The America’s Cup is going to Naples, but what will sailing conditions be? We get an insider’s guide 

The America’s Cup is going to Naples, but the key question is: will there be wind? We get an exclusive insider’s guide to the prevailing sailing conditions from local Naples legend and race officer Luciano Cosentino

When it was confirmed last week that the 38th America’s Cup would be held in Naples, Italy, the announcement was widely welcomed. The Italians’ enduring passion for the Cup – demonstrated by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s involvement – would, many hope, translate into a vibrant and well-supported event. A European time zone should hopefully boost the event’s broadcast appeal and perhaps help entice more teams to return from AC37.

What’s more, it means the America’s Cup is not going to be a generously funded but potentially very light airs event in the Middle East.

Conditions in Barcelona last summer were tricky, to say the least. Teams and fans spent many hours waiting for the breeze to fill in and for Race Committee announcer Melanie Roberts to utter her famous phrase “We have met the wind limit, and this race is live.” 

So what sailing conditions can we expect in Naples?

The first clues came very quickly after the announcement with images from the Regata dei Tre Golfi – an annual regatta that includes inshore racing for ORC classes and a 170-mile offshore for Maxis. And photos of the big boats powered up as the set off from the Bay of Naples under spinnaker in 15 knots certainly look promising.

Naples has also previously hosted two America’s Cup World Series events in 2012 and 2013. Reporting from the 2012 event, Matthew Sheahan described the location: “The venue here in Naples is superb, both for spectators and sailors. Open to the sea, the westerly breeze is clean and the sailing area free from obstructions.”

But the Cup Challenger series and match won’t be decided over a single week, so what are the prevailing conditions over the summer?

Paola Desiderio, a Yacht Club Officer for the Naples and Salerno area, chatted to Naples sailing legend and highly respected Race Officer Luciano Cosentino for Yachting World about what to expect:

America’s Cup sailing area

“Traditionally regattas in Naples take place in the area in front of Castel dell’Ovo and Posillipo, in the Gulf Of Naples,” explains Consentino.

“The official [Cup] communication says the regattas will take place in that traditional area opposite Castel dell’Ovo, where the majority of Naples’ sailing clubs are based. It makes perfect sense as this area would offer the most picturesque image of the city, in view of Vesuvius and Castel dell’Ovo, with Capri visible in the distance..

“The problem is that, according to reports, the boats will be based in Bagnoli, north of Posillipo in the Gulf of Pozzuoli, that is a six-mile distance from the regatta field. The boats would have to be possibly towed from there, or sail to the regatta area in the Gulf of Naples. So being based in Bagnoli is not the most practical solution.

Naples sailing conditions

“Assuming that the regatta will take place 1 nautical mile or so out at sea, in the area directly in front of Castel dell’ Ovo in the Gulf of Naples, where it will be visible by the public from the Lungomare, the best conditions in my experience are typically between mid-May and mid June,” says Consentino.

“In these months typically the thermal breeze blowing onshore settles between 1230 and 1430 and typically reaches speeds of 10-15 knots, which is an ideal scenario for the AC75s. It is enough to ‘take off’ on the foils, but not enough to risk causing damage.

“Typically between 1230-1400 the thermal breeze comes in from 200-210 degrees, straight from the visible islands of Capri or Ischia. Unless it rains or there is a lot of humidity in the air on the day of the races – or or in the days before – these kinds of conditions are what we normally get.

“Generally by the time we get to mid-May, up to mid-June, we get this typical thermal onshore breeze, which moves like a sunflower with the sun to 220, 230, 240 degrees, as we go into the afternoon. Until, occasionally, the Mistral comes in and that is when things get more complicated for the organisers. If this happens the racing area might have to be moved further out at sea.

“When the Mistral comes in, from 270, up to 300 degrees, in other words from north-west, it is hard to place the top mark upwind in the typical racing area, at a distance of 1nm from the coast. This is because there is no space to place the windward mark opposite Posillipo. The coastline under Posillipo creates a rotation, which changes the direction of the wind.

“So with the Mistral blowing on shore, the whole racing area will have to be moved further out at sea. This would create a headache for the organisers, media operation, commercial traffic etc.”

Current in Gulf of Naples

“In Naples, it is rare to find currents that are not in line with the direction of the wind. The only exception is when a strong offshore wind has been blowing for the preceding days. In that case it takes time for the current to align with the direction of the new wind.

“During the America’s Cup this could happen, but it would only affect the first start or so. It is not a condition that lasts long, once the prevailing wind becomes established.”

Late summer in Naples

“I would exclude racing in August, as it is Italy’s holiday month and the traffic at sea in the area is impossible to control, with hundreds of commercial ferries and private yachts and boats heading towards the regatta area on their way to Capri.

“September is a month of light winds. Potentially more unstable, with typically thermal breezes between 8-12 knots. October is as unstable as April.”

Local politics

Consentino also notes that there is some complex local politics involved – with something of a stalemate at the Italian Sailing Federation regional ‘V Zone’ in Naples, which is currently led by a temporary administration after recent elections didn’t lead to a consensus over a new president.

“Rivalry among the clubs and internal political strife are not conducive towards a working administration. This is certainly a problem that requires a solution before an event of such magnitude can take place,” he points out.

Luciano Cosentino

Luciano Cosentino, now in his 80s, is a revered figure in Italian competitive sailing. The Cosentino family is synonymous with sailing excellence: his father Roberto and uncle Antonio took Olympic bronze medals in the Dragon class. As a Senior Race Officer, Luciano is widely respected for his deep knowledge of racing rules and conditions in the Bay of Naples.

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