STUNNING OPENING CEREMONY IN SARDINIA FOR THE LOUIS VUITTON 38th PRELIMINARY REGATTA

The America’s Cup, the oldest continually contested trophy in international sport was on stage having travelled up from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, and sat beside the iconic Louis Vuitton Cup, the Challenger Selection Trophy.

In addition, the two local trophies for the Preliminary Regatta were on display, crafted by Sardinian sculptor Roberto Ziranu, with blue sails created from a sheet of iron, using a flame to taint and hand-forged to give them the movement of the wind atop juniper hull-forms sourced from the mountains of Ogliastra

Marzio Perrelli CEO of the America’s Cup Partnership welcomed government and regional ministers including the Mayor of Cagliari: Massimo Zedda, the President of Sport e Salute SpA: Marco Mezzaroma, the Mayor of Naples: Gaetano Manfredi, the President of the Region of Campania: Roberto Fico, the Minister of Tourism: Gianmarco Mazzi, the President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia: Alessandra Todde, and the Minister of Sport & Youth: Andrea Abodi.

Addressing the assembled audience of America’s Cup teams, dignitaries and invited guests, Marzio Perrelli said: “We’ve been welcomed in a fantastic way, with tremendous hospitality, great professionalism, and great passion, so our first thanks go to everyone who made this event possible, from the institutions down to the volunteers, of whom there are so many. This is a region with very deep roots that values the past and history highly, while looking toward the future - and that is exactly what the America’s Cup does. As we’ve heard, the America’s Cup is the oldest sporting competition in the world and has a glorious past that this new governance structure, this new organisation, must honour and build upon for the future.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony at the Bastione di Saint Remy, a colourful and engaging folklore troupe led the teams, dignitaries and invited guests down through the streets to the Race Village where the crowd assembled for the presentation of the teams alongside the iconic America’s Cup, Louis Vuitton Cup and Preliminary Regatta trophies before the official ribbon-cutting took place. Minister Abodi performed the cutting duty and the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Sardinia, was declared officially open.

Racing takes place in the Bay of Angels from the 22-24 May 2026 with eight AC40 foiling yachts comprised of five of the seven team entries for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup and will include for the first time three Women & Youth teams representing the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, the Challenger of Record, GB1 and the Italian Challenger Luna Rossa.

Quotes from the Opening Ceremony:

Mayor of Cagliari: Massimo Zedda
Residents will be able to enjoy not only the views and scenic vistas, but also the expertise and technical skills associated with boats of extraordinary beauty and charm in our Bay of Angels. In this way, starting with this occasion, there will be extraordinary visibility for the city and the entire region, and we can build on this as a further element of development and growth, beginning with shipbuilding, the nautical sector, the city of sailing, and the many professional skills and expertise—including international ones—that are already present and training in the Bay of Angels today.

Greetings and thanks to Luna Rossa, which has adopted Cagliari, and we have adopted them.

At sea, we help one another; we come to each other’s aid. Except for solo races, one must always set out in pairs or groups of two or more. And the sea is a metaphor for life: when there is a need or a necessity, one must throw a line to save someone in difficulty. Here we are, undertaking this important task thanks to the citizens, to manage their resources and use them wisely. Following the metaphor of the sea, we must have a destination - our Ithaca is to resolve people’s problems, help them in their daily lives, and offer hope and a sense of trust. For even though the world around us is difficult and complex, we are called upon to provide a response in this direction. Thank you, and welcome to Cagliari.

CEO of AMERICA’s Cup Partnership: Marzio Perrelli
Here we are. From Barcelona 2024 to Cagliari 2026. After two years, the America’s Cup boats are finally back on the water. They’re doing so in this wonderful setting, and there couldn’t be a better place to finally start competing again for these magnificent vessels you see here to my right. We arrived here a couple of weeks ago; there are a lot of us - almost 500 or 600, depending on whether we count all the teams plus the organisation.

We’ve been welcomed in a fantastic way, with tremendous hospitality, great professionalism, and great passion, so our first thanks go to everyone who made this event possible, from the institutions down to the volunteers, of whom there are so many.

