For Luca Mezzapesa and Filippo Vianello, disappointment that Luna Rossa, Italy’s former America’s Cup team, will not be competing in Bermuda next year is offset by huge excitement generated by the arrival of the America’s Cup.

The manager and chef at Bonefish at Royal Naval Dockyard, are busy planning for 2017 and making sure that standards remain – and surpass – excellent.

“We know some of the America’s Cup sailors because they come here to eat and have a drink and we’ve organised birthday parties for them and catered for some of their events. They are all really nice people,” Mezzapesa said.

Chef Vianello is planning a few special America’s Cup-themed dishes and some AC-related cocktails with fun names such as the Artemis Wave. Bonefish will of course extend it’s opening hours with Dockyard expected to be so busy next summer.

“We want to make sure we keep an excellent standard for everyone – locals and visitors,” Vianello said. “We will see people from all over the world and it is really important to be at our best.”

When Mezzapesa travels back to his native Italy and tells people where he lives, he says “everyone talks about the Bermuda triangle. Now people will talk about the America’s Cup. Pretty much everyone will start to know Bermuda because of its beauty. It is all really exciting.”