ROME (AP) — The next America’s Cup will be held off Naples, Italy, in 2027, holder Team New Zealand announced on Thursday.
It will be the 38th edition of the world’s most famous regatta and the first time it has been held in the Mediterranean country.
New Zealand had the right to pick the venue after winning its third straight cup in Barcelona last year.
The cup holder said the races will be staged in the spring and summer of 2027. In its statement, the team said the races “will take place under the watchful shadow of Mt Vesuvius and just off the waterfront of the vibrant city.”
Italy's Luna Rossa has been one of the top boats in recent cups. Its yacht fell one step short of reaching the cup final in Barcelona, where the beachfront was teeming with Italian fans. Britannia beat Luna Rossa to reach the final, where it lost to the Kiwis.
The America's Cup is the world’s oldest international sports trophy. It dates to 1851 when the schooner America bested the Royal Yacht Squadron around the Isle of Wight. Only four countries have won it, including the Australians and Swiss.
Barcelona's municipal government opted not to bid to host another cup just days after Team New Zealand culminated its three-peat, citing costs and amid a protests against so-called “overtourism.”
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The Associated Press
