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Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is the Italian team that is taking part in the Challenge for the 37 th  America’s Cup, representing the Circolo della Vela Sicilia for a third consecutive edition. The team is animated by vision, expertise and passion, strongly driven by a determination to succeed in its quest for the prestigious trophy. More than a sporting contest, the Challenge represents the highest expression of competitive sailing and technological innovation. Over the years, the project has won the hearts and minds of Italians and enthusiasts of the sport around the world.

Luna Rossa Challenge

BRAND IDENTITY

The story of a myth.

Since its foundation in 1997, Luna Rossa has written the history of Italian and international sailing. The 37 th  America's Cup, taking place in 2024, is the sixth time the team will compete for the world's oldest sporting trophy. Luna Rossa sealed victories in two editions of the Challenger Selection Series (in 2000 and 2021), winning the right to challenge the Defender of the trophy. In the final match of the 36th America’s Cup – presented by PRADA, Luna Rossa achieved the best result ever for an Italian team.

TEAM SPIRIT

Luna Rossa’s greatest value is its team spirit, a guiding force that leads over 140 people towards a common goal: to win the America's Cup. The qualities of determination and motivation are shared by all team members across the various departments (sailing team, design team, shore team, communication, logistics, administration and service team).

ITALIAN ESSENCE

The Italian spirit of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is further elevated by the national excellence involved, such as its sponsors and suppliers whose reputation for quality is renowned worldwide. The boat is entirely built in Italy and its crew is almost completely made up of Italian sailors.

The America's Cup is principally a technological challenge. The AC75 Luna Rossa, a 75-foot flying monohull capable of reaching speeds over 50 knots (approximately 100 km per hour), represents the state of the art of innovation and yacht design, destined to leave a mark in the yachting industry in the years to come.

GENERATIONAL CHANGE

A constant commitment to generational change has ensured continuity in Luna Rossa’s challenge over the years. An example is the New Generation project, a training program for talented young sailors, who are given the opportunity to become part of the Cup, under the guidance of more experienced sailors.

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The Silver Age: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli launches its AC75

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THE SILVER AGE: LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI LAUNCHES ITS AC75

A masterpiece of technology, design and aesthetics will represent Italy in the 37th America's Cup

Twenty-five years after the launch of the first Luna Rossa (in 1999), the Italian challenger's America's Cup hull No.10 first touched water today: it is the AC75 foiling monohull with which Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will participate in the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona, Spain.

The sea christening of the only Italian boat in the 2024 edition took place at 1:20 pm local time at the Molo Ichnusa base and was attended by Miuccia Prada , Patrizio Bertelli (President of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli), Marco Tronchetti Provera (Executive Vice President of Pirelli, co-title sponsor of the team), Max Sirena  (Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli) and Agostino Randazzo (President of Circolo della Vela Sicilia ). Special guests of the event were sponsors, partners, suppliers and local authorities as well as TV and media representatives. Alongside these were, of course, all the team members who contributed to the birth of this extraordinary boat which, starting from today, will also bring Oakley   on board as its new Technical Performance Partner. 

After the traditional blessing by Monsignor Baturi, archbishop of Cagliari, Miuccia Prada broke the bottle of Cantine Ferrari's  Maximum Blanc de Blancs on the vessel's bow, christening her “Luna Rossa”. The sharp and powerful lines of the AC75, enhanced by a bold metallic " Metal K " livery, are a statement of intent and hint at the enormous effort behind this radical project that incorporates the design solutions, technological innovations and experimental materials tested over the past two years on the LEQ12 prototype.

Conceived by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's design team and built at the Persico Marine shipyard in Nembro, Luna Rossa involved its entire pool of engineers and naval architects (40 people) in the development and executive phase that required more than 70,000 hours of work by 35 boat builders (between team and technicians). Approximately 3,500 square meters of pre-preg carbon fiber ( Delta - Preg ) were used for the construction of the hull and composite components. The AC75 mounts a 26.5 m. mast (built by the team in Cagliari) with a soft wing composed of twin mainsails plus a headsail (jib), for a total sail area of about 220 sq. m. The sails are mainly made of Carbon and Dyneema and manufactured by means of 3Di North Sails technology. There are eight crew members on board: two helmsmen, two trimmers and four cyclors. 

In a perfect synthesis of form and function, Luna Rossa is the highest expression of technology applied to yachting. Thanks to the numerous leading companies – Italian and international – that have chosen to join the team in its challenge for the 37th America’s Cup, excellences from different business worlds have converged on this boat, working in synergy and combining their mutual know-how to guarantee Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli the most advanced innovations and methodologies in each sector.

Patrizio Bertelli - President of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team « The boat we launched today is the tenth America's Cup hull that we christen “Luna Rossa”. This name, hat has marked important milestones in my life, has also become an iconic name in sailing worldwide. It is a beautiful and radical boat, that represents a step forward in terms of design and technology, born from an incredible collective effort. For this I congratulate the team at all levels for its achievement. In these 25 years I have accomplished a goal that I had set for myself a long time ago: to create a team of extraordinary technicians and sailors capable of shaping the future of sport in our country and leaving a legacy for future generations. Now, with this new Luna Rossa, I also hope to achieve my sporting ambition, to win the America's Cup ».  

Marco Tronchetti Provera - Executive Vice President of Pirelli. « Luna Rossa is synonymous with technological excellence, competition and finest Italian quality. It is an honor for us to have the Pirelli name alongside such a great project that stems from a passion for sailing and for the America's Cup, a trophy that combines sporting challenge and innovation. The boat and its crew have the potential to excite us and to compete for the Cup. My personal best wishes go out to the whole team ».

Max Sirena - Team Director and Skipper of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli « Today is the most important day of our America's Cup campaign, we finally have before our eyes the result of three years of work 'in the dark'. This Luna Rossa is an Italian challenge in terms of design, technology and aesthetics. With only one boat at our disposal, we had to make brave choices, pushing ourselves to extremes in all areas open to development and research, thanks also to the know-how acquired with the LEQ12 prototype. It has been an immense team effort, and I want to applaud every single member of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli for having masterminded a work of art that will leave its mark. This is my sixth challenge with team Luna Rossa, of which I am the priviledged leader, and although many years have passed since the first edition, the launch of a boat is always an incredible moment. So first of all I want to thank Patrizio Bertelli, without whose vision and passion all this would not exist, Miuccia Prada, Marco Tronchetti Provera and all our sponsors and suppliers for the trust and support shown over these years. Luna Rossa is a boat that all of Italy should be proud of because it incorporates so much of our country's excellence and is an ambassador of Made in Italy all over the world. This is the boat we wanted, potentially perfect to win the 37th America's Cup. Now it's our turn ».

Agostino Randazzo - President Circolo della Vela Sicilia « For the third consecutive edition, the Circolo della Vela Sicilia will be alongside Luna Rossa in the America's Cup challenge. Knowing that our burgee will fly alongside the tricolor on board this incredible boat fills us with pride. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has once again succeeded in creating a boat that is inspiring for its beauty, shapes and futuristic concept. On behalf of the Club I congratulate Patrizio Bertelli and Max Sirena for once again thinking outside the box, and the entire team for this extraordinary achievement ».

Testing and sea trial sessions will start in the coming days in Cagliari. Afterwards, the boat will be transferred to Barcelona where she will continue in a training phase ahead of the America's Cup races. 

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Cagliari has been abuzz with activity as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli intensifies its training regimen this week. The team’s Youth & Women’s squad members have been logging significant hours on the AC40, signaling a focused push towards the upcoming UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the inaugural PUIG Women’s America’s Cup. With an abundance of talent within the Italian sailing ranks, many consider Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to be the frontrunners for these prestigious events.

The team’s blend of seasoned veterans and emerging talent underscores their formidable reputation in the sailing world. The senior sailors are deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of Italian sailors, fostering a culture of rapid development and excellence within the team.

As preparations intensify, all eyes are on Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli as they gear up for what promises to be an exhilarating showdown on the water. With talent, determination, and a collective drive for success, they stand poised to make a significant impact in both the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup events.

Over a huge number of pre-starts, where the concentration was on accurate positioning and time-on-distance initially, it was then shaken up with the introduction of the Chase Boat acting as competition. Then over some short-course racing with  Team Coach Jacopo Plazzi calling the shots and Paride Bovolenta driving, the Chase Boat team were pushing hard from the comfort of the power controls to keep the sailors on their toes and put them into hard decision-making situations. Electric to watch in practice and a huge skill to execute well. Over a near four hour session with the wind picking up from an initial 10-12 knots and peaking at 13-15 knots, this was another valuable day on the perfect waters of Cagliari.

Vittorio Bissaro, Flight Controller extraordinaire, spoke to the recon team afterwards and summed up the day saying:  “It was a very interesting day in Cagliari, we don’t have many opportunities to face the waves during winter, this day was one of the few, so was super-interesting to go out and try and learn something, little tricks, super productive.” Talking about the Chase Boat interference, Vito explained it as: “To put pressure, develop communications…and keep the game tight.”

