The Conditions Governing the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series and the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Match in Naples have been issued by the Regatta Director, Iain Murray, and reveal an opening series of six fleet races in the AC75. The seven AC75s confirmed for the regatta will come together in the ultimate showcase of high-performance sailing on the Bay of Naples and promises to be a spectacle unrivalled in sailing.
Racing in the opening Group Stage 1 begins on Saturday 22nd May 2027 with three races planned before the action continues on Sunday 23rd May 2027 for the conclusion of the Stage. It is all set to be a weekend like no other before in the 175-year history of the America’s Cup.
The competition to select the Challenger that will face Emirates Team New Zealand in the Match, then continues with one-on-one match-races in pairs from Wednesday 26th May 2027 with the opening Round Robin consisting of 21 races over three days through to Friday 28th May 2027. The Defender will join the racing from the Fleet Races through to the end of the third Round Robin, but the Defender results will not be used in the final Challenger standings.
There’s no let up for the teams though as the regatta continues at pace, with the second Round Robin getting underway immediately over the weekend of the 29-30th May and concluding on Monday 31st May 2027 – where again another 21 match races are scheduled.
The teams will be given a week off from 1-8th June 2027 ahead of the final Round Robin from the 9-11th June 2027, with 21 match races again planned for the teams as they go head-to-head for a place in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals. At the conclusion of Group Stage 2, the end of the third Round Robin, the top three Challengers automatically progress to the Semi-Finals, and the remaining three Challengers will compete in Group Stage 3 – the ‘Repêchage’ where a coveted place in the semi-finals will be fought for over a series of match races on the weekend of 12-13th June 2027.
Once the semi-finalists are decided, the series gets underway with white-hot action from the 16th– 20th June 2027 (with a reserve day on the 21st June 2027) to decide who will contest the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. It’s now the business-end of the regatta and the scoring is simple: 13 races scheduled, first to seven wins the right to challenge for the America’s Cup. The stakes could not be higher and the scheduled series, if it goes the distance begins on the weekend of the 26-27th June and could finish over the following weekend of the 3-4th July 2027.
The triumphant winner will lift the spectacular Louis Vuitton Cup trophy and proceed on to face Emirates Team New Zealand. The schedule is kind with a minimum of five days before the start of the Match which begins over the weekend of the 10-11th July 2027. Again, it’s first to score seven race wins, and with a battle-hardened Challenger, Naples could be the closest Match since San Francisco in 2013.
Should the Match go the distance, the final day is scheduled for Monday 19th but the Race Director reserves the right to extend should the weather play its hand, and racing is cancelled at any point.
Italy will bear witness to history in the making in 2027 as the sights, sounds and unique atmosphere of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup plays out in the beautiful Bay of Naples. Be there.
