‘Races in front of the crowds like never before; Luna Rossa and New Zealand are the favourites’

Who better than him to describe the atmosphere of Naples and sailing? Francesco de Angelis began sailing in the very waters that are the setting for the preliminary races. His victory in the One Ton Cup aboard ‘Brava’, the boat owned by Pasquale Landolfi – another true-blue Neapolitan with close ties to Italian sailing – was a historic one. Francesco was helmsman for Luna Rossa during its first three historic campaigns, making his debut in Auckland and winning the Louis Vuitton Cup with the first Luna Rossa, which had earned the nickname ‘Silver Bullet’.

What opportunities lie ahead for Naples?

It is a city that has been on the world map for centuries as one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in the world. The Cup certainly puts it even more in the spotlight. It is an opportunity to reach out to an even wider audience and establish it as a benchmark.

Looking at it the other way round, what will take Napoli to the Cup?

I’d say there’ll be a turnout like we’ve only seen in Auckland. The crowd in New Zealand was huge and really knowledgeable; our audience, on the other hand, is often coming to sailing for the first time, but they’re incredibly passionate and will be able to watch the races from the seafront. In Naples, the race course isn’t in front of a harbour – it’s right in front of the city. People watch the races from the terraces and windows of this natural amphitheatre too. In short, these races take place right amongst the spectators – which is exactly what the Cup has always sought to achieve. New Zealand was beautiful but different – a spectacular, fantastic natural setting. Those who chose Naples saw all the conditions in place for the public to be closer than ever before.