Vito also spoke about the new AC75 that will launch at the beginning of April with some very interesting comments saying: “For sure, it’s very aggressive, very nice boat, super clean, very nice solution. The LEQ was a development boat, so the intention was not to make the best boat just a nice platform to study while the AC75 is clearly a weapon. We looked at every detail, everything around the package and really looking forward to start sailing with it.”

More to come from the Italians in this intensive and future-looking race-training block. Italy looks very, very good right now.

On-Water Recon Report – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli:  The Italian team rolled out their LEQ12 prototype at 11:30, stepped mast and craned the yacht in by 11:50. The usual checks were executed at the dock before locking in M2-1 ready for dock-out scheduled at 13:00. The prototype was boarded by four sailors hosting two guests and only the flight controller/trimmers rotated during the session. The mainsail was hoisted and paired to the J2-2 while pressure was measured 10-12kn from 135° with a light building chop. The first foiling stint began with a light initial tow to accelerate the yacht which then self-took-off on port tack, several self-take-off only were observed during the day.

Once up and foiling, the team conducted the usual warm up tacks before bearing-away on starboard tack and executing some gybes, repeating this routine twice before decelerating after 20 minutes. In the meantime, top and bottom marks were set at 135°.

As the second foiling stint began, first few of numerous pre-starts of the day were practiced. Afterwards, the LEQ12 sailed an upwind and a downwind leg before stopping on the next upwind leg after 25 minutes. On the racetrack, one Chase Boat engaged with the prototype simulating matching racing behaviour. During this short break, trimmers swapped, and guest seats were occupied by members of the Women’s and Youth teams.

For the third foiling stint, lasting approx. another 20 minutes, the LEQ12 self-took-off up on port and bore away, gybed towards the bottom gate to practice some additional prestart drills. In these, the Chase Boat occasionally pressured the LEQ12 inside the box before racing against each other for some legs. On the bottom gate, the LEQ12 came off the foils after touching down on a JK manoeuvre and the team took the opportunity to swap sailors once again.

Back on the foils at 14:55, the team practiced additional starting drills and race afterwards. The breeze was building with the sea-state, now reaching 12-14kn from 125° with approximately 0.4m chop. After the second upwind leg, the yacht was decelerated ending the fourth stint after 45 minutes. Marks were collected during the last 10-minute-long foiling stint which saw the LEQ12 sail on the virtual track before straight-line sailing towards the harbour. The tow line was then passed the day was called at 16:10 with 115 minutes foiling time, 13 pre-starts, approximately 40 tacks and 30 gybes  [Michele Melis AC Recon].

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The organisers of the 36th America's Cup have announced a new racing schedule for the PRADA Cup Round Robins after the extraordinary events of last weekend, which saw New York Yacht Club American Magic's race boat PATRIOT capsize.

Following an incredible effort to save PATRIOT from sinking and bring her back to shore, Terry Hutchinson announced earlier this week that the American outfit would not be able to race in round robins three and four.

However, the team have every intention of being back on the water for the PRADA Cup semi-finals which begin on January 29.

As a result of this, a new racing schedule has been released by the regatta director for the forthcoming weekend.

INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will compete on Saturday and Sunday in two live races to determine the winner of the PRADA Cup round robins.

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The action will be live on Sky Sports Mix from 2am each day and will be repeated later that morning.

PRADA Cup - Round Robins Three and Four - Race Schedule

After the two live races, there will be 'ghost races' which also need to take place in order to comply with the competition's regulations.

NYYC American Magic target return after dramatic capsize

INEOS TEAM UK maintain unbeaten run in PRADA Cup

The ghost races will be 'against' New York Yacht Club American Magic to allow the regatta director to award the point to the relevant other competitor.

They will consist of a pre-start sequence and an official start by INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli respectively, before being suspended just a few minutes after commencing.

PRADA Cup - Round Robins - Current Standings

After the first three race days of the PRADA Cup Round Robins, INEOS TEAM UK are at the top of the standings having won all four of their races.

This means that if they win their duel with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on Saturday, they will be named as the winners of the PRADA Cup Round Robins and go straight into the PRADA Cup final.

If that does happen, then the two teams will decide whether they want to take part in the, then redundant race, on Sunday or not.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team are going into the weekend knowing that they must win both races in order to oust INEOS TEAM UK and progress directly into the PRADA Cup final themselves.

The PRADA Cup determines which of the three challengers will take on Emirates Team New Zealand in the 36th America's Cup match in March.

The Round Robins will produce one winner who progresses straight into the final. The remaining two challengers, one of which will be New York Yacht Club American Magic if they successfully return to the water, will compete in a first-to-four points contest. The winner of that moves into the final.

The PRADA Cup final is a first-to-seven-points contest, which starts on February 13. The victor will then prepare for the 36th America's Cup match and the loser's campaign is over.

Watch every moment of the America's Cup challenge, live on Sky Sports. Coverage continues with the fourth day of the PRADA Cup on Saturday at 2am on Sky Sports Mix, with the racing repeated again at 9am.

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The prototype was christened by Miuccia Prada, while Patrizio Bertelli said Prada will no longer sponsor the Challenger Selection Series, known as the Prada Cup.

Milan Correspondent

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CAGLIARI, Italy — “Luna Rossa spurred the birth of the sailing movement in Italy….This is its true merit,” Prada chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli said here Thursday, the day the new boat set to compete in the 37th America’s Cup was unveiled.

The mood was cheerful at the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli dock of the Sardinian town, as Miuccia Prada christened the new model, a half-size prototype set to serve as a testing ground for the AC75 monohull that will compete in the upcoming cup, which will be held in Barcelona in 2024.

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This was the 10th time the designer has acted as a godmother to a Luna Rossa boat. She was flanked by her husband, who is also president of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team; Agostino Randazzo, president of the Sicilian sailing circle, and Marco Tronchetti Provera, CEO of Pirelli, co-title sponsor of the Luna Rossa team and partner in its technological development. A new sponsor, Unipol, joined the roster of supporters.

Glistening under the sun, the new model , dubbed Prototype and crafted from carbon composites, was decked in a red, white and black geometric camouflage pattern developed in-house which, Bertelli explained, is a trick traditionally employed in the sailing world to hide the boat’s technical features.

The Luna Rossa Prototype marks the first boat the team has entirely developed and manufactured in-house, in Cagliari.

Bertelli touted the painstaking job of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, crediting the prototype for embedding features that were in the pipeline already ahead of the 36th America’s Cup but were scuppered by COVID-19-related supply chain issues.

“The sailing competition world was very Anglo-Saxon-driven until Luna Rossa made its foray in it. It’s been the single element of disruption in the entire history of sailing throughout the 20th century, nobody says that,” the Prada chief said with pride.

“Without Patrizio [Bertelli] we wouldn’t be here….It’s an Italian boat and I think it’s important to telegraph how advanced the country is in so many fields,” said Max Sirena, skipper and team director.

He said the investment planned for the boat to challenge for the 37th America’s Cup amounts to about 90 million to 95 million euros.

In line with the America’s Cup’s new protocol, espionage is now permitted, meaning delegates of other sailing teams were in attendance, hiding among guests.

This partly explains why Sirena and head of the design team Horacio Carabelli shared few details on the prototype’s technical improvements.

“ It is a completely different boat compared to the previous model,” Carabelli said. “It will be a constant development until we come up with the final challenge-ready boat….The aerodynamic component is very important.”

“It’s very advanced, it’s going to be hard to conduct it at the beginning,” echoed Sirena. “It’s really a laboratory; we didn’t spare anything, from its structure to the aerodynamic and fluid dynamic features,” he said.

Based on the prototype unveiled Thursday, the boat set to compete in regattas will be built by Persico Marine, taking into account adjustments to be determined during training sessions at sea, which are due to start in a few days.

After acquiring the exclusive naming and presenting sponsor rights of all events, including the Challenger Selection Series, which was officially named the Prada Cup, Bertelli said the luxury brand did not renew the sponsorship, having disliked the previous experience in New Zealand in 2021.

A new naming and presenting sponsor has yet to be disclosed. Before Prada, fellow luxury label Louis Vuitton had sponsored the Challenger Selection Series beginning in 1983.

The concept of a Challenger Selection Series originated in 1970, when for the first time in the history of the America’s Cup there was more than one international challenger vying to race against the defender for the coveted trophy.

The upcoming America’s Cup will mark Luna Rossa’s seventh challenge, but sixth race, as the team in 2015 withdrew from the competition over disagreements with the overturning of rules unanimously adopted throughout the previous year by the Oracle Team of the U.S., which was owned by Larry Ellison and which lost the America’s Cup to the New Zealand team.

The Prada boat will represent Italy and the Sicilian Sailing Circle at the oldest trophy in the history of sports and the most prestigious in the sailing world.