This is a region with very deep roots that values the past and history highly, while looking toward the future - and that is exactly what the America’s Cup does. As we’ve heard, the America’s Cup is the oldest sporting competition in the world and has a glorious past that this new governance structure, this new organisation, must honour and build upon for the future.

So we must make this Cup ever more brilliant in a sports and media landscape that is constantly changing. Part of the Cup’s DNA is that it is a traveling event. So we don’t have a permanent home, but we are guests in various countries, and as a representative of the Cup - but above all as an Italian - I am truly grateful to the country because for the first time we will have the Cup here. And so, in this case, our thanks certainly go to the government, to the Ministry of Sport and Youth, to the Campania region, to the city of Naples, to the city of Cagliari, and to the Sardinia region.

In addition to the sporting results - which are fundamental for us - we always strive to have two or three other objectives. The first is to leave something tangible in the places we visit, and the second is to bring women and young people closer to the sport. We’ll have teams where the female and youth components are very, very important. And so this is a goal that I believe all the stakeholders here share with us. I can only wish you all a great time because, for me, sport is above all fun and the joy of living. We set off today on a crossing that takes us from here to Naples with the privilege of having all of you on board. I’d also like to thank Rai and Sky for bringing these wonderful images into Italian homes, so fair winds to everyone, and thank you.

President of Sport e Salute: Marco Mezzaroma
Coming here to Cagliari, a seaside city much like Naples, is always a deeply moving experience. This relay between these two Mediterranean gems - Cagliari and Naples - is also special and beautiful. The sea before us always stirs powerful emotions.

It certainly evokes a sense of infinity, but it also evokes a sense of challenge, and the America’s Cup is undoubtedly a challenge. It certainly was for us at Sport e Salute when, for the first time, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Sport approached us to explore the possibility of bringing this prestigious event to Italy; it certainly was for the city of Naples, Mayor Manfredi, and the Campania Region when they agreed to embark on this journey with us; and it is now for the city of Cagliari and the Sardinia Region. It is a sporting challenge, certainly, and a technological challenge that holds so many meanings. I must say that it is particularly exciting to be here today because the moment has arrived for which we have all worked together with a great spirit of institutional collaboration. The time for the sea has come, the time for the wind has come, the time for competition has come, the time for the challenge has come. So fair winds to all.

Mayor of Naples: Gaetano Manfredi
I must say I’m truly excited and happy to be able to bring greetings from my city here today in Cagliari. A heartfelt thank you to Alessandra and Massimo, with whom we’ve shared - and continue to share - so much in common. A thank you to the government and to Minister Abodi. We embarked on this adventure together to bring the America’s Cup to Italy. It was a tough competition, but in the end we succeeded, because when Italians set their minds to doing something, they ultimately win—and this is something that is truly important to us. And I am particularly pleased—and I say this not only from my own personal perspective but also on behalf of the city I have the great privilege of leading, and all the people of Naples—that we have been able to share this wonderful journey with Cagliari. Because Cagliari is a friendly city, the region of Sardinia is a city friendly to Campania because we are people of the sea, and when I think of these spaceships we see in our sea competing for the America’s Cup—and thus for the future—I think back to millennia ago, three thousand years ago, when this very same sea was traversed by the Phoenicians, the Greeks, and the peoples who founded our cities. We are heirs to an extraordinary tradition. This sea was the cradle of Western civilization, but this great responsibility means that looking to the future, bringing this great competition to Italy and doing so together, means looking at a very important perspective: Italy at the centre of the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean once again a great place of peace and a great place of prosperity for all the peoples bordering the Mediterranean. The America’s Cup will be a major sporting competition—as mentioned earlier, the oldest in the world—and it will be a major organizational challenge that we will undertake together with Sport e Salute and all the institutions, because it is an extremely complex competition. But it will also be a great challenge of responsibility, peace, and the future—both for us and for the cities we represent, for our country—and we will put the sea back at the centre of our future. This is something that cities like ours experience every day, and we know that seafaring peoples are those who know how to overcome difficulties but always reach out to everyone. Thank you

