dear friends and closest competitors."
After the formal host venue presentation, and a stunning set of videos showcasing both the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup and the wild celebrations following Napoli Football Club's win in Serie A, delegates repaired to the rooftop of the Castel dell'Ovo for a drinks reception to review the race area of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup which will be set from the Castel to the western headland of Posillipo, providing arguably one of the finest amphitheatres for America's Cup racing ever seen with vantage points all along the waterfront of downtown Naples.
The race for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup is certainly well under way in the bustling City of Naples and as Minister Abodi stated accurately: "The real work starts now."