The Luna Rossa team was established in 1997 by Prada’s CEO with the original name of “Prada Challenge for the America’s Cup 2000.” The team won the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000, with a record of 38 victories over 49 races. It also competed in 2003 and in 2007, when it reached the Louis Vuitton Cup final.

As reported, Luna Rossa won the most recent Challenger Selection Series, the Prada Cup, in 2021 but lost to contender Emirates Team New Zealand, which succeeded in defending the 36th America’s Cup with a 7-to-3 victory over Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, wrecking the latter’s ambitions to take the trophy home.

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INEOS Britannia announces America’s Cup race squad

• INEOS Britannia, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, is challenging to be the first British team to win the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, the America’s Cup
• INEOS Britannia has spent more than two-and-a-half years designing and building its AC75 foiling race boat, named Britannia
• Joining Sir Ben Ainslie on-board Britannia is a crew of Olympic medallists, World Champions, and America’s Cup veterans and rookies
• Racing begins this weekend at the Barcelona Preliminary Regatta, 22-25 August, where all six competing teams will race their AC75s against each other for the first time
• UK viewers can watch all of the America’s Cup action on TNT Sports

INEOS Britannia, the Challenger of Record racing for the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd in the 37th America's Cup, has announced its race crew that will challenge to create history by becoming the first British team to win sport’s oldest international trophy. Although the competition started in Britain with a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851, a British team has never won the iconic Auld Mug. Sir Ben Ainslie, Team Principal and Skipper of INEOS Britannia, hopes to change this with his latest race crew, featuring Olympic and World Champions, and their ‘Britannia’ AC75 Race boat, created by some of the brightest talent from the America’s Cup and Formula One.

Often considered one of sport’s toughest challenges, only four countries have won the America’s Cup in its 173-year history. The competition is unique as the winner decides the rules for the next event, making them extremely difficult to beat. James Allison, Technical Director of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team said: “People talk about the America's Cup being like Formula One on water, the most striking comparison to me is that it's difficult, this America’s Cup challenge is proper difficult!” The current holders of the America’s Cup are Emirates Team New Zealand, and as the Defenders, they automatically qualify to race in the final match. Five teams, INEOS Britannia (GBR), NYYC American Magic (USA), Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI), and Orient Express Racing Team (FRA) will compete in the Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selections Series) to be the team to take on Emirates Team New Zealand in the final match race. INEOS Britannia’s mission to make it to the final match race and bring the Cup home begins this weekend at the Barcelona Preliminary Regatta. Taking place between 22-25 August, the Preliminary Regatta will be the first time all six AC75 boats competing in the Cup will be raced against each other. INEOS Britannia partnered with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team’s Applied Science Division to design and build its AC75, with the teams dedicating more than two-and-a-half years to the process.

INEOS Britannia’s AC75 will have eight crew on-board during racing; two Helms, two Trimmers and four Cyclors (cycling sailors). Joining Sir Ben Ainslie as co-helm aboard Britannia for the America’s Cup will be Olympic gold medalist Dylan Fletcher MBE, who won the 49er class at Tokyo 2020 and is also the reigning Moth World Champion. The two Trimmers will be Leigh McMillan and Bleddyn Mon, who are both on their third America’s Cup campaign with the British Team. The four Cyclors on-board will come from a pool of nine athletes, who will rotate on and off the boat between races to ensure optimum performance.  

The on-board crew will be bolstered by a stellar line-up of support crew, including double Olympic gold medallist Giles Scott MBE as Head of Sailing, Olympic gold and silver medallist Iain Jensen as Trimmer Support, Emirates GBR SailGP Team Coach Rob Wilson, gold and silver Olympic medallist Xabi Fernandez and seven-time World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams as Coaches, as well as Pete Cunningham as Head of Human Performance.  

Ainslie said: “The process of developing the sailing squad and defining what that race line-up looks like has taken some time. We have 15 sailors in our squad but eight sailors on the yacht at one time, so clearly we are going to have rotations. We have a bunch of really talented sailors, so in a way we are spoilt for choice. It's a very difficult decision to define who you’re going to select in these roles, particularly when you have two such talented sailors in Dylan and Giles. It’s obviously going to be tough for the one that misses out but that said Giles has the key role of Head of Sailing in this campaign and is pivotal to the team’s progression.” 

INEOS Britannia’s Cyclor crew includes returning America’s Cup athletes: Freddie Carr, Ben Cornish, Matt Gotrel MBE, Neil Hunter and Luke Parkinson. The further four Cyclors are America’s Cup rookies, with some never having sailed before joining INEOS Britannia. They include Olympic silver medallist Harry Leask, Matt Rossiter and Ryan Todhunter, who have all moved over from the world of rowing and were selected for their power potential. The 2019 Finn National Champion James Skulczuk completes the Cyclor line-up, having moved his attention to cycling to stay fit while the Covid-19 pandemic halted his sailing career. 

Ainslie said: “We’ve got a great team together for this campaign, not just on-board the boat but also behind the scenes too, including our Technical Partnership with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. We are lucky to have the support of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS team who have been instrumental in getting us to this point. It’s been a huge effort to get here so we’re all excited to get back into America’s Cup racing, three-and-a-half years after the last event in Auckland. The America’s Cup is the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, and it’s one of the hardest challenges to take on, but that’s why we love it. To be the first British team to win the Cup is a massive ambition for me and the entire team, and if we can do it, it will be a massive achievement for not just the team but also the entire country.” 

 The Barcelona Preliminary Regatta starts on 22 August, with four days of match races to find the two fastest teams. The top two teams will progress to the winner-takes-all final match race on the fourth and last day to decide the ultimate winner of the warm-up event. Races start at 13:00 BST each day, with UK viewers able to watch the action on TNT Sports. The Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selections Series), then begins on 29 August. The series will determine which of the five Challenging teams will take on Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. 

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The Marvelous AC75s On Deck

• By Dave Reed
• August 20, 2024

April began with new-boat reveals that highlight the innovations of the second-generation AC75s for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup . While similar in size and scale, no one boat is alike. 

Alinghi Red Bull Racing, of the Swiss camp, was first to show its AC75, BoatOne , in a theatric soiree, giving observers and other teams a peek at the boat’s design traits. Its straight and narrow bow profile transitions to a long and tapered bustle that goes all the way to the stern. The walls of BoatOne ’s tall crew pods stop sharply before the transom section, leaving what amounts to a long overhang to accommodate the internal rudder elements. Bumps sculpted into the foredeck are said to redirect wind flow into the jib and down the middle of the boat for aerodynamic gains.

America’s Cup defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, was next to reveal, with a soft launch, followed by a foiling session the following day. With a naming ceremony that came a week later, the Kiwis’ AC75, Taihoro , was blessed for action, and they went straight into sailing in Auckland. Unlike the high cockpit walls of Alinghi’s BoatOne , however, those of Taihoro taper down toward to the ­transom scoop, which houses the mainsheet traveler system in a trench, and the rudder assembly.

The following day in Cagliari, the Italians of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli rolled out their metallic silver AC75, a menacing-looking design that has its pronounced curves and a significant bustle which rises toward the stern. The boat’s tall cockpits produce a deep trench through the middle of the boat. 

INEOS Britannia was fourth from behind the curtain with a boat dubbed RB3 . It’s different enough from Alinghi’s and ETNZ’s AC75s to be dangerous. The plumb bow starts sharp and maintains a steep deadrise before flaring out to a flatter bottom. A pronounced ­bustle tapers off near the stern and transitions to a thin skeg that ends short of the rudder.

The New York YC’s American Magic revealed its boat, Patriot , in early May, blessing it and going sailing on the same day. It’s certainly a different look, summarized by the team’s design coordinator, Scott Ferguson. “We followed our own design path with Patriot as we pushed the limits of the AC75 rule while tailoring for the Barcelona venue,” he says. “Our overall philosophy is minimalistic, as we’ve tried to squeeze down our volumes to the base minimum while still fitting the crew and systems into the boat.”

With the French Orient Express Racing Team pulling from Team New Zealand’s design package, there’s an expectation that its ­platform will not be too far off the defender when it comes to light soon enough. It had not yet been launched at press time.

In terms of crew-pod assignments, cyclors have now taken the back seats, mostly concealed and out of the airstream, while ­trimmers and helmsmen take the front seats for a better view of the action. American Magic went to the extreme, positioning three pods inboard, two well aft in the boat, with cyclors on recumbent bikes.

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America’s Cup : Duellsegeln statt Fleetraces – das Matchrace-Comeback vor Barcelona

Tatjana Pokorny

 ·  21.08.2024

Die letzte Vorregatta: neues Revier, neue Boote, neues Format

Optimierung im vorlauf zum america’s cup im fokus der teams, 37. america’s cup: die regeln für die duelle der anstehenden vorregatta.

Genau 173 Jahre nach dem Sieg des Schoners “America” bei der Umrundung der Isle of Wight am 22. August 1851, hebt sich in dieser Woche in Barcelona der Vorhang zum 37. America’s Cup. Am Donnerstag beginnt die dritte und letzte Vorregatta. Die ersten beiden Vorregatten hatten – noch auf AC40-Foilern – im September 2023 in Vilanova i La Geltrú und Ende 2023 in Jeddah stattgefunden.

