CEO of Team Emirates New Zealand talks to DN: “Italy is the best market for the America’s Cup” – Video

Lost among a crowd of enthusiastic visitors at the 65th Genova Boat Show, a man wearing a blue polo with the America’s Cup logo on it and an Emirates Team New Zealand baseball cap wanders around the stands. A visitor like many others at first glance, if it wasn’t for the fact that this New Zealander is the man who brought a team to life, a team that many other competitors from all around the world have tried, and failed, to take away the Holy Grail of sailing races: the America’s Cup.

This is Grant Dalton, the man who lead Emirates Team New Zealand in winning four America’s Cups, including the latest (the 37th) in Barcelona in 2024. In addition to his role as CEO of the defending team for the world’s oldest sailing trophy, Dalton is also CEO of America’s Cup Event (ACE) the America’s Cup event organiser.

This key person for this iconic sailing event, taking place in Naples in 2027, is in Genova to present his partnership with Confindustria Nautica, which which ACE will work to identify industrial, commercial and technical collaboration opportunities with institutes and businesses working in the Italian boating industry. And the Daily Nautica team got the chance to interview him.

“In my whole life – says Dalton – I have only gone to two boat shows, I know it seems strange! One in Venice and this one here (editor’s note: 65th Genova Boat show) I’m shocked. The boating industry in Italy is incredibly strong, maybe even he strongest in the world.”

Choosing Italy as the location for the next edition of the event stems from real data in the country’s interest in this event. According to the CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, 25% of media content regarding the America’s Cup in Barcelona was watched by the Italian public, a sign of interest that makes Italy “the biggest market” for the event.

“The merit – explains the CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand –  goes to those who wrote the history of this competition, from Azzurra to the Moro di Venezia, through to recent editions with the Luna Rossa. With this premise, after Barcelona we began to look to Italy as the possible location ofr the next edition, hoping for some government support as well. We evaluated a number of options, bu Naples, with the passion of its people, its charmingly extraordinary city and a gulf which is a natural amphitheatre, revealed itself to be a natural choice for us.”

Daily Nautica then asked Dalton to share some information on how preparations are going for the defenders of the Cup, his team, Emirates New Zealand. “Obviously – notes Dalton – we will always say things are going well!” But I have been working in this field for a long time, and I think I can judge the teams organisation pretty well. In eight months, we have made a number of changes to the team, because its needs to be strengthened, even with the doubts of finding someone better than the person being replaced.”

“I think we have found the right mix – concludes the CEO of Emirates team New Zealand – and honestly, I can say say that this team is, already, better than the one we had in Barcelona. Even from the technology point of view, our team has already taken steps forward: the fastest boat will win the America’s Cup, and this will never change. If we had to race tomorrow, we would already be considerably faster than in Barcelona.”

In spite of his calibre, or maybe because of it, Grant Dalton is an extremely amiable and friendly man, who replied to Daily Nautica’s questions in detail, sitting on the terrace of the showground and talking about the longed for America’s Cup.

“The full video interview is subtitled in all languages: in order to choose your preferred langaugae, click on settings, subtitles, and then automated translation.

by Francesca Pradelli