Sailing-New Zealand to defend America's Cup in July 2027 in Italy's Naples

ROME, Jan 21 : The final series of the America's Cup will start on July 10 next year in the southern Italian city of Naples, defending champions New Zealand said on Wednesday.

Emirates Team New Zealand, who have won the last three editions of the event, will take on the winner of a challenge event that will also be held in Naples.

Four teams - Britain's GB1, Italy's Luna Rossa, Swiss Tudor Team Alinghi, and K-Challenge from France - have lined up to earn the opportunity to challenge for the America's Cup in 2027, although more entries could be added before the end of January deadline.

The 38th America's Cup, which is sponsored by Louis Vuitton, will see teams returning to race in AC75 foiling monohulls. The Louis Vuitton Cup will decide which of the challengers earns the right to race the defenders in the America's Cup Match.

Italy will be hosting the event for the first time.

Teams will be based in Bagnoli, a neighbourhood in western Naples, and it will be a major opportunity to help relaunch an impoverished, former industrial area in Italy's main southern city.

New Zealand said last year they would no longer seek to host the next competition due to a lack of economic support from the government.

The big question is whether a team from the U.S. will decide to take part. Funding a challenge can cost up to a cap of  75 million euros ($87 million).

The teams involved will get a first chance to test each other out in a preliminary regatta contested in smaller AC40 foiling monohulls which is to be held in the Sardinian capital of Cagliari this May.

Cagliari is the home base of Italy's Luna Rossa, a team that enjoys financial backing from Italian fashion group Prada.

(Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Alvise Armellini and Toby Chopra)