Zwar gibt es auch beim letzten Säbelrasseln vor Beginn der Herausfordererrunde um den Louis Vuitton Cup keine Punkte für den Hauptwettbewerb zu gewinnen. Vieles aber wird bei dieser finalen Vorregatta anders und noch spannender sein als bei den beiden vorherigen: Es geht erstmals auf der kommenden Cup-Bühne vor Barcelona zur Sache. Damit wird die 3. Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta auch zum interessanten ersten Reviertest.

Zweitens sind die sechs Cup-Teams erstmals bei einer offiziellen Regatta auf ihren neuen AC75-Foilern im Einsatz. Teams, Beobachter und Fans erwarten sich wertvolle Aufschlüsse darüber, welche Designs und Crews die besten Aussichten im Kampf um die “Auld Mug” haben werden. Und drittens: Die Zeiten der Fleetrace-Aufwärmphase sind vorbei. Die fünf Herausforderer und die neuseeländischen Verteidiger treten ab sofort nur noch – wie im America’s Cup selbst – in Duellen gegeneinander an.

• America’s Cup: Große Analyse – neuseeländische Ära beendet?
• America’s Cup: Design-Guru packt aus – Dr. Martin Fischer im Interview

An der Vorregatta in Barcelona nehmen alle fünf Herausforderer teil: als Challenger of Record Sir Ben Ainslies Team Ineos Britannia , das italienische Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team von Patrizio Bertelli, das US-Team NYYC American Magic , das Schweizer Team Alinghi Red Bull Racing und das französische Orient Express Racing Team mit dem deutsch-französischen Dirigenten Stephan Kandler und Co-Direktor Bruno Dubois. Dazu kommen die Titelverteidiger vom Emirates Team New Zealand . Die Regatta beginnt am 22. August und serviert vier Tage Matchracing-Spannung. Die beiden bestplatzierten Teams ziehen ins finale Duell am vierten und letzten Tag ein. Am Super-Sonntag kämpfen sie um den Sieg.

Meistgelesene Artikel

“Wir betrachten die Vorregatta als fantastische Möglichkeit, unsere Vorbereitungen zu perfektionieren”, sagte mit Thierry Douillard der Coach des französischen Orient Express Racing Teams. Ähnlich sehen es auch die anderen Teams, unter denen Alinghi Red Bull Racing aber nach dem Mastbruch am 20. August zunächst im Wettlauf gegen die Zeit um ein neues Rigg kämpfen muss.

• Zweiter Mastbruch auf “BoatOne” – Rückschlag für Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Auch die physische Fitness der Segler wird als wichtige Energiequelle schon bei der Vorregatta intensiv geprüft. Während die Energie, die für den Betrieb der Anhänge – Foils und Ruder – benötigt wird, aus Batterien stammt, wird die Energie für die Mats Rotation oder zum Verstellen der Segel von Power-Radfahrern an Bord produziert. Sie treten in die Pedalen, um die notwendige Kraft zu liefern.

• 37. America’s Cup: Die Radfahrer sind zurück

In den anstehenden Matchrace-Duellen kommt ab sofort dem Start eine noch größere Bedeutung zu als ohnehin schon in Fleetraces üblich. Das Grundprinzip ist einfach: Zwei Boote segeln um die Wette – es gibt einen Sieger und einen Verlierer. Wie das spannende Spiel tatsächlich abläuft, verraten die Regeln für die Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta.

• Die Startzeiten: Die Rennen sollen jeden Tag vom 22. bis zum 25. August ab 14 Uhr beginnen
• Das Warnsignal: 3 Minuten bis zum Start
• Die Vorstartphase: Das blaue Boot taucht nicht früher als 2:10 Minuten vor dem Start von links in die Startbox ein; das gelbe Boot taucht nicht früher als 2:00 Minuten vor dem Start in die Startbox ein
• Die Startlinie: Die Startlinie wird etwa 300 Meter lang sein und von zwei geostationären Bojen gebildet
• Die Windgrenzen: 6.5 Knoten nach unten, 21 Knoten nach oben
• Die Kurse: Vorgesehen sind Up-&-down-Kurse mit Downwind-Toren in Lee unterhalb der Startlinie. Es gibt drei mögliche Kurse: - Kurs-Nr. 4: Start – Luv-Tor – Lee-Tor – Luv-Tor – Ziellinie - Kurs-Nr. 6: Start – Luv-Tor – Lee-Tor – Luv-Tor – Lee-Tor – Luv-Tor – Ziellinie - Kurs-Nr. 8: Start – Luv-Tor – Lee-Tor – Luv-Tor – Lee-Tor – Luv-Tor – Lee-Tor – Luv-Tor – Ziellinie
• Die Gültigkeit: Damit ein Rennen gültig ist, muss ein Boot mindestens vier Kursabschnitte absolviert haben
• Das Zeitlimit: - Das Zeitlimit zur Absolvierung des ersten Kursabschnitts liegt bei 12 Minuten - Das Zeitlimit zur Absolvierung des gesamten Rennens liegt bei 45 Minuten
• Die Strafen - Es gibt keine Strafen, wenn ein Boot eine Boje/Kursmarke berührt - Wenn ein Boot die virtuelle Kursbegrenzung übersegelt, muss es so lange seine Fahrt drosseln, bis es 75 Meter verloren hat - Wenn die Schiedsrichter eine Strafe für eine Regelverletzung aussprechen, muss das bestrafte Boot seine Fahrt so lange drosseln, bis es 75 Meter verloren hat - Die Strafe muss binnen 60 Sekunden ausgeführt werden, nachdem sie ausgesprochen wurde, nicht aber vor dem Startsignal.
• Der Frühstart (”OCS”)  - Wenn ein Boot innerhalb von 3 Sekunden vor dem Startsignal startet, hat es zwei Optionen: 1) Die Startlinie erneut zu kreuzen 2) Den Kurs fortzusetzen und eine Strafe zu absolvieren, indem es 75 Meter verliert  Wenn ein Boot mehr als 3 Sekunden zu früh startet, muss es die Starlinie erneut kreuzen
• Das Wegerecht an der Wendemarke: Innerhalb von 60 Metern rund um die Marke hat das innen liegende Boot Vorfahrt – unabhängig davon, auf welchem Bug es segelt

Die Rennen der Louis Vuitton Vorregatta beginnen jeden Tag frühestens um 14:00 Uhr MESZ und dauern je nach Zeitplan und Wetterbedingungen zwischen zwei und drei Stunden an. Vorgeschaltet sind ein Trainingstag und eine Vorab-Pressekonferenz mit den Skippern am 21. August.

• TV-Zeiten & Co.: Das Vorspiel zum Louis Vuitton Cup – erste Regatta mit AC75-Foilern voraus

DIE ÜBERSICHT FÜR FANS:

Patrizio Bertellis Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team hat einen schönen Clip produziert, der einen guten Überblick über die kommenden Cup-Events, die Abläufe, die Hauptquartiere der Teams, das America’s Cup Race Village, den Rennkurs und die Regeln gibt:

Meistgelesen in der Rubrik Regatta

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I t’s impossible not to feel the adrenaline rush as the 75ft yacht races by, like a surreal reimagining of Formula 1, with shades of Star Wars, set on the high seas. The speed is breathtaking, but it’s the silence that gives this scene its sci-fi twist.

We’re a few hundred metres off Barcelona’s packed beaches, and Patriot, the New York Yacht Club’s entry into this year’s America’s Cup , is out on the water for a training day. The teams in this year’s competition are hoping to break 50 knots (92kph), yet this boat leaves barely any wake, makes not a sound, and as the sails twitch tight and the hull rises from the sea, it leaves our powerboat for dead. Scarcely touching the water, with only two hydrofoils beneath the surface, this thing really flies.

Is there anything in international sport that’s bigger than the Olympics? In sailing , there’s the America’s Cup. While the Games are the proving ground where sailors do battle in dinghies, this competition, dating back to 1851 and the oldest international competition in sport, will be contested in 75ft yachts with costs rumoured to run into eight figures. The latest edition of the race starts this month and will be run over several races until late October.

There’s something eerie about seeing so much power and control up close, and it’s not just the spectators who feel this way.

“You can’t be scared of these boats,” says Paul Goodison, one of the two helms in charge of Patriot. “You have to keep pushing. As soon as you start backing off is probably when you’re going to get bitten, so you always have to keep your foot down, and keep pushing, pushing, pushing.”

Goodison won gold for Team GB in Beijing in 2008 in the Laser class, while Ben Ainsley , his compatriot and the most decorated Olympic sailor in history, was winning gold in the Finn. Now they compete against each other, Ainsley in the British boat, INEOS Britannia.

