#AC38 - AC40 trainings : Diego Botín: “In Naples, it won’t just be about speed”

La Roche-Posay Racing Team’s sailing crew arrived in Naples on Tuesday and have now settled into the base that will become the team’s home for the months ahead, as preparations continue towards the 38th America’s Cup in 2027.
With the second Preliminary Regatta taking place from 24 to 27 September, the French team is spending four intensive days training on the AC40 on the waters off Naples.
Helmsman alongside Quentin Delapierre, Diego Botín is discovering Naples for the first time and returning to the AC40 — a boat he had never sailed before the 2026 season. He shares his first impressions.

It was your first time sailing in Naples. What did you make of the racecourse?
Diego : "It was a really good first day. The sailing conditions here are incredible and I was particularly impressed by the racecourse.
There is a lot to play with in terms of the wind, which means the racing will not simply be about outright speed. You will also need to make the most of the conditions and the shifts in the breeze. That is what makes this racecourse so interesting."

You are also back on the AC40 after several weeks focused on the AC75. How does it feel?
"It had been a while since we last sailed the AC40, so these next few days are important for us to get back into the boat and rediscover the feeling on board.
For me, it is still a relatively new boat, as I had never sailed an AC40 before this year. So every opportunity to get back on board is valuable and gives me the chance to keep learning".

You will also be training alongside some of the other teams over the coming days…
"Yes, we will be continuing our training here alongside Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa and Alinghi.
It is a very good opportunity for us to keep preparing ahead of the regatta and to build more time on the water at the actual competition venue."

Naples is now becoming your new base. How are you approaching this next stage of the campaign?
"It is my first time sailing in Naples. It is very hot and the environment feels quite different from other European cities we are used to, but we will adapt quickly.
Most importantly, we have now arrived at the place where we will be based and preparing all the way through to the America’s Cup next year. So this is an important new chapter for the whole team.
And after this first day on the water, I can already say that the sailing conditions here are really impressive."