Racing Schedule Confirmed for the Louis Vuitton Cup as the Road to Naples Continues
by GB1 21 Jul 16:50 BST
Louis Vuitton Cup Dates © GB1
The countdown to the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup has taken another major step forward with the official publication of the Conditions Governing the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series and the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Match by Regatta Director Iain Murray.
For GB1, it provides a clear roadmap to Naples and confirms when the battle to become Challenger for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup will begin.
The action gets under way on 22-23 May 2027 with a historic opening weekend of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series, as all seven AC75 challengers line up together for fleet racing for the first time in America's Cup history. Six fleet races across two days will provide fans with an incredible spectacle on the Bay of Naples and mark a new chapter in the 175-year history of the competition.
Following the fleet racing, attention turns to traditional one-on-one match racing, beginning on 26 May. Over the following weeks, the Challenger teams will battle through the Round Robins and knockout stages, with only one earning the right to lift the Louis Vuitton Cup and challenge Emirates Team New Zealand for the oldest trophy in international sport.
The Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Match is scheduled to begin on 10-11 July 2027, with the first team to secure seven race victories claiming sailing's ultimate prize.
For GB1, the announcement sharpens the focus as preparations continue at pace. Every design decision, every training session and every hour spent developing the AC75 is building towards one objective: returning to the America's Cup Match and winning the Auld Mug for Britain.
The last campaign saw the Team make history by becoming the first British Challenger in more than 60 years to reach the America's Cup Match and the first ever to win the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series. With those achievements providing the foundation for the next campaign, the team is determined to go one step further in Naples.
The dates are confirmed. The race to Naples is officially on.
22-23 May 2027 - Louis Vuitton Cup - Stage 1: Fleet Racing
The Louis Vuitton Cup opens with a historic first weekend as all seven AC75 challengers line up together on a single start line for the first time in America's Cup history. Three fleet races per day will test boat handling, tactical awareness and teamwork, setting the tone for the road to the America's Cup Match.
26 May - 11 June 2027 - Louis Vuitton Cup - Stage 2: Round Robins
The competition returns to classic one-on-one match racing, with three demanding Round Robins comprising 21 races each. At the conclusion of the third Round Robin, Defender Emirates Team New Zealand leaves the competition, allowing the top three challengers to progress directly to the Semi-Finals. The remaining challengers move into a knockout stage to fight for the final Semi-Final place.
12-13 June 2027 - Louis Vuitton Cup - Stage 3: Knockout
The remaining three challengers face a winner-takes-all knockout battle. With only one Semi-Final berth available, every race becomes decisive as teams compete for the final place in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals.
16 June - 4 July 2027 - Louis Vuitton Cup - Semi-Finals & Final
The Semi-Finals are decided by the first team to secure five race wins. The winners then advance to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, contested over a first-to-seven-wins match.
The victorious challenger lifts the Louis Vuitton Cup and earns the right to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand for sailing's oldest and most prestigious trophy.
From 10 July 2027 - Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup Match
The Louis Vuitton Cup winner faces Defender Emirates Team New Zealand in a best-of-13 match race series to decide the winner of the 38th America's Cup. The first team to claim seven race victories will lift the Auld Mug and become the next America's Cup champion.