For months the America’s Cup teams have been in testing around the port of Barcelona, finding the angles and sail set-up that gives maximum speed in different conditions on the local waters. There is a huge team supporting the sailing crew, forming a portside pitlane of assembled talents, from data scientists to naval architects. But when they finally line up against each other, it’s the skippers’ old rivalries that will be the focus of attention. Maybe even within the same team.

Each boat has two helms, or skippers, one on each side of the same boat, handing control to each other as the boat turns and the sail sweeps across, restricting visibility.

Goodison’s fellow helm is the Australian Tom Slingsby, last year’s Rolex World Sailor of the Year. The personal histories and rivalries have run for decades. Slingsby was on the crew of the US boat in the 2013 America’s Cup, alongside Ben Ainsley, as they scored one of the most famous and tight come-back victories in the competition’s history. And Slingsby won his Laser gold medal, at the London Olympics in 2012. All sports have their elite competitor dynamics, but in the America’s Cup, these are off the charts.

“We’ve competed against each other in the Olympic classes for the best part of 10 years,” says Goodison of his teammate. “We were archrivals for a long time. And we’ve been through cycles of being best mates, and then very abrasive, and then mates, and then abrasive. And it all comes from when you’re competing against somebody. You can’t really like them. You’ve got to crush them. You’ve got to beat them. And that was a big part of the Olympic cycle. But also with that, you gain a huge amount of respect. If you were to choose another guy to be beside you racing one of these, he’d be top of your list.”

The stakes are high. Though the US had the longest winning streak in sport, taking the first competition and then holding the America’s Cup for 132 years, it is Emirates Team New Zealand that currently holds the trophy. Last time around, in 2021 off the shores of Auckland, the American Magic team were thought to have the fastest boat in the fleet. They were clear of their Italian rivals, Prada, in the semi-final. But as they turned the mark, the boat overpowered, tipped, soared into the air and crashed back down, capsizing and very nearly sinking. The final was so close. Human error – though, it must be said, not Goodison’s.

But there is more to an America’s Cup crew than the skippers who make those high-pressure decisions. To see the boats glide by does not do justice to the muscle power on board. While the two lifting hydrofoils are controlled by electrical power, the huge, powerful sails are adjusted by the “meat batteries” (is there a more brutal description for a professional in all of sport?).

It’s a long time since America’s Cup boats used simple winches. Legs are far more powerful than arms, so these boats have ‘cyclors’ on board, with bike frames hidden within the hull, as the crew pedal furiously to power each turn.

For the American Magic team, this role is made all the more brutal by the demands of aerodynamics. Patriot is designed to be much sleeker and much more low-profile than her rivals – especially Ainsley’s muscle-car-looking INEOS Britannia. And that means the Patriot’s cyclors are pedalling for all their worth on recumbent cycles, facing backwards. “I hope they’re paying those guys well,” a rival team’s cyclor quipped later that day.

These “meat batteries” are serious units, chosen from backgrounds ranging from cycling to rowing – sports that demonstrate an ability to churn out power that’s beyond almost anyone else.

If the boats are space-age machines steeped in sporting heritage, so too is the gear the crew wears. American Magic have been working closely with Helly Hansen – the outdoor gear label that traces its own roots back almost as far as the competition, to Norway in 1877. Their technology team have been working with the sailors throughout, redesigning fabrics to be lighter and more flexible, changing the cut of the spray tops to allow ideal movement, and even rethinking the design of the buoyancy aids.

But even the Helly Hansen performance team were not prepared for the cylcors. As they worked with the boat’s big beasts, they discovered they had to cut the legs of their kit much wider to accommodate all that power and make the fabrics capable of dumping huge amounts of body heat.

If you want to write your own name into America’s Cup history, and you don’t have an Olympic sailing gold to hand, you might consider becoming a cyclor. To apply for this most gruelling physical test in sport, you’ll only get the attention of American Magic’s head of performance, Ben Day, if you can already send huge power through your training bike . This is not about being light yet powerful – it’s not the Tour de France, you’re not cycling up a mountain. This is all about “absolute watts”.

If you can sustain around 450 watts for 20 minutes, and peak at 1,000 for 30 seconds, “then, I say, let’s have a chat,” says Day. But look down at the wattage at the peak of your spin class or Peloton session and you might see a humbling comparison. I know from experience. After some gruff encouragement from Day, I gave it my all. Did I hit 450 watts? Yes. Did I hold it for 20 minutes? It was a struggle to hold it for one. And this was in the air-conditioned, stable luxury of the American Magic base camp.

It’s all a long way from the competition’s beginnings. Back then, it was the year of the Great Exhibition, and the Royal Yacht Squadron, based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, off England’s south coast, had invited the New York Yacht Club to join them.

The script was clear: the regatta was set to be a showcase of maritime supremacy, a demonstration of just how invincibly Britannia ruled the waves. But what played out on the water was one of the greatest upsets in sporting history.

A radically designed 100ft schooner with concave bows, slick black hull and flat sails, America had proven herself capable of clocking up more than 200 miles in a day as she crossed the Atlantic. Backed by a syndicate, Stevens had commissioned local brothers James and George Steers to build her, negotiating the price down to $20,000 ($814,000 today).

The yacht’s captain was Richard Brown, a renowned Sandy Hook pilot, with skills forged in the sharp-edged competition of the new world, navigating tricky waters at pace to beat the local competition to incoming ships and win the business of guiding them into the booming harbour of New York.

Accounts of exactly what happened upon America’s arrival in British waters are disputed – as can be the case when pride and reputation are at stake, and the sporting action takes place out at sea, away from the gaze of too many witnesses. She may – or may not – have left a renowned local boat in her wake in an initial encounter. Certainly, the locals seemed intimidated after that initial skirmish, with the American crew forced to wait for someone to accept their challenge. “It could not be imagined,” wrote The Times , “that the English would allow an illustrious stranger to boast that he has flung down the gauntlet to England and had been unable to find a taker.’’

Some days later, on 22 August, the now infamous challenge was set. A £100 ewer, from the London silversmith Garrard, was to be the prize. Fifteen yachts – seven schooners and eight smaller cutters – officially started the 53-mile course, running clockwise around the island. One of the favourites ran aground, and another went to help, pulling out of the race. Two others crashed into each other. And so the challenger from across the Atlantic took the spoils.

One of the two yachts that collided off Ventnor that day was named Volante, Italian for “flying”. A glimpse of the future, perhaps, and of the yachts that today hover above the waves.

As American Magic’s training day nears its end, the challenger from Italy, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, bankrolled by the fashion house billionaire Patrizio Bertelli, emerges, shimmering in its mirrored silver finish. The two boats tack near each other, then pull away, honing their skills as they drop their foils into the water, turn through the wind and then speed off with just one foil and the rudder touching the water.

At this stage, it’s a practice only – the rules strictly prohibit them from lining up against each other until the competitive action begins. But with so much money, pride and history at stake, you can tell they’re sparring, seeing where the other boat looks slicker and quicker. Come Thursday (22 August), as the 37th America’s Cup finally takes to the water, the real race – one of the greatest and most glamorous in sport – will be on.

To watch the America’s Cup: americascup.com

The author travelled to Barcelona with Helly Hansen: to see the Helly Hansen American Magic crew clothing, visit hellyhansen.com

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America's Cup 2024, il vademecum: il calendario, gli AC75, la storia e gli avversari di Luna Rossa

La storia, i protagonisti, i programmi, le regole: tutto quello che c'é da sapere per seguire e comprendere la stagione della 37° america's cup che alza il sipario a barcellona.

Con la Louis Vuitton Preliminary  Regatta in programma a Barcellona dal 22 al 24  agosto parte la maratona della 37° America’s Cup. 

Era proprio il  22 agosto quando 173 anni fa la Goletta America vinse l'antico trofeo che molti in seguito chiamarono  Old Mug, Vecchia Brocca, in una regata intorno all’isola di Wight battendo il meglio dello yachting britannico. 

Ad affrontarsi  nella Preliminary Regatta, il Defender Emirates Team New Zealand e cinque Challenger,  ciascuno con l’unico nuovo AC 75 concesso dal regolamento varato negli scorsi mesi. 

Si tratta del primo vero confronto per uomini e mezzi dal 2021 a Auckland, quando Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli nella 36° America’s Cup incrociò le vele con i kiwis che difesero con successo la Coppa vincendo 7 a 3. 

Nella Preliminary Regatta, che non ha alcun peso ai fini dell’iter di selezione dei challenger , ognuno affronterà tutti gli altri una volta in un match a due. Sulla base delle vittorie conseguite verrà stilata una classifica e i primi due disputeranno un match finale che assegnerà la vittoria. 

Louis Vuitton,  sponsor delle selezioni dei challenger dal 1983, nell’edizione del 2021  si era ritirata ed era stato sostituito da Prada. Ora  è tornato come sponsor sia della Preliminary Regatta, che  delle selezioni tra challenger, la rediviva Louis Vuitton Cup, che del match finale con il Defender, la  Louis Vuitton 37° America's Cup- 

Nella 37° America’s Cup  i challenger sono cinque, due in più rispetto a Auckland 2021 . 

