City of Naples welcomes the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup

The Castel dell’Ovo was the outstanding setting for the Official Host Venue Presentation of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup.

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.

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.

“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.”

Grant Dalton, CEO of the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, and CEO of America’s Cup Events, set-out just how and why the city secured the event . . .

“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. And we look forward to the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup here in Naples in less than two years’ time.”

Dalton highlighted the participation of Italian teams stretching back to the very first campaign, ‘Azzurra’ of the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club in 1983.

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 French K-Challenge team.

The race area of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup 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.