Bringing the America’s Cup to Naples is about much more than world-class racing on the water. It is also an opportunity to create a lasting legacy in the city and give young people valuable experience working behind the scenes at one of international sport’s most technologically advanced events.
That ambition has become a reality for Adriano and Chiara, two university students who have joined the America’s Cup event IT team for a two-week internship during the Naples Preliminary Regatta.
The initiative grew from the telecommunications planning for the America’s Cup and discussions with Professor Giorgio Ventre of the Università di Napoli Federico II, Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, about creating opportunities for local students to gain genuine, real-world experience.
Andrew Ferguson, Director of IT Services for the America’s Cup and a Director at OneThirtyWest was invited by Professor Ventre to give a presentation to the students of his class on Network and Cloud Infrastructures, a course in the MSc program in Computer Engineering, where he talked about his own career in IT and event technology and some of the experiences he’d had over the past 25 years. At the end of the presentation, students who were interested in joining the America’s Cup were invited to apply for an internship.”
Adriano and Chiara were selected and have quickly progressed from learning about the operation to becoming active members of the team. Adriano brought valuable networking knowledge that has been put to practical use, whilst Chiara’s background in computer systems has proved equally valuable across the project.
Both have impressed to the point that they are now being trusted with projects and responsibilities of their own – solving problems, supporting customers and helping deliver the technology infrastructure required to stage the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta from the 24-27 September 2026.
The experience encompasses everything from installing infrastructure and configuring equipment to managing networks, Wi-Fi and connectivity during the event.
For the America’s Cup IT team, the objective was always to offer something more meaningful than simply observing professionals at work.
The aim is to give Adriano and Chiara the opportunity to get involved, make decisions, solve real problems and experience the responsibility of working within a team delivering a major global sporting event.
It is also part of a wider ambition surrounding the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples: to ensure that bringing the event to the city creates opportunities for the next generation.
Perhaps, years from now, Adriano and Chiara will look back on two weeks working behind the scenes at the America’s Cup in Naples as one of the experiences that helped launch their careers.
If so, the project will have achieved exactly what it set out to do.