Oltre agli italiani di Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli del Circolo Vela Sicilia , agli statunitensi di American Magic del New York Yacht Club e agli inglesi di INEOS Britannia  del Royal Yacht Squadron , si sono infatti aggiunti gli svizzeri di Alinghi Red Bull Racing della Société Nautique de Genève , team che origina da   Ernesto Bertarell i , vincitore della Coppa nel 2003 e 2007,  e i francesi  di Orient Express  Racing Team della Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez

Un nuovo capitolo che si aggiunge all’ affascinante storia di vela,  passione, mare,  ricchezza,  progresso e  sport che dall’800 a oggi ha già toccato tre secoli. 

Per comprenderne il passato e il presente abbiamo aggiornato il  Vademecum predisposto per la 36° edizione del 2021, disputata in era COVID in una Nuova Zelanda blindata che senza eccezione imponeva ferree quarantene a chiunque volesse entrare. Regole  che scoraggiarono perfino i media a seguire in loco.

Il Vademecum è  corredato da una serie di foto, molte delle quali  scattate da quell’artista della macchina fotografica che è Carlo Borlenghi , tra i primi, se non il primo,  fotografo di yachting del mondo. Un professionista dell’immagine sul  mare che  paradossalmente è uomo di lago, il Lago di Como, sul quale si affaccia la sua Bellano.

Corre l’anno 1851, l’anno dell’Esposizione Universale a Londra. L’Inghilterra domina sui mari. Sono passati solo pochi decenni dalle imprese dell’Ammiraglio Horatio Nelson contro Napoleone. Negli Stati Uniti d’America, le ex colonie indipendenti da neppure 100 anni, sono nati i clipper, veloci velieri dalla prua snella che guadagnano 10 nodi di velocità rispetto agli altri. Una rivoluzione progettuale. I tempi di navigazione sono ridotti a un terzo. Un vantaggio commerciale enorme nel trasporto del tè dall’oriente, mercato che si è aperto all’ Occidente con la fine della Guerra dell’Oppio.

E’ in questo contesto che a John Cox Stevens,  erede di una ricca famiglia di New York, primo Commodoro del New York Yacht Club,  viene in mente di finanziare insieme ad altri  amici la costruzione di un mini clipper, la goletta America, attraversare l’Atlantico e  prender parte a una regata in programma il 22 agosto sotto forma di  circumnavigazione dell’isola di Wight,  evento collaterale dell’Esposizione Universale al quale è presente la Regina Vittoria sullo Yacht Reale Victoria e Albert. In palio,  la  Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, o anche, dal  suo costo, la Coppa delle 100 ghinee,. 

Si tratta di una regata di flotta con 14 altri concorrenti, tutti inglesi, e America vince con grande distacco. E’ in questo contesto che ha origine la leggenda della risposta “ Maestà, non c’è  secondo” attribuita alla vedetta di guardia in coperta sullo yacht reale alla quale la Regina avrebbe chiesto, appreso che America era prima, chi fosse il secondo.  

E’ verosimile ritenere che la vedetta intendesse dire che non si vedeva ancora il secondo. Il  significato assunto da quella frase nell’epica dell’America’s Cup è però sicuramente più scenografico . 

L’America’s Cup e il Deeed of Gift: 1957-1983

Passano alcuni anni ed è nell’estate del 1857 che la Coppa, tramite il famoso Deed of Gift  (atto di donazione) entra in possesso del New York Yacht Club con il vincolo di metterla in palio in una competizione amichevole tra yacht di club di nazioni differenti. Di fatto un confronto tra gli uomini e i mezzi, e quindi  la tecnologia, che i rispettivi paesi esprimono. Tanto che fino ai decenni più recenti sono in vigore rigorose regole di nazionalità per uomini e know how.  Il nome America viene attribuito al trofeo in un secondo tempo e deriva da quello della goletta America, che dopo la vittoria nel Solent viene venduta in Inghilterra

La prima edizione ufficiale della Coppa America in acque americane si disputa nell’estate del 1871. Lo yacht sfidante, Cambria, batte bandiera inglese, ma anziché  il guidone del Royal Yacht Squadron, issa quello del Royal Thames Yacht Club.  Nei decenni successivi si disputano 124 edizioni. Le dimensioni degli scafi, prima immensi,  dopo la seconda Guerra Mondiale si riducono. L’imbattibilità americana contribuisce a rendere l’America’s Cup leggendaria e agognata. I personaggi che scrivono il loro nome nella sua storia contribuiscono al mito. Grandi tycoon e grandi timonieri. L’aristocrazia del denaro, vecchio e nuovo, e del mondo dello yachting.  Nomi, per citarne alcuni, come Vanderbilt, Mosbacher, Rockfeller, Ted Turner, Sopwith, Sir Thomas Lipton - col record di cinque sfide, superata oggi   da Patrizio Bertelli con Luna Rossa - il Barone  Bich, Michael Fay, Dennis Conner,  Raul Gardini e Paul Cayard,  Bill Koch e Buddy Melges, Russell Coutts, Ernesto Bertarelli, Larry Ellison, Vincenzo Onorato, Peter De Savary, Alan Bond.

Devono passare però 132 anni dalla vittoria della Goletta America prima che qualcuno strappi la Coppa America al New York Yacht Club. Nel 1983 a Newport, dove le regate della Coppa nel frattempo si disputano con gli splendidi 12’ Metri Stazza Internazionale, ci riesce, nella 25° Edizione, Australia II del Royal Perth Yacht Club,  finanziata dall’energico  miliardario australiano Alan Bond, oggi scomparso dopo alterne fortune. Una barca dotata di una rivoluzionaria chiglia con alette disegnata da Ben Lexcen e timonata dal baffuto John Bertrand. E’ l’anno in cui per la prima volta viene messa in palio la Louis Vuitton Cup per la  selezione tra sfidanti.

I Challenger che vincono l’America’s Cup  dopo il 1983

1983 Australia II – Newport, USA

1987 Stars & Stripes- Fremantle, Australia

1995 Team New Zealand – San Diego, USA

2003 Alinghi – Auckland, Nuova Zelanda

2010 Oracle- Valencia, Spagna

2017 Emirates Team New Zealand – Bermuda

2021 Emirates Team New Zealand – Auckland,  Nuova Zelanda

L’ America’s Cup e l’Italia

La prima sfida italiana è quella dello Yacht Club Costa Smeralda con Azzurra nel 1983. Sfida voluta da Gianni Agnelli, Beppe Croce e Karim Aga Khan. Lo skipper è Cino Ricci, il timoniere Mauro Pelaschier, il progettista Andrea Vallicelli.

Azzurra 83 chiude al 4° posto nella Louis Vuitton Cup. Nell’ Italia, pre-dirette, pre-internet,  pre-streaming e social media, è delirio e folle innamoramento.

A Fremantle nel 1987 le sfide italiane sono due: c’è Azzurra con lo Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, e c’è Italia con lo Yacht Club Italiano. Azzurra non brilla. Italia con Aldo Migliaccio e i fratelli Chieffi, sostenuta da un pool di sponsor tra i quali Maurizio Gucci e la Montedison, chiude al 7° posto sui 13 challenger presenti. E’ l’edizione del grande “Come Back” di Dennis Conner che contro Kokkaburra, dell’attuale Direttore di Gara Iain Murray, vince e riporta la Coppa in America a San Diego dove la difende con successo contro i kiwis nel 1988,  nonostante la successiva diatriba legale. 

Il Moro di Venezia  

Il 1992 è l’anno del Moro di Venezia di Raul Gardini, che nel 1990 dà vita a un varo da sogno con accompagnamento di  musiche di Morricone, regia di Franco Zeffirelli e Venezia come scenografia.

Inizia una saga che porta il Moro a vincere a San Diego  nel 1991 il Mondiale e nel 1992 la Louis Vuitton Cup. La prima volta per una barca  italiana. Lo skipper è Paul Cayard. Alla tattica e alla strategia  i fratelli Chieffi, Enrico e Tommaso. Progettista è German Frers. Il club la Compagnia della Vela di Venezia. Contro America al Cubo di Bill Koch il Moro perde per 4 a 1 ( la vittoria è con un delta di 3 secondi). 

L’era di Luna Rossa e di Patrizio Bertelli

L’era di Patrizio Bertelli e di Luna  Rossa nasce con  Luna Rossa Silver Bullett  nel 2000, nella 30° America's Cup a  Auckland , scafo magico che  dopo un entusiasmante duello serrato con America One di  Paul Cayard, vince la Louis Vuitton Cup.

É la seconda volta per l’Italia, la prima con un timoniere italiano, Francesco De Angelis. Tattico è Torben Grael. Il guidone è quello dello Yacht Club Punta Ala.

Luna Rossa torna nel 2003 in nuova Zealanda per  la 31° America's Cup . In questa edizione esordisce Mascalzone Latino di Vincenzo Onorato che corre per il guidone del Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia.   Vince Alinghi di Ernesto Bertarelli, col guidone del club svizzero Société Nautique de Genève. Al timone  Russel Coutts. 

