The 2027 America’s Cup is off – and off to a flying start. Having arrived in Naples in early November, Tudor Team Alinghi’s AC75 is getting ready to return to its element after several months of modifications. Announcements are following one after another, much to the delight of fans (ourselves included)!
Alinghi sets up base in Naples and reveals its ambitions
It was in pouring rain, during the night of 1–2 November, that BoatOne, Tudor Team Alinghi’s AC75, made its entrance into Naples. Having left Genoa on an exceptional road convoy, the Swiss foiling monohull crossed Italy before reaching its new base in Bagnoli in the early hours of the morning. It was a symbolic arrival for the two-time America’s Cup winner, now back on the stage of its next ambitions. After several months in Genoa, where it was extensively modified to comply with the new class rules, BoatOne now sports an elegant black livery. The boat still has to undergo a series of technical checks before resuming sailing, scheduled for December in the Gulf of Naples. For Ernesto Bertarelli’s syndicate, eliminated in the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup in Barcelona in 2024, this new campaign is an opportunity to capitalise on the experience gained and return to the front of the fleet.
Francesco Bruni, Alinghi’s Italian trump card
The Swiss revival also rests on a top-level signing. At the end of October, Tudor Team Alinghi officially announced the arrival of Francesco Bruni as skipper and helmsman. A leading figure in Italian sailing and a seven-time world champion across various disciplines, the former Luna Rossa helmsman brings in-depth knowledge of the AC75 and the demands of the America’s Cup.
A new generation flying the Swiss flag
Alinghi is also preparing for the future. The Swiss challenge has already unveiled the eleven sailors selected for the upcoming editions of the Youth America’s Cup and the Women’s America’s Cup. In the women’s team, Jessica Berthoud, Milly Boyle, Laurane Mettraux, Marie Mazuay and Tine Rossel will fly the Swiss colours. The youth team will bring together Micha de Weck, Arnaud Grange, Joshua Richner, Nilo Schärer, Matthieu Sistek and Nick Zeltner. Coached by Nathalie Brugger, both squads have already completed a first training camp in Naples aboard the AC40, the one-design foiling monohull used for these competitions. Despite changeable weather, the sailors were able to get plenty of time on the water and familiarise themselves with a racecourse that promises to be particularly demanding. The next camp is scheduled for March.
The French have already taken to the water
While Alinghi is finalising its preparations, the French La Roche-Posay Racing Team has already gained a head start on the water. On 19 October, the team led by Quentin Delapierre became the first to sail an AC75 in the Gulf of Naples. The schedule for this 38th America’s Cup is now taking shape. The Youth America’s Cup will be contested from 2 to 6 June 2027, followed by the Women’s America’s Cup from 5 to 9 July. The match for the Auld Mug will then begin on 10 July, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. For Alinghi, the challenge is to reach the level needed to win back the trophy – the finest way to reaffirm Switzerland’s place among the great sailing nations. Twenty-four years after its historic first victory in Auckland, Ernesto Bertarelli’s challenge intends to write a new chapter in its legend…
Find out more: alinghi.com