President of the Region of Campania: Roberto Fico 
First of all, I’d like to thank the mayor of Cagliari, the President of the region, and the entire regional government for their hospitality, and for making this day possible through their hard work and meticulous planning that has brought us to this point. There are two major challenges: the first is the sporting one that the sailors will face when the America’s Cup arrives in Naples - there will be a great race, a major sailing event - and that is the challenge the teams will face, and we’ll see who wins. And then there is an institutional challenge, which is a challenge for all of us - for the government that secured the America’s Cup’s arrival in Italy, for Sport e Salute, for the city of Naples and Mayor Manfredi, for the Campania Region, and for all of us who have signed this protocol together today. The great challenge is not only to manage a major event in the best possible way, but also to try to leave real wealth in the region. These should not be fleeting events, but ones that can also ensure a so-called wind of development and continuity in our region. And this is the great challenge we must embrace: striving to ensure widespread prosperity, to secure more infrastructure and greater wealth for all, and to host a major event that fosters a healthy economy across our entire region - cultural, economic, social, and environmental - where everyone can participate and feel supported, from the most vulnerable groups to the young people who need to play sports, to those new to sailing, and to all the small and large activities that bring a community together - the community we represent, the community we defend, and upon which even the major events that come here must be able to build a solid foundation and fertile ground. This is our great institutional challenge, and I know that together with the City of Naples, the Government, and the Region, we will tackle it in the best possible way.

Minister of Tourism: Gianmarco Mazzi
Today we are launching a major opportunity for Italy linked to one of the most valuable forms of tourism: sports tourism, a true strategic driver for the country’s growth. Here in Cagliari, the exciting ‘Road to Naples 2027’ begins. Sardinia, home to the world’s most beautiful beach, is a pearl of the Mediterranean, ideal for sailing and tourism, thanks to its stunning natural beauty and perfect conditions for sports. This event will be a real opportunity for a region that the Ministry of Tourism, following the infamous Cyclone Harry, is supporting with the international promotional campaign “Welcome to the dream, welcome to Italy.” The data shows that sports tourism generates over 12 billion euros annually and is growing rapidly. In the last year, it increased by 8%. Visitor numbers reached 42 million, a 4% increase. These figures demonstrate Italy’s ability to attract, inspire, and compete through sports—which is not just about competition. It is about culture, identity, values, and regions. We have seen this with the success of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, the international tennis tournaments in Rome, and the ATP Finals in Turin. And it is within this strategic framework that an extraordinary challenge like the 2027 America’s Cup in Naples fits. We are talking about the oldest international sports trophy in the world, a competition that combines history, innovation, the sea, technology, and global reputation. For Italy, hosting it means showcasing a maritime tradition, over 8,000 km of coastline, historic ports, nautical expertise of the highest calibre, and an industry that has reached a record turnover of 8.5 billion euros with exports totalling 4.5 billion. With the America’s Cup, the captivating and spectacular views of the Bay of Naples - its sea, sun, coastline, and sky - will be broadcast across the globe, promoting the true icons of our Italy, the very sights most beloved by international tourists who will be captivated by them. We must be ready to welcome them. Naples will take centre stage - one of Europe’s oldest UNESCO World Heritage cities. A symbol of beauty, culture, hospitality, and Mediterranean identity. The estimates speak for themselves: the America’s Cup is projected to generate a total economic impact of 700 million euros in the short term, rising to 1.5 billion in subsequent years. Direct tourist spending is estimated at 370 million euros, thanks to an expected influx of about 1 million visitors, of whom up to 500,000 will be attending the regatta, with a projected 11,000 jobs, both temporary and permanent. But in 2027 - 2028, Naples faces another challenge within the challenge, much like that of Italian cuisine: our government will officially launch the bid to designate the Neapolitan folk song as UNESCO heritage. And it will aim to bring back “roots tourism” - the descendants of Italians abroad who wish to see their places of origin. I conclude with the hope that this competition embodies the spirit of epic challenges: a clear course, a united crew, and favourable seas. Long live the America’s Cup, long live Cagliari, long live Naples, and fair winds to Italy!

