From 24–27 September, Naples will host the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta, the first event of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup to be staged in the city. For the teams, it promises to be unlike any other racecourse in the history of the America’s Cup.
Before the starting sequence even begins, a single glance across the bay reveals the landmarks that define Naples: Mount Vesuvius rising to the east, Castel dell’Ovo on the waterfront, the hillside of Posillipo behind, Nisida to the west and the coastline stretching towards Bagnoli. Each tells a different chapter of the city’s story.
Vesuvius is the first landmark to command attention. For centuries it has greeted everyone arriving by sea. Long before science explained its origins, the volcano belonged to the world of myth. According to ancient mythology, the Giant Alcyoneus was imprisoned beneath its slopes after being defeated by the Olympian gods, while eruptions and earthquakes were believed to mark his attempts to break free. Today, Vesuvius remains the defining feature of the Bay of Naples and one of the most recognisable backdrops in world sailing.
Following the coastline westwards, another story unfolds. The hill of Posillipo takes its name from the Greek Pausilypon – “the place where worries cease” – a reminder of how this stretch of coastline has been admired since antiquity. Just beyond lies Nisida, the remains of an ancient volcanic crater within the Phlegraean Fields. From the 16th century, the island became part of Naples’ coastal defence system alongside Castel dell’Ovo and Castel Nuovo. Together, they formed a network designed to protect one of the Mediterranean’s most important natural harbours.
Naples owes much of its history to this remarkable setting. The sheltered waters of the bay provided a natural harbour that, from Greek and Roman times, became a vital gateway for trade and navigation across the Mediterranean. Archaeological excavations beneath today’s Piazza Municipio have uncovered ancient quays and vessels, confirming the central role the harbour has played in the city’s maritime history. Protecting it meant safeguarding one of southern Europe’s most strategic ports and an essential link between east and west.
Over the centuries, the city has continued to evolve alongside the sea. The harbour expanded, the waterfront assumed the form recognised today and the coastline between Posillipo and Bagnoli has continued to change while maintaining the close relationship between Naples and its bay.
It is within this setting that the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup arrives. The same waters that welcomed merchants, explorers and fleets from across the Mediterranean will now bring together the world’s leading sailing teams. Naples’ international maritime character remains unchanged; what has changed are the reasons people gather here, with sport, innovation and technology replacing trade and strategy.
When racing begins, every landmark on the horizon will take on a different meaning. Vesuvius will be more than the symbol of Naples, Nisida more than an island and the castles more than historic monuments. Together they will become part of the racecourse itself, framing an international sporting contest in waters that have connected people, cultures and nations for more than two thousand years.
