The blue wave over Naples: Luna Rossa soars and the Gulf daydreams.

Naples – There was a moment this afternoon when the stretch of sea between Castel dell'Ovo and Posillipo transformed into a perfect mirror of water, capable of deceiving even the most experienced sailors. Margherita Porro of the Lina Rossa Women & Youth Team had already dubbed it "a crazy sea" on the first day of the regatta.

After yesterday's light winds forced the judges to cancel a race, the second day of America's Cup racing opened at a rapid pace, with four races scheduled to make up for lost time. And Naples, suspended over its gulf, held its breath. "I prefer it this way," Giovanni Santi, trimmer for Luna Rossa's Women & Youth crew, said immediately after the races. "All races in a row are better. Stopping like what happened on Day 1 is unnerving.

Thrilling race in the first race: Luna Rossa maintains its lead

The start wasn't without its thrills for Luna Rossa. In the first race of the day, the Italian boat appeared dazed for a few minutes, slipping to the back of the pack amid gusts and the course changes of its rivals. But it was only a brief moment of uncertainty, overcome with the coolness of the top teams. Having regained the favorable gusts with a comeback, Luna Rossa closed the gap, climbing positions and sealing the next races.

The result? A solid lead in the overall standings in the fleet race at the end of Day 2, and the enthusiasm of tens of thousands of fans erupted along the cliffs. The secrets of these treacherous waters were explained well, right off the bat, by Maria Giubilei, AC40 starter in the senior crew, in these pre-races: " The Naples race course is challenging and it's giving us some great things. On Sunday, we'll hit the water with a clear head and fresh mind: let's try to get two good starts, two good races, and see how it goes. The wind in courses like this is changeable."

770 spectators attended the Naples Olympics: data released by Tourism Councilor Teresa Armato.

But while the competitive battle is being waged at sea, on land Naples is winning its battle: that of organization and image. The spruced-up waterfront appears welcoming, elegant, and clean. This setting is reflected in the positive public response: initial figures released by Tourism Councilor Teresa Armato indicate a remarkable 770.000 tourists have arrived in the city, and people have been crowding every vantage point since morning, all the way up to the terraces of Posillipo.

A festive atmosphere also finds its heart in the #BeActive village, inaugurated yesterday in the Villa Comunale as part of the European Week of Sport, supported by Sport and Health. Among makeshift fields, themed villages, and educational trails, hundreds of children and families are rediscovering the joy of outdoor sports in a revitalized setting.

Minister of Sport Andrea Abodi: "Bringing sport into people's daily lives"

A vision also underscored by the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, who is currently attending the activities: "This is what the Government is asking us to do: bring sport into people's daily lives, in Naples and throughout Italy. This commitment is expanding and demonstrates how large events and grassroots activities can integrate seamlessly into extraordinary contexts like this."

The organizational machine is good: the problem remains that of transport in the metropolitan area

Behind the bright lights of recent days, the spotlight remains on structural issues the city still needs to resolve. Mayor Gaetano Manfredi has promoted the maintenance of the organizational structure along Naples' urban lines, but has not hidden the thorn in the side of connections with the province and the metropolitan area: "Today we need strong coordination on transportation, including within the metropolitan area. We have, in fact, established a working group with the Region to discuss these issues and see how we can overcome the critical issues. We are well aware that the Circumvesuviana has experienced some very difficult times, and increasingly, integration of schedules and service is needed. This is the real challenge: it won't happen quickly, but we are moving decisively in this direction."

Naples is ready for the final day with its heart in its throat for Luna Rossa's final gybes, and with the awareness of being a strong international sports capital, capable of looking to the future without hiding its limitations.

Anna Maria Di Luca