Luna Rossa heads to the 2027 America's Cup, helmsmen Tita and Gradoni: "Naples will win in 2027, maybe we will too."

"Naples will win in 2027, maybe we will too." This was the promise made by helmsmen Ruggero Tita and Marco Gradoni from the stage at the Trento Sports Festival, where the Luna Rossa crew discussed their preparations for the next America's Cup.

The event, titled “Dreaming of the America's Cup,” drew a packed house and offered a behind-the-scenes look at the challenge that awaits the team in the waters off Naples in 2027.

Tita, a multiple Olympic medalist, emphasized the complexity of a competition that combines sport and innovation. "On the boats, you only see the final part, but behind it lies years of design and construction." And the difference compared to the Games is clear: "At the Games, we race on 'one-design' boats where the athlete's skill shines, while the World Cup is a technological competition pushed to the limit."

For Gradoni, born in 2004 and one of the most anticipated young talents in Italian sailing, the America's Cup is "the Formula 1 of the sea" and requires "maximum mental commitment, coordination, but above all teamwork."

Training also involves the simulator, which is essential for maintaining continuity in training when conditions don't allow for going out on the water. But there remains one element that's impossible to control: the sea. Maria Giubilei reiterated this clearly: "As in every sport, we sailors strive for perfection. There's the human factor and the technological one, but we must always keep in mind that we depend on the wind and the sea. The real skill lies in accepting this."

In preparation for the Naples event, the team is also aiming to erase the mistakes of the past. "A major internal effort has been made in preparation for Naples 2027 to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past," the helmsmen explained.

Gradoni, however, doesn't hide his personal goal: "Today I just want to win, step by step. Sailing certainly isn't a sport that gets a lot of attention, but I'd like our challenge in Naples to change that."

Providing further impetus will be the relationship with the Neapolitan crowd, already a key presence during the preliminary regattas. "The support was incredible; people stopped us in the street. That 'thank you' is what we'll carry with us more than anything," the crew said.

And Naples itself could represent a unique element in the race for the Cup. Tita noted that playing at home can be an advantage, especially since Luna Rossa is the team that has sailed the most in Neapolitan waters. Then he quipped: "The disadvantage is that, if we win the cup, we won't bring it to Italy because it's already in Italy."