Gulf of Naples: after the America's Cup, the E1 will also try out

Naples, with its rich maritime history and vibrant passion for the sport, has just confirmed that it wants to see the hulls of the America's Cup return, this time for the main event, with the final signature to host the 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup scheduled for 2027.

Because of its characteristics, it has always been considered an ideal location for top-level nautical competitions. And it may not stop there. Work is already underway to ensure that one day it could also become the venue for the other 'queen' of world boat competitions of the moment: the E1 Series, the pioneering championship dedicated to electrically powered boats with foils. Declaring this from a trip to Japan, while the news is still on the front page in his native Naples, it is no coincidence that it is engineer Rodi Basso, Ceo of the E1 Series, a native Neapolitan manager who many years ago went on to make a name for himself at Nasa, in Ferrari and McLaren, until accepting Alejandro Agag's investiture to lead the innovative water world championship.

Now in its second season, this year's E1 World Championship features seven stops in Jeddah, Doha, Dubrovnik, Lake Maggiore, Monaco, Lagos and Miami and boasts team managers and testimonials of the calibre of Will Smith, Marc Anthony, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Rafa Nadal, Didier Drogba and Steve Aoki.

The two categories represent the technological avant-garde of hulls capable of flying on water and, in Basso's dreams and intentions, there is now the desire to try to cross bows no less than in the busy waters of the famous gulf. There are non-random similarities between the two series: both competitions embody engineering excellence and the quest for maximum performance on the water, albeit with a different focus on propulsion. "There is still much to be done, but there is a concrete transformation taking place that is bringing many tourists to the city, to the most touristic and cultural areas, making Naples safer and more attractive," Basso comments. "For some time we have been in contact with various entities to realise the dream of competing in one of the most beautiful sea theatres in the world. Both with local governors, with entrepreneurs who are local but international in scope, and of course with some multinationals. We are therefore also working in this direction and now more than ever it would make sense to do so. If we succeed, E1 would also contribute to the economic impact of the city, with all the tourists and fans being able to watch our show and our international guests. All in all it would be a great achievement.

Speaking of the sailing tradition in Naples, "it makes me happy to think that there are some prestigious clubs, including one of which I have been honoured to be a member for more than 30 years, such as the Circolo del Remo della Vela Italia, which will certainly play an important role in organising and giving even greater prestige to the initiative.