Luna Rossa has completed a commanding final day on home waters to win the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Naples, defeating Emirates Team New Zealand in the concluding Match Race.
The Italian team of skipper Peter Burling, co-helm Marco Gradoni, Maria Giubilei and Gianluigi Ugolini won both of Sunday’s fleet races before leading the Match Race final from start to finish.
It completed an emphatic day for Luna Rossa after the Italian crew had already demonstrated its pace during the regatta, while France’s La Roche-Posay Racing Team secured the final podium place.
French Challenge Takes Third
As Afloat reported after Saturday’s racing, Quentin Delapierre’s La Roche-Posay Racing Team had emerged as a major challenger in Naples, combining strong boatspeed with some impressive tactical sailing despite a dramatic capsize while leading Race 5.
The French team remained in the hunt on Sunday and finished the Preliminary Regatta in third place after another strong performance in the final fleet race.
French finish — Quentin Delapierre’s La Roche-Posay Racing Team foils at speed in Naples, securing third overall after emerging as a major contender during the Preliminary Regatta. Photo: Ian Roman
Emirates Team New Zealand secured the other place in the Match Race final, with the Kiwis holding off the French challenge in the first of Sunday’s two fleet races.
Luna Rossa Takes Control
The leading Italian boat was clear. Luna Rossa established substantial early advantages in both fleet races, allowing Burling and Gradoni to control proceedings from the front as the Bay of Naples produced an 11–14-knot breeze that varied in strength and direction.
Their second victory completed the fleet-racing programme, while La Roche-Posay Racing Team took the result it needed to secure third overall.
There was also a separate success for Emirates Team New Zealand’s Women & Youth crew. Jake Pye and Erica Dawson held off Luna Rossa 2 in the final fleet race to take the Women & Youth title ahead of next year’s respective America’s Cup competitions.
Italians Win Match Race Final
The concluding Match Race paired Luna Rossa with Emirates Team New Zealand, but the contest swung decisively towards the Italians around the start.
With Nathan Outteridge and Seb Menzies seeking the right-hand side, Luna Rossa crossed the line at pace and then covered the New Zealand boat towards the boundary. From there, Burling and Gradoni repeatedly protected their advantage as Emirates Team New Zealand attempted to split away and find a passing opportunity.
Final duel — Luna Rossa controls Emirates Team New Zealand on the Bay of Naples before completing a dominant victory in the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta. Photo: Ricardo Pinto
By the final upwind leg, Luna Rossa's advantage had stretched beyond 200 metres, and the Italians extended again on the last leg, completing an unbeaten three-race final day with victory in front of the Naples crowd.
Gradoni said the team had achieved what it set out to do after months of preparation with its new crew combination.
“Today was a big day for our team, and I think we managed to finish the job that we started,” he said, describing the Match Race as a performance in which Luna Rossa executed both the start and race as planned.
Outteridge said Emirates Team New Zealand had wanted the right-hand side of the start but couldn't execute the manoeuvre early enough, leaving Luna Rossa in a position to control the race.
For La Roche-Posay Racing Team, third place followed a regatta in which the French repeatedly demonstrated their pace but also lost opportunities through two capsizes. Delapierre said the performance showed the strengths developing within the French campaign while highlighting boat handling as an area still requiring work.
French progress — La Roche-Posay Racing Team skipper Quentin Delapierre reflects on a Naples campaign that produced third overall and underlined the French challenge’s pace. Photo: Ricardo Pinto
The Naples Preliminary Regatta forms part of the build-up to the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup, which returns to the same waters in 2027.
