A partnership built on shared commitments to innovation, sustainability and inclusion and driving impact beyond the competition
Milan, 02 April 2026 - Following the success of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup in Barcelona in 2024, UniCredit will support the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples as Global Partner and Global Banking Partner, reinforcing its long-term commitment to the competition and complex, high-profile international projects.
The partnership between UniCredit and the America's Cup is built on shared values, with a clear focus on innovation, sustainability, and inclusion, while also providing a concrete framework in which financial expertise, execution capability and multi-stakeholder coordination are central to delivery.
In previous editions, the America's Cup has combined sporting excellence with initiatives supporting the Blue Economy, community development and alignment with the sustainability objectives defined by World Sailing under the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
The event has also acted as a testing ground for technological innovation, including the progressive adoption of low environmental impact solutions, experimentation with zero-emission sailing platforms, and the application of advanced technologies.
As part of the current Protocol that governs the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup, the program also includes the continued usage of a dedicated hydrogen-powered vessel, underlining the growing relevance of alternative energy solutions and sustainable finance within capital-intensive projects.
The America's Cup is the world's oldest international sporting contest as well as being one of the most widely followed international sporting events, with a global audience reaching hundreds of millions of viewers in recent editions.
Europe continues to have a strong and growing presence of teams, including across Youth and Women's America's Cup regattas. Within this context, UniCredit's role as a global partner reflects the pan-European scale of the Group, its strong positioning across multiple countries, and its extensive international client base.
The partnership is consistent with UniCredit's solid operating performance and sustained growth in recent years, and with its ability to support complex projects across jurisdictions and sectors. The framework leading up to 2027 includes a series of initiatives requiring close coordination between public and private stakeholders at local and national level, alongside increasingly sophisticated financial, technical, and organisational requirements—areas in which execution reliability and long-term financial sustainability are critical.
Andrea Orcel, Group CEO at UniCredit, said: "The America's Cup is a competition with a unique history and prestige, and a true benchmark for excellence, teamwork and innovation. We are especially proud to play our part in bringing this event to Italy for the first time - a country that is the beating heart of our bank's progress and the future we are building. Once again, we are pleased to partner with an event that embodies our purpose and provides a platform to deliver meaningful, sustainable impact well beyond the competition. This is a historic first for Italy and an opportunity that we are committed to championing for the communities we serve".
Grant Dalton, Chairman of the America's Cup Partnership Board said: "What is going to be key to the future of the America's Cup is working with great partners for the long-term and to build sustainable commercial futures together. In UniCredit we deeply value their long-term perspective as well as their shorter-term dynamism and it's a great ratification of the new America's Cup Partnership to have UniCredit come onboard for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples. Their support in Barcelona, particularly with the Youth America's Cup was sensational and it's a relationship built on similar shared values, principles and ethics. We welcome UniCredit once again and very much look forward to working with them during the transformation of Naples - one of the truly great sailing venues in the world".
Enquiries:
UniCredit MediaRelations@unicredit.eu