Red Moon abandoned in the weeds. No one in Imperia wants it

Even the TV show Striscia la Notizia tried with a merciless report to find a solution to the Luna Rossa scandal, abandoned in a field in Imperia. But nothing has moved yet. Luna Rossa (ITA 80) one of the legendary Silver Arrows of the America’s Cup IACC monohull class, lies on state land, between the civil defense hangar and the heliport, in the weeds. She had arrived, after four years of waiting, at the end of March, in Imperia. The 2010 agreement stipulated that Luna Rossa would become the superstar of the new Museum of the Sea, which is being set up.

THE MUSEUM? WON’T HAPPEN, LACK OF MONEY
But, as of today, the Museo del Mare is still not finished and, according to Mayor Carlo Capacci himself, will probably never be finished, given the costs that the Ligurian municipality cannot afford. Luna Rossa ITA 80 should have been placed on display outdoors, creating a special cover. But behind this case is a miserable story of money and delusions of grandeur by the City of Imperia, which just these days also has other problems related to the failure of the Imperia marina.

I RETROSCENE
Here’s the story: Patrizio Bertelli had donated Luna Rossa ITA 80 to the museum in Imperia in 2010. Storage and maintenance costs since then, 2010, have been the responsibility of the City of Imperia. But delays in setting up the museum and budget constraints meant that Luna Rossa remained in a shed in Cala Galera, Tuscany, for four years at a cost of 57,000 euros for shelter and maintenance borne by the municipality of Imperia. Hence the decision to move the boat to Imperia, cutting costs. The solution? Abandoning the mythical Italian boat in a field.

OF RED MOON NOBODY CARES
But there’s more; museum director Flavio Serafini doesn’t care about Luna Rossa. He states, “We have always challenged the decision to house Luna Rossa 80 in the museum, which we believe is political precisely because of the boat’s modernity and also its alleged racing merits. Moreover, with a mast over 32 meters and a keel of 4, it is impossible to shelter the boat in the new location.” Basically for Serafini Luna Rossa ITA 80 has no interest. Meanwhile, the boat lies abandoned in the weeds. A bad show. But Spain is no joke either: check out these photos, documenting the life of Desafio Espanol; from America’s Cup queen to mussel farm.