President of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia: Alessandra Todde.
Welcome to Cagliari, as our Mayor has already said. Welcome to Sardinia. Welcome to the 38th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup, Sardinia Preliminary Regatta. I would like to greet Minister Bonomi, the Minister of Tourism, Gianmarco Mazzi, the Mayor of Cagliari, Massimo Zedda, the Prefect, the religious authorities, our bishop, the President of the Campania Region, Roberto Fico, the President of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi, the President of Sport e Salute, Marco Mezzaroma, the CEO of America’s Cup Events, Marco Perelli, the international delegations, the crews, the civil and military authorities, the choir and orchestra, and everyone here with us tonight.

Today is a historic day for Sardinia, for Cagliari, for the entire Mediterranean, because the America’s Cup is not only the most important sailing competition in the world, but also the oldest. It is the place where technology, research, sustainability, industrial capacity, innovation, training, entertainment, and regional identity come together. And that is exactly why we wanted to be here. When Naples won the right to host the 38th edition of the America’s Cup months ago, we immediately envisioned that this extraordinary opportunity could become a shared project among regions bordering the same sea and facing common challenges.

From there, intensive work began among institutions, administrations, organizers, and operational structures. Work built day by day, with a simple conviction: Sardinia has all the characteristics to become one of the natural home bases for this event. We want a Sardinia that is increasingly portrayed as a land capable of attracting investment, research, major events, businesses, expertise, and young talent.

We want a Sardinia that stops seeing itself as a periphery and finally begins to perceive itself for what it truly is: a central and strategic region in the Mediterranean. For too long, the islands have defined themselves solely through their limitations, their geographical distance, their costs, and their logistical challenges. We are trying to change this narrative, because the Mediterranean is once again becoming a central space—a place crisscrossed by energy, digital, commercial, and cultural routes.

And within this transformation, Sardinia wants to be where decisions are made and opportunities are built. The America’s Cup speaks exactly this language. Behind these extraordinary boats lies not just sport, but materials research, artificial intelligence, data analysis, advanced engineering, meteorology, energy sustainability—and I could go on.

There are universities, research centres, innovative companies, and highly specialized expertise. There is an ecosystem that generates economic growth, skilled employment, and knowledge. And we have a duty to create opportunities that connect our young people with these worlds. That is why we view events like this as something far deeper than a mere sporting event.

They are catalysts for international engagement, vision, and development. And then there is another fundamental element: we wanted this opening ceremony to capture the soul of Sardinia. Soon, the streets of Cagliari will be filled with our identity - drummers, launeddas, a singer-songwriter, and the masks of the traditional Barbagia carnival. We will see profound pieces of our history paraded within one of the most modern and international events on the planet.

And it is a choice that speaks volumes about our vision for the future. We do not believe that identity and innovation are in conflict. We believe that a community becomes strong when it manages to build its roots while simultaneously opening up to the world. Tonight, the Bastion of Saint Remy symbolically becomes the place where all of this comes together. The sea we see before us has often been a theatre of conflict throughout history.

We want it to return to being, above all, a space for encounter. And Sardinia, at the heart of the Mediterranean, feels this responsibility deeply. I thank everyone who worked to make this event possible: my tourism councillor, my vice president who holds the purse strings and who, had he not truly believed in this event, would not have made it possible, along with my entire council and the regional council who believed in it.

All that remains is for me to truly wish fair winds to all the teams and a great America’s Cup to everyone

Minister for Sport and Youth: Andrea Abodi
Thank you to the people of Cagliari and Sardinia for your customary hospitality. Thank you for the sense of excitement in this square, which, as has already been said, evokes a sense of the infinite, of the values of the sea, and of the values of this generous land that the Sardinians have known how to preserve, cherish, and pass down. An emotion that is renewed every time we stand before you, or before any audience, to speak of something we have dreamed of, conceived, desired, and are now bringing to life.

