GB1 first to start Naples America’s Cup base despite legal battle

GB1 are the first to be officially handed their plot of land at the Bagnoli America's Cup base and that matters more than it might first appear.

A tense legal battle has brought the ownership of many of GB1’s assets into question, yet they are the first team to break ground in Naples ahead of the locals, Luna Rossa and defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand.

The dispute between Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos and Sir Ben Ainslie's Athena Racing had thrown the rightful ownership of the team's boat and assets into serious question.

One of those assets mentioned in the court papers filed by Ineos is a “pre-fabricated and movable warehouse referred to as the Barcelona Base”; the very structure that GB1 will likely be popping up on their concrete patch in Bagnoli.

GB1 being first onto the ground in Naples is about as strong a signal as you'll get that things are on track for them.

It's a lift for Naples, and the Cup more broadly too.

There has been real community pushback over the construction of the America’s Cup base in Bagnoli. There have been protests and truck blockades by locals because of environmental concerns that the construction brings.

The pushback and construction delays were enough to see the Naples Preliminary Regatta postponed until mid-September. Although the exact reason was never publicly acknowledged.

GB1’s arrival in Bagnoli is a statement of intent. For GB1 in light of their legal battle with Ineos; and the America’s Cup and their ongoing dealings with the local community.