ETNZ join Luna Rossa on the Bay of Naples

In the past few days, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa – the defender and Italy's home favourite – have both launched boats on the stretch of water that will decide the next America’s Cup.

New Zealand rolled out their two AC40s on Monday for a first proper two-boat session, and it’s all in the timing: this early-July block lands almost exactly on the calendar slot pencilled in for the 2027 Match.

Skipper Nathan Outteridge knows precisely what that’s worth. “To get a first-hand look at the racecourse and start feeling out the conditions in the exact window we’ll be racing in next year is a massive opportunity for us,” he said.

There's a closer target, too. Naples hosts the second preliminary regatta from 24 to 27 September, with the AC40 fleet expected to be both bigger and sharper than anything the class has produced so far. Outteridge continued: “While we have come here to learn about the course, sailing and racing both of our AC40s, is also helping prepare for the event later in September so we'll be getting into some more detailed sailing over the coming weeks and maximising our time while we're here.”

It's a sharp change of scene: from grinding out AC75 sessions on a grey Waitematā in the depths of an Auckland winter to blue skies and warm water in the AC40s. For a team chasing their fourth Cup in a row, learning to read this amphitheatre of a racecourse is no small task, and flight controller Andy Maloney is clearly relishing the puzzle.

“Having both AC40s out here allows us to push each other and really explore the nuances of the bay,” he said. “It's a pretty spectacular location with the city of Naples spanning up the surrounding hills and Mount Vesuvius in the background. We have only just got off the water but are already looking forward to getting back out there and continuing to learn about this awesome venue.”

COO Kevin Shoebridge had the longer game on his mind. “Being in Naples is a reminder of why the 38th America’s Cup will be such a special event, but also how tough it is going to be on the water with six strong Challengers all competing with the sole objective of winning the America’s Cup in just over one year.”

If New Zealand look like early birds, Luna Rossa beat them to the worm. The Italians launched three days earlier, on the Friday, launching their own pair of AC40s on home waters.

For CEO Max Sirena, the day worked on two levels at once – the hard technical graft, and something far harder to quantify. “There is also the psychological aspect: the emotion of being in the official venue of the event – which, for the first time, is in Italy – the pleasure of sailing in the Gulf of Naples, and the feeling of experiencing the warmth of this splendid city are indescribable.”

Strip away the romance, though, and their job is identical to New Zealand's. “Our goal at this stage is to collect essential data on the weather and sea conditions – the same conditions we will encounter again in a year,” said coach Simone Salvà. “The high pressure over the gulf generally brings a lighter sea breeze than in Cagliari; in addition, since this city is an important maritime hub, there is wake generated by passing ships that must be taken into account.”

These are exactly the details that win and lose Cup races, though Salvà stressed the data counts for more come 2027 than at September's regatta. It's demanding stuff: Sirena calls this a “very intense phase”, with the squad splitting its effort between the AC40s in Naples and the AC75 development that will ultimately decide the Cup, down in Cagliari.

Helming one of the AC40s was Pete Burling, the Kiwi who steered Team New Zealand to three straight America's Cups before crossing to the Italian camp. “We received an extraordinary welcome,” Burling said. “We are truly excited to race for the first time in Naples, such a beautiful place. We can’t wait to begin getting to know this venue, and we look ahead with confidence to the year to come.”

These developments ought to have the rival camps shifting in their seats. The teams sailing Naples right now are banking something that's very hard to buy back later – a year's head start on understanding this exact patch of sea. All of it feeds straight into the decisions that matter between now and 2027, from race-day strategy to the development of their AC75s.

Which raises the obvious question: who’s next?

Six challengers will line up against New Zealand in 2027, and so far only one of them – Luna Rossa – has even turned up to sail it yet. Challenger of Record GB1, Tudor Team Alinghi, La Roche-Posay Racing Team, ARC Team USA and Team Australia will each be itching to get their own boats out there – and some are far better placed to do it soon than others.