La Roche-Posay Racing Team Set for an Unprecedented Louis Vuitton Cup
The Louis Vuitton Cup will begin on 22 and 23 May 2027 with six fleet races bringing together the seven AC75s entered in the 38th America’s Cup. A first in the competition’s 175-year history, this spectacular opening act will mark La Roche-Posay Racing Team’s first major test before the event returns to its traditional match-racing format.
Six fleet races
The racing regulations for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, published by Race Director Iain Murray, have revealed the format of the competition, which will take place in Naples during the spring and summer of 2027.
For the first time in the history of the world’s oldest international sporting competition, all seven AC75s will race simultaneously on the same course, across six fleet races in the Bay of Naples. Three races will be held each day on Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 May 2027.
This opening sequence will represent a significant first test for La Roche-Posay Racing Team. Racing in close quarters, the world’s fastest and most sophisticated foiling monohulls will deliver an unprecedented spectacle combining speed, precision, technological mastery and collective commitment.
“Opening the Louis Vuitton Cup with fleet racing aboard our AC75s represents a particularly significant evolution for the competition. It will immediately deliver exceptional sporting intensity and outstanding visibility for the teams. For us, this format presents both a tremendous opportunity and an additional challenge: we will need to perform from the very first race, in an environment that will be considerably more congested and unpredictable than match racing,” says Stephan Kandler, founder and CEO of K-Challenge, the organisation behind La Roche-Posay Racing Team.
The return to match racing
From Wednesday 26 May, the competition will return to the historic DNA of the America’s Cup: match racing, with two teams going head-to-head.
The first Round Robin will bring the challengers together from 26 to 28 May, with 21 matches scheduled across three days. Defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand will take part in the fleet races and all three Round Robins, although its results will not count towards the final challenger standings.
The racing will continue at a relentless pace, with the second Round Robin beginning immediately on Saturday 29 May. A further 21 head-to-head matches will be contested through to Monday 31 May 2027.
Following a one-week break, the teams will return to the water from 9 to 11 June for a third Round Robin, again comprising 21 matches. At the end of this stage, the top three challengers will qualify directly for the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals.
The remaining three teams will enter a repechage stage on 12 and 13 June, competing for the fourth and final place in the semi-finals.
For La Roche-Posay Racing Team, this succession of formats will demand consistency, adaptability and complete mastery of head-to-head racing.
“This schedule confirms the exceptional level of performance required throughout this Louis Vuitton Cup. We will need to prepare the team to move very quickly from fleet racing — where reading the racecourse, executing the starts and managing traffic will be decisive — to the very particular intensity of match racing. This range of formats will need to be fully integrated into every aspect of our preparation, both on and off the water,” says Philippe Presti, Sports Director of La Roche-Posay Racing Team.
Building towards the final
The semi-finals will take place from 16 to 20 June 2027, with a reserve day scheduled for 21 June. They will determine the two teams that progress to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final.
The competition will then enter its decisive phase. Up to 13 races may be contested in a best-of-13 series, with the first team to secure seven victories winning the Louis Vuitton Cup and earning the right to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand.
The Final will begin over the weekend of 26 and 27 June and may continue through to 3 and 4 July 2027 should the full series be required.
The winner will lift the Louis Vuitton Cup trophy before being granted a minimum of five days to prepare for the Match of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup.
The Match begins on 10 July
The final showdown with Emirates Team New Zealand will begin over the weekend of 10 and 11 July 2027. Once again, the first team to win seven races will be crowned champion.
Facing a challenger forged through an exceptionally demanding selection series, the Defender will need to be operating at the very highest level from the outset.
Should the contest run its full course, the final day of racing is scheduled for Monday 19 July 2027. The Race Director will, however, retain the option to extend the programme if weather conditions prevent the races from being completed as planned.
“We now know precisely what lies ahead. It will be a long and intense campaign, requiring us to remain fast, reliable and resilient throughout the competition. As sailors, our objective is to approach every stage with the same determination, to improve race by race and to go as far as we possibly can. Representing France in Naples is an immense source of pride, as well as a responsibility that every member of our team fully understands,” concludes Quentin Delapierre, skipper and helmsman of La Roche-Posay Racing Team.
In 2027, Italy will host one of the most prestigious events in international sport. Against the spectacular backdrop of the Bay of Naples, La Roche-Posay Racing Team intends to play its full part in writing a new chapter in the history of the America’s Cup.
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