As we speak, there is construction in Bagnoli that thrives on the hard work of men and women and that stands as living proof.

We are here with the emotion of a beating heart, of quickening breaths, in harmony with the wind that fills these marvellous boats I have told you about. It is beautiful to see them all together in this sea. It will be wonderful to see the final of these Match Race preliminaries leading up to the America’s Cup.

It is the result of the collaboration between institutions that we have mentioned many times, and I repeat it once more: I hope it serves as a source of inspiration so that this spirit may be renewed in other moments as well—not so much in the diversity of our thoughts, but in the richness of our shared heritage, which must nourish us in the pursuit of the good, the pursuit of beauty, and the pursuit of creating value—value for the individual, value for all. It is not merely economic value; it is also civic value and moral value, which I believe is the true energy we need to face the challenges of tomorrow.

We are living through a time intensely and dramatically marked by the denial of life in all its forms. We are here also to affirm the value of life and to make it available in what is not merely a sporting competition, but a testament to values. You cannot span the centuries without this ability to preserve value, memory, and prestige. 1851 and 2026 are two watershed moments that define the very essence of this organization, for which we are grateful to those who organised it.

In the spirit of tradition and now also in the spirit of evolution and vision, because what we must be able to guarantee through our contribution is the future, continuity. The fact that a broader platform is emerging—that of the America’s Cup Partnership—is precisely a sign of this commitment to preserving tradition and, just as has happened with the boats, looking toward the future, toward innovation, and toward technology as a driver of development, never losing sight of the human dimension that is central to its deepest essence. This will find its culmination in Cagliari and then in Naples, because I assure you - and you will see - you will measure it, we will all together make the America’s Cup something that goes far beyond the prestigious competition symbolically represented by those trophies that have left their mark on memory and sparked the enthusiasm of the general public - even those not passionate about sailing - precisely because history has marked its intrinsic, profound value.

How important it is to preserve this in a fast-paced daily life, just like the boats we will see this weekend. Fortunately, these values can be preserved on the premise that their perpetuation represents the cultural foundation through which we coexist in diversity, even within the logic of competition that is never in conflict. Our thanks go to all the local governments, to the volunteers - who are indispensable for any sporting event, and all the more so for this one - to the sponsors, and to everyone else who contributes.

A special thought goes out to all the team members, the team leaders, and the investors who, beyond the financial aspects, I believe are driven by principles and values that transcend the purely material.

It is the intrinsic value of this competition—which we are convinced we will be able to further enhance—that will allow Italy to once again take centre stage on the world stage, following the wonderful experiences of recent years with the Milan-Cortina Olympics and Paralympics, and even earlier, the Ryder Cup, which preceded them and was nonetheless a pivotal event.

But we are looking ahead, precisely in the spirit of the Mediterranean evoked by all those who spoke before me, because from August 21 to September 30, the Mediterranean Games in Taranto will be another opportunity to reaffirm the centrality of our sea, which we hope will be restored to that sense of lost humanity, transforming it from a place all too often associated with death into a place of life rediscovered.

During this event, in which we will also celebrate our rediscovered joy, we will gather again before the end of the year, from September 24 to 27, for the second round of preliminaries in Nisida—once again in Naples, already in Naples, as a preview, as a test to put to the test what we are already certain will be the organizational capacity of that venue. Our thanks, therefore, go to FICO President, to Mayor Manfredi, dear Gaetano.

You were right to recall where it all began. It stems from that passion, in the sense of also providing opportunities far beyond, as you said, the competition, because we are convinced that this 38th America’s Cup will foster an appreciation of the sea in all its facets, extending beyond the sporting aspect to embrace its cultural and institutional dimensions, allowing tourists to appreciate even more another side of what Italy has to offer in certain areas.

And I assure you - I say this also to the teams and to Marzio Perrelli of the entire America’s Cup Partnership - our vision goes beyond; our way of dreaming already extends beyond the 2026 America’s Cup, because we nurture the ambition to earn your trust in the future as well, because the investments we are making are not merely financial but, above all, based on values, and they deserve yet another opportunity.