A second Italian yacht club has voiced its interest in joining the America’s Cup competition in Naples in 2027, but will need an invitation to do so.
Yacht Club Gaeta EVS has confirmed a partnership with Argo Challenge with the intention of launching teams of international sailors with physical disabilities for the Women’s and Youth America’s Cups. The club is based in Gaeta, north of Naples.
“This is a feasible challenge, since the type of vessel allows it to be safely sailed even by sailors with physical disabilities,” Brazilian two-time Olympic medallist sailor turned politician Lars Grael said.
“There are excellent athletes who, with adequate training, can be competitive despite their disabilities. With sailing excluded from the Paralympic Games, there is no longer a high-level platform for disabled sailors, and Argo Challenge also wants to promote this sport. Argo will have my full support, as always.”
As it stands, Athena Racing, the Challenger of Record from Britain, and Italy’s Luna Rossa are sure contenders for Naples, while France’s K-Challenge have been sailing their AC40, which suggests they are gearing up for another campaign.
Swiss syndicate Alinghi remain an unknown after suggesting they would be leaving the arena again. However, they recently confirmed Red Bull’s shareholdings in the team had been sold and they would proceed under the single name again rather than Alinghi Red Bull Racing. The New York Yacht Club’s American Magic have also not yet confirmed their participation in Naples after fronting in both AC75 campaigns so far.
Argo Challenge aims to be on the starting line for the two regattas contested in the one-design AC40 set-ups, as well as racing in the preliminary events in which the AC40s will be the vessel of competition. Those preliminary regattas have not yet been confirmed; however, the protocol indicates three preliminary regattas are intended to be held in 2026 and potentially two in 2027 before the main event.
For those three in 2026 and the possibility of one in early 2027, AC40s will be raced before they move to AC75s for the final preliminary regattas, which will be held in Naples immediately before the challenger series.
Should Argo Challenge be able to put the pieces in place to make their goal a reality, they would need to receive an invitation to compete. For the America’s Cup in Barcelona, Women’s and Youth fleets were comprised of representatives from the six America’s Cup teams and six invited yacht clubs from around the world. All invited teams entered crews into both AC40 regattas.
There is the added hurdle of the nationality rule, which states 100% of the crews in the Women’s and Youth America’s Cup teams must be from the nation where their yacht club is based.
The Herald understands the group has been in touch with the Defender of the Auld Mug, Emirates Team New Zealand, and consideration could be given around the nationality rule to allow them to compete if they can put an AC40 team together.
The addition would help to bring para-sailing back into the spotlight after it was dropped from the Paralympic Games schedule before the Tokyo 2020 Games, contested in 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. There is a campaign to have it reinstated on the programme for the Brisbane Games in 2032, which has plenty of support.
In Barcelona last year, blind Spanish sailor Dani Anglada Pich launched his Yes We Sail project to promote para-sailing and support the campaign to reintroduce it to the Paralympics. Team NZ chief executive Grant Dalton supported the project as it was launched alongside a sailing dinghy adapted for people with visual impairments.
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.