NAPLES, Italy — September 25, 2026 — The second Preliminary Regatta of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup moves into official competition today, with the first scoring races set to take place on the Bay of Naples.
Nine AC40s representing six teams will compete across three days of fleet racing, with the opening races establishing the first points of the regatta. The top two boats after the scheduled fleet races will advance to Sunday’s winner-takes-all match-race final.
The Naples event is the first competitive racing on the same waters that will host the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup Match in 2027. The teams are therefore using the Preliminary Regatta not only to fight for the weekend title, but also to gain valuable experience on the future America’s Cup racecourse.
Thursday provided the final opportunity for the fleet to test conditions before the points began to count. Luna Rossa 1 set the pace in official practice, winning all three races, with the new-look team led by Peter Burling showing strong speed around the Naples course.
ARC Team USA also showed strong pace during practice, finishing second overall, while Emirates Team New Zealand ended the day third. The practice results, however, do not count towards the Preliminary Regatta standings.
The fleet includes Luna Rossa, Emirates Team New Zealand, GB1, Cobham-Ultra GB2, Tudor Team Alinghi, La Roche-Posay Racing Team France and American Racing Challenger Team USA, with nine AC40s on the water. Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa are each fielding senior and women/youth boats.
Today’s racing marks the first real test of the teams’ race strategies on the Naples course. Up to eight fleet races are scheduled over Friday and Saturday before the final fleet-race results determine the two boats that will meet in Sunday’s match race.
For the America’s Cup teams, the weekend is another step toward Naples 2027. For the sailors, however, the focus now shifts to the first points of the regatta — and the opening fight for position on the Bay of Naples.
Race Day 1 — 25 September 2026
Naples, Italy
9 AC40s • 6 teams