Luna Rossa é presente anche nella 32° America's Cu p nel  2007 a Valencia,  ancora con De Angelis, ma in questo caso col guidone dello Yacht Club Italiano. Corrono per l'Italia anche  Mascalzone Latino, sempre in rappresentanza del Reale  Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia,  e + 39 Challenge del Circolo Vela Gargnano. Difende con successo la Coppa Alinghi di Bertarelli. 

Segue  a Valencia la 33° America's Cup, una sfida a 2 secondo le regole originarie del Deed of Gift, tra il catamarano Oracle e il trimarano Alinghi. Vince Oracle  di Larry Ellison, col quale é passato Russell Coutts, e la Coppa torna in America a San Francisco dove nel 2013 si disputa la 34° America's Cup  con  mega-catamarani foiling. 

Luna Rossa é presente  sotto le insegne del Circolo Vela Sicilia, ma la sua é dichiaratamente una participazione di apprendimento.   La Coppa viene difesa con successo da  Oracle che grazie a  Jimmy Spithill e Ben Ainsle ,che corrono insieme, é protagonistia del più clamoroso “Come Back “ della storia  sportiva: da 1 a 8 a 9 a 8. 

Patrizio Bertelli con Luna Rossa lancia la sfida anche per la 35° Edizione, ma decide di abbandonare sbattendo la porta quando a tradimento, sotto il profilo della correttezza più che del diritto,  viene cambiata in corsa la classe di barche. Di nuovo catamarani foiling, ma più piccoli, per la 35°America’s Cup a  Bermuda, dove Emirates Team New Zealand, anche con l’aiuto del team Prada, vince e riporta la Coppa a Auckland. Il timoniere é Peter Burling.

La 37° America’s Cup 

Nonostante le polemiche e gli appelli all’amor di patria, Emirates Team New Zealand,  il Defender, capitanato da Grant Dalton,  sulla base di valutazioni economiche e di audience, decide di  non far disputare la Coppa down under e dopo una sorta di asta economico/organizzativa  tra varie location geograficamente più baricentriche,  sceglie Barcellona come sede della  37° America’s Cup

Il Programma

La Louis Vuitton 37° America’s Cup    è in programma dal 12 al 21 ottobre 2024, al meglio di un massimo di 13 prove. Vince chi  per primo raggiunge 7 vittorie.  In gara il Defender Emirates Team New Zealand e il Challenger più forte, quello che avrà vinto la selezione tra i 5 challenger, la  Louis Vuitton Cup .  

La Louis Vuitton  Cup , alla quale per la prima volta partecipa anche il Defender Emirates Team New Zealand è in programma dal 29 agosto all’8 settembre e  consiste in:

•  2 Round Robin iniziali  in cui ciascuno incontra il Defender e gli altri quattro challenger  2  volte. Dei 5 challenger quello con il miglior punteggio viene escluso, il Defender passa direttamente al Match della 37° America’s Cup e  quattro challenger passano alla Semifinale. E’ il challenger uscito dai Round Robin con il miglior punteggio a scegliersi l’avversario nella semifinale. 
• la Semifinale si corre dal 14 al 19 settembre 2024  al meglio di massimo 9 prove. Vince chi per primo raggiunge 5 vittorie.
• la Finale, in cui viene assegnata la Louis Vuitton Cup, è fissata dal 26 settembre al 5 ottobre tra i due vincitori della Semifinale. Come il Match finale contro il Defender si corre al meglio di massimo 13 prove. Vince chi per primo raggiunge 7 vittorie.

Per la 37° America’s Cup sono state introdotte due ulteriori manifestazioni riservata rispettivamente  a equipaggi formati da giovani tra i 18 e i 25 anni e da donne che si correranno con gli AC 40, monoscafi momotipo foiling progettati da Emirates Team New Zealand e costruiti in Cina, che i team avevano l’obbligo di acquistare e che sono serviti durante la progettazione e costruzione del proprio unico AC 75 concesso, per allenamento,  sperimentazione e per le prime due Preliminary Regattas. 

L’equipaggio degli AC 40, autoviranti e le cui manovre sono alimentate da energia prodotta da batterie, sono 4: 2 timonieri e 2 flight controller. 

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli si presenta in entrambe le manifestazioni con equipaggi forti capitanati rispettivamente dai campioni Marco Gradoni e Giulia Conti .

La   Unicredit Youth America’s Cup si disputa a Barcellona dal 17 al 26 settembre e i team in gara sono 12 .

La P uig Women’s America’s Cup è in programma dal 5 al 13 ottobre e anche in questo caso i team in gara sono 12. Stesso format per entrambi gli eventi: 8 regate di flotta divisi in due gruppi di 6 ciascuno, passaggio dei migliori migliori 3 dei rispettivi gruppi alla semifinale a 6 che disputano 4 regate di flotta. I primi du classificati e se la giocano quindi in una finale secca  a match race. 

Il Defender della 37° America’s Cup

 Emirates Team New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Club .  

Skipper è Grant Dalton, timonieri sono  Peter Burling insieme all’australiano Nathan Outteridge. Ruolo importante riveste Blair Tuke, flight controller, che da lustri è prodiere simbiotico con Burling. 

I  Challenger 

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Circolo Vela Sicilia , con Luna Rossa. Team Director e Skipper è Max Sirena che ha la ricchezza di poter scegliere tra 4  timonieri top:  Francesco “Checco” Bruni, Jimmy Spithill, Ruggero Tita, e Marco Gradoni. 

INEOS Britannia, Royal Yacht Squadron.

Timonieri  lo Skipper e CEO Sir Ben Ainslie e Giles Scott enrtambi vincitori di ori olimpici. 

Sir Ben Ainslie in particolare è una leggenda della vela  che ha nel curriculum 4 ori  in Finn e 1 argento in Laser. 

NYYC American Magic,  New York Yacht Club

President of Sailing Operations/Skipper, ma non a bordo,  Terry Hutchinson. Tra gli uomini di punta  Paul Goodison, Tom Slingsby,Harry Melges

Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Société Nautique de Genève

Skipper e timoniere è Arnauld Psarofaghis, altri timonieri Maxime Bachelis e Nicolas Charbonnier.NYYC

Orient Express Racing Team, Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez

La sfida nasce da Stephan Kandler e Bruno Dubois e dalla loro esperienza con K Challenge. Ai timoni lo skipper  Quentin Delapierre e Kevin Peponnet. 

Gli  AC75  

Monoscafi dotati di due foil inventati per la 36° America’s Cup che superano in volo la barriera dei 50 nodi di velocità. In vista della la 37° edizione il regolamento di costruzione presenta leggeri cambiamenti, in sostanza ottimizzazioni che potrebbero incidere sulla velocità.  La variazione più rilevante e visibile riguarda l’equipaggio, ridotto da 11 a 8 persone delle quali 4 sono cycler, che pedalando producono l’energia necessaria in termini di watt, per la regolazione delle vele, mentre l’alimentazione per la regolazione dei foil attraverso martinetti idraulici, è derivata da batterie a bordo.

Da tener presente che il vento apparente generato dagli AC 75 fa sì che le vele siano quasi sempre cazzate come di bolina anche in poppa, pur cambiando al variare delle andature le forme e le regolazioni.

A Auckland nel 2021 Luna Rossa si era inventata e aveva applicato la formula dei 2 timonieri anziché 1 che a ogni virata doveva saltare da un lato all’altro dello scafo. A Barcellona tutti hanno adottato la formula dei 2 timonieri che portano la barca insieme a 2 Flight Controller e a 4 cyclers.     

Gli AC 75, che fondono caratteristiche idrodinamiche e aereodinamiche, hanno  determinato l’ingresso di termini e concetti nuovi nel linguaggio velico, ad esempio portanza, lift, flap.  La barra o ruota del timone in sé sono sparite, trasformato in quadri di comando con pulsanti/joystick. Oggi in Coppa America si parla di meccatronica, scienza diretta all'integrazione tra meccanica e elettronica per progettare, sviluppare e controllare sistemi e processi a elevato grado di automazione e integrazione.

Lunghezza 20,7 metri 

Larghezza:  5 metri

Altezza albero: 26,5 metri

Vele: 

• randa a due pelli: 135-145 mq
• fiocco: 90 mq

Peso barca costruita in carbonio: 6.5 tonnellate,

Peso complessivo degli 8 membri dell’ equipaggio: tra 700 e 750 kg circa

Foil:   2 costituiti da un  braccio che termina con una wing (ala) munita di flap, come gli aerei. 

Arco massimo  foil:  4 metri

Immersione massima: 5 metri

In navigazione il foil sottovento fornisce il lift, quello sopravento funge da leva raddrizzante 

Si è notato per la 37° America's Cup un orientamento convergente verso foil a T  di dimensioni più ridotte. 

