When the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup arrives in Naples, it will not simply be coming to another Host Venue. It will be arriving in a city where the sea is woven into the very fabric of its identity – a constant presence that has shaped its history, culture and destiny for more than two thousand years.
Few cities in the world can claim such a profound connection with the water. From its ancient Greek origins to the modern shipping routes that criss-cross the Mediterranean, Naples has always looked seaward, turning its magnificent bay into a gateway to the wider world.
The story begins with Parthenope, the first settlement established by Greek colonists from nearby Cumae. According to legend, the city takes its name from the siren Parthenope who, after failing to lure Odysseus with her song, cast herself into the sea. The currents carried her body to the tiny island of Megaride – the rocky outcrop on which Castel dell’Ovo stands today.
It is here that myth and history converge. And it is here that the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup will find one of its most iconic backdrops.
Standing watch over the Bay of Naples for almost a thousand years, Castel dell’Ovo remains the most enduring symbol of the city’s relationship with the Mediterranean. Built in a strategic position to guard the harbour and protect Naples from seaborne attack, the castle has witnessed centuries of merchant traffic, naval fleets and sailors arriving from every corner of the Mediterranean basin.
From 24–27 September 2026, during the second Preliminary Regatta of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, Castel dell’Ovo will witness something entirely new as the fastest and most technologically advanced racing yachts on the planet take to the waters of the Bay of Naples.
For the first time in America’s Cup history, a medieval castle will form an integral part of the racecourse setting. Images of the AC40s and, later, the AC75s foiling across the waters beneath the ancient walls of Castel dell’Ovo promise to become some of the defining images of the event.
Just a short distance away, another landmark speaks to Naples’ maritime heritage. Castel Nuovo, better known as Maschio Angioino, has dominated the city’s waterfront for centuries. Built at the end of the 13th century, it was conceived both as a fortress and as the seat of royal power, overseeing a harbour that had already become one of the most important trading centres in the Mediterranean.
Together, these two castles stand as enduring reminders of how closely Naples’ fortunes have always been tied to the sea and the control of maritime routes.
Yet the sea has shaped Naples not only politically and economically, but also socially and emotionally. In the early twentieth century, the port became one of Europe’s great departure points as hundreds of thousands of Italians embarked on voyages to the Americas. For many emigrants from southern Italy, Naples offered a final glimpse of home before an ocean crossing and the beginning of a new life.
That outward-looking spirit endures today. Thanks to its position at the heart of the Mediterranean, Naples remains one of southern Europe’s most important maritime hubs, connecting commercial trade, tourism and international travel.
Its prominence has also been sustained by a long and distinguished shipowning tradition. Between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, shipyards and maritime entrepreneurs across Campania helped establish one of Europe’s strongest maritime economies. Throughout the twentieth century, shipping dynasties rooted in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius strengthened Naples’ standing on the global stage, transforming the city into one of the world’s key centres of maritime enterprise. Among the most significant of these stories is that of the Aponte family, founders of MSC, whose global success reflects a maritime tradition that today extends far beyond the Mediterranean.
It is a legacy that continues to this day and one that will find a new expression when Naples hosts the second Preliminary Regatta of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, before taking centre stage for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup.
Because Naples is not simply a city hosting a regatta. It is a city that has always embraced the sea as a place of exchange, innovation, commerce and challenge. A city where the sea is not a backdrop, but a protagonist.
When the seven teams take to the waters of the Bay of Naples, they will be racing in one of the most storied maritime settings in the Mediterranean. With Castel dell’Ovo standing sentinel beside the racecourse and the city skyline telling a story written across centuries of seafaring history, the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup could scarcely find a more fitting home.
