Louis Vuitton and TASCHEN honour the famous America's Cup

Limited to 825 copies, the Collector’s Edition of the exclusive America’s Cup Book is not just a book, but a tribute to the legend of the America’s Cup. Created in collaboration with Louis Vuitton, the 564-page volume tells the story of the oldest international sporting competition: from legendary skippers and visionary designers to groundbreaking technical innovations and previously unpublished anecdotes and images from the world of challengers and titleholders.

The design of the edition is a statement in itself: the hardcover is bound in cotton sailcloth, finished with silver edging and secured with a metal clasp crafted exclusively by Louis Vuitton. Measuring 33 x 43 cm and weighing 7.65 kilograms, the book itself is a collector’s item. It was designed by star designer Marc Newson – an impressive tribute to a unique competition.

Available from September 2025

How a regatta became a global spectacle

From a schooner to a flying high-tech yacht, from a gentleman’s game to a billion-dollar technology duel – the America’s Cup is a sporting curiosity. No other trophy can look back on such a long history, no other event in water sports so closely combines national pride, technological innovation, and economic power. The Cup is not a tournament, but a duel – between defender and challenger, between tradition and progress.

A journey into the past: winning streaks, turning points and symbols

The myth began in 1851 with the victory of the yacht America in a race for a silver cup made in London and donated by a British yacht club. Renamed the America’s Cup, the trophy moved to the United States, where it remained for 132 years. The New York Yacht Club defended the cup 24 times, protected by a set of rules that gave the defender extensive control over the conditions. It was a competition between unequal opponents – and that became its DNA.

The first major turning point came in 1983, when Australia II achieved the seemingly impossible with a revolutionary wing keel and unshakeable team spirit: the fall of the American bastion. A second turning point followed in 2013: Oracle Team USA came back from 1 – 8 down against Emirates Team New Zealand to win eight races in a row – aided by real-time data analysis and tactical changes on board. The Cup had finally arrived in the digital age.

Technological progress as a competitive formula

The evolution of the boats illustrates the change most clearly: from wooden schooners to the AC75 – a flying monohull with hydrofoils that glides across the water at over 90 km/​h. Sailing here is more a mixture of software control, aerodynamic fine-tuning, and physical peak performance than romantic wind play.

At the same time, the role of the different players has shifted. Today, entrepreneurs such as Larry Ellison and Patrizio Bertelli dominate the competition. They are interested not only in sporting victory, but also in demonstrating technological and organisational superiority.

Naples 2027 will be spectacular

The 38th edition of the Cup is writing a new chapter: for the first time, the duel for the Auld Mug will be held in Italy – in Naples, against the dramatic backdrop of Mount Vesuvius. Defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand will face a yet-to-be-named challenger nation – the Challenger of Record will be confirmed by early 2026. In addition to the sporting focus, the question of what the America’s Cup is today will once again take centre stage: is it a national competition? A showcase for engineering prowess? A stage for luxury brands? Probably all of the above. What makes it unique is precisely this mixture – a blend of archaic duel and high-tech spectacle, myth and marketing.

Conclusion: a trophy that is reflective of its time

The America’s Cup is not a traditional event in the classic sense. It does not preserve, but rather transforms – with every generation, every set of rules, every yacht. What remains is the gravitational pull of the cup: a silver vessel that embodies ambition, inventiveness, and international rivalry like no other symbol in world sport. In Naples in 2027, this myth will be renegotiated.

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