Intensità del vento con la quale si corre

Il limite del vento  è fissato tra  6.5 e 21 nodi.

Campo di Regata a ring, percorso e tempo limite

Il campo di regata è un rettangolo virtuale che costringe i concorrenti costretto entro confini virtuali (boundaries) che non possono esser varcati pena penalità. Un setting che,  considerato che la  larghezza minima del rettangolo, di fatto un ring,  è di non più di  0,8 miglia, obbliga a manovre serrate e favorisce i cambi di posizione tra gli scafi in gara.   

La lunghezza del percorso può variare  in base alle condizioni del vento, tra 1,7 miglia e 2,2 miglia. 

La durata delle regate, in media sui 25 minuti, e il cambio di posizione dei concorrenti, rende non noiosi i match e attrae anche un pubblico  di non velisti.  

La partenza  è di bolina, da un terzo circadel campo.di regata

Il percorso è a bastone, bolina, poppa, per il numero di volte che stabilisce secondo il meteo il Comitato di Regata presieduto dall’australiano Iain Murray come Independent Regatta Director, veterano della Coppa,  già skipper e progettista. 

Il numero minimo di lati percorsi per la validità di una  prova è 4. 

Proprio come in un ring, o in uno stadio il  pubblico é diviso in settori: le barche dagli spettatori normali, i superyacht, i  charter, i team, con il divieto di accedere nella zona  solo vicino allo start. 

E’ il Direttore di Gara che posiziona, a seconda della direzione, dell’intensità del vento e della corrente, il campo di gara davanti al lungomare di Barcellona, il che permette al pubblico di seguire anche da terra. Rispetto a Auckland, le onde del mar Mediterraneo giocheranno un ruolo di rilievo, così come, nel caso di vento da terra,  l’orografia e le costruzioni della città.  .  

Il tempo limite per concludere il primo lato del percorso è di 12 minuti; se non viene rispettato, la prova è annullata.

Il tempo limite per concludere l’intero percorso è di 45 minuti; se non viene rispettato la prova è annullata. 

Se una barca accetta aiuto esterno, viene squalificata o considerata ritirata a seconda dei casi, e il punto va all’avversario. Dopo l’incidente a Auckland  di American Magic, una nuova regola stabilisce che in  caso di scuffia, la regata viene immediatamente  interrotta, e il punto assegnato all’avversario, anche se i soccorsi non sono ancora intervenuti. Ciò per rendere gli aiuti più veloci. 

I giudici e le penalità

Ci sono tre giudici che chiusi in un ufficio seguono la regata davanti a uno schermo che evidenzia il confine virtuale del campo di regata e il confine a rombo, inviolabile, che circonda gli AC 75 al fine di evitare le collisioni. I tre giudici alla consolle sono supportati da due in acqua. In caso di proteste per violazioni al regolamento di regata o violazioni dei boundaries, la penalità viene comunicata via radio al concorrente. La penalità consiste  nel “mettere” un distacco di ulteriori 75 metri tra il “colpevole” e l’avversario, ovvero 25 metri di più rispetto a Auckland. Ciò si effettua o fermandosi/rallentando o prendendo un’altra direzione. A volte è l’avversario stesso che per suo interesse prende una differente direzione neutralizzando di fatto la penalità. Sono i giudici a comunicare alle barche quando hanno assolto la  penalità. 

In partenza le penalità funzionano in modo differente. Chi taglia la linea di partenza in anticipo di più di 3 secondi prima del via, deve tornare indietro e rifarla. A chi “sconfina” di non più di 3 secondi, può scegliere se rifare la partenza o se eseguire  la penalità classica dei 75  metri da eseguire però dopo il via, così come le eventuali penalità collezionate nelle operazioni di pre-partenza.

La partenza

Il segnale di avviso viene dato ai 3 minuti.

L’ingresso nel box di partenza avviene:

a 2’ e 10’’, per la barca contraddistinta in blu che entra da sinistra, quindi con mura a sinistra, quindi senza precedenza; a 2’, per la barca che entra da destra, quindi con mura a dritta, quindi con precedenza.

La linea di partenza è lunga circa 300 metri. 

Con gli AC75, muniti di foil, si è voluto impedire il “dial up” quella manovra che in passato faceva sì che all’ingresso al box di partenza  una barca veloce con precedenza, riuscisse a “bloccare” l’avversario.  

Come seguire in TV, ma non solo

Le regate, si disputano, a Eolo piacendo,  tra le 14 e 17, ora di Barcellona. I dirittio di trasmissione delle dirette per l'Italia li hanno Sky e Mediaset. 

Sky trasmetterà in diretta  già dalla Preliminary Regatta del 22 agosto come Sky Sport 24   con Giovanni Bruno e Flavia Tartaglini . e streaming su Now. Poi dal 29 agosto, inizio della Louis Vuitton Cup,  dedicherà alla Coppa un canale ad hoc,    SKY SPORT AMERICA’S CUP (205) schierando come commentatore principale Guido Meda che condurrà insieme a Giovanni Bruno, Gabriele “Ganga” Bruni e Flavia Tartaglin i, un bel poker di professionisti, entusiasti e conoscitori della Coppa. Giusto per la cronaca Ganga Bruni è fratello di Checco Bruni, co-timoniere di Luna Rossa, ha un’olimpiade alle spalle come atleta e dal 2018 ha allenato il team del Nacra 17 azzurro arrivando a conquistare 2 ori olimpici con Tita-Banti, e complessivamente tra tutti i componenti, cinque ori, due argenti e un bronzo a Mondiali.  Flavia Tartagini, anche lei atleta di lungo corso, sfiorò la medaglia a Rio in windsurf e oggi allena il team velico delle Fiamme Gialle. Da ricordare che Giovanni Bruno, a lungo responsabile dello Sport di Sky, ha iniziato a seguire  la l’America’s Cup nel 1987, in epoca pre dirette,  quando Italia e Azzurra,  seconda partecipazione italiana,  correvano a Fremantle in Australia. Sul canale dedicato verranno trasmessi  anche speciali, news, film storici,  approfondimenti, ripresi   su Sky Sport 24 e su skysport.it.   Mediaset trasmetterà sul canale 20. 

Sul canale ufficiale Youtube dell’America’s Cup, dal sito www.america’scup.com, si può seguire  la diretta delle regate commentata in inglese da esperti.  La registrazione delle regate  rimane sul sito e può esser vista in qualsiasi momento. Le immagini della diretta Youtube sono le stesse fornite a Sky che ha acquisito il diritto esclusivo di associare il commento in lingua italiana. Le regate live si possono vivere anche tramite il  sito  www.lunarossachallenge.com

Le principali riviste di settore, dal Giornale della Vela (www.giornaledellavela.com) a Fare Vela ( www.farevela.net) a Saily (www.saily.it)     seguiranno  in maniera approfondita la Coppa, con interviste video e  interventi di esperti e appuntamenti quotidiani. Su youtube interessanti interventi e analisi tecniche di Vittorio d'Albertas nel  canare Youtube Sail Ring

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August 2024

In the August 2024 issue of Yachting World magazine: News Few finish a tempestuous Round The Island Race European rules are eased for cruising to France and Greece Olympic sailing…

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Alinghi Red Bull Racing suffers another mast failure days before start of America’s Cup racing

• Toby Heppell
• August 20, 2024

The Alinghi Red Bull Racing America's Cup team have suffered a second rig failure as they prepare for the America's Cup. All crew are safe and the boat us undamaged

Alinghi Red Bull Racing have today, Tuesday 20 August, suffered a rig failure when out training on their AC75 , just two days before the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta is due to get underway. The Swiss-flagged team are scheduled to feature in the first race of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta against Orient Express Racing Team on Thursday August 22 at 14:00 CET.

The incident was confirmed by Alinghi Red Bull Racing in a post on their social media channels. The posts reads:

“Today there was a rig failure during the early stage of training on BoatOne. Everybody onboard is safe, and an investigation will be carried out in due course. In the meantime, the team remains fully focused on racing.” 

TEAM STATEMENT ℹ️ @americascup #AlinghiRedBullRacing #AmericasCup pic.twitter.com/xzgVENaC4q window._taboolaSlots=window._taboolaSlots||[];window._taboolaSlots.push({"mode":"thumbnails-a-mid","container":"taboola-mid-article","placement":"Mid Article","target_type":"mix"}); — alinghiredbullracing (@alinghiredbull) August 20, 2024

Of concern to the team will be two key facts. Firstly this is the second significant rig failure Alinghi has experienced this year with a previous mast failure on 13 June 2024 . The second factor that will be of concern is the relatively light winds and unremarkable sea state forecast today in Barcelona. These two facts together could indicate some fundamental issue in the teams masts… of course it could also just be bad luck.

That the team state they are ‘fully focussed on racing’ is good news and would imply that they do have a spare mast that they can use. Indeed we understand they did have another mast delivered to their base at some point in early August. They will now be hoping that there is no fundamental underlying issue with their mast construction.

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