About Us
Luna Rossa Challenge 2013
Country of Origin: Italy
Established: 1997
Best Result: 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup Winner
Skipper: Massimiliano Sirena
Yacht Club: Circolo della Vela Sicilia
The Challenge for the 34th America’s Cup
September 2011. Curious about the performance of the AC 45 catamarans, the forerunners of the America’s Cup class, Patrizio Bertelli goes to Plymouth (UK) to follow the preliminary tests of the second round of races in the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS).
It’s a rainy, cold day, with 15 – 18 knots of wind; yachts fly, ever so fast, they tack like single-hulls, they nearly overspeed the chase boat!
Patrizio Bertelli immediately starts to think about the possible involvement of Luna Rossa in the 2012 ACWS circuit.
A feasibility study reaches encouraging conclusions from all points of view.
So, back on track!
Luna Rossa launches its Challenge for the 34th America’s Cup through the Circolo della Vela Sicilia – that enthusiastically accepts to serve as the challenging Yacht Club – and it signs a co-operation agreement with Emirates Team New Zealand.
The hulls of Luna Rossa’s AC 72’ will be built in Italy, and all its other components in New Zealand.
Just as it happened in the 2000 challenge, the busy and demanding programme is designed in a few days: a base will open in Auckland, New Zealand, as early as in January 2012, training will be done in New Zealand, the team will participate in all the America’s Cup World Series (ACWS) events with two AC 45’ winged catamarans and the AC 72’ winged catamaran will be launched to race in the America’s Cup.
Since March 2013, the Luna Rossa team will continue its sports training and the technical development of the AC 72’ yacht in San Francisco, and race in all the events featured in the 34th America’s Cup schedule.