Luna Rossa: “We are back. The challenge to the 37th America’s Cup is on

We are back. Three words in a picture on social media and one sentence: “The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) formally accepted the challenge from Circolo Della Vela Sicilia and Team Luna Rossa, filed Dec. 1, 2021. Stay tuned…“. This is how Luna Rossa officially announced that it had submitted the challenge to the 37th edition. Okay, it was in the air after Alinghi ‘s announcement, and it was known that Bertelli intended to continue the Cup chase, but at a time when the Old Pitcher also goes through some uncertainty having confirmations is always good.

HIGH-LEVEL CHALLENGERS

Thus emerges a parterre of challengers for the 37th America’s Cup that at the moment has as a certain presence Luna Rossa, Ineos Team UK, Alinghi, and we also throw in American Magic, which barring any resounding twists and turns will be in the game even after its divorce from the New York Yacht Club. All structured teams with large budgets, full of outliers and on paper all very competitive net of the choices that will be made about the design of the new generation of AC 75. While some had hoped for many more challenges, the constraint on nationality and the confirmation of boats whose technology requires research and development, as well as budgets, high, has curbed the emergence of perhaps less competitive challenges.

WHAT RED MOON WILL WE SEE?

Departing Martin Fisher, who has settled with Ineos, his place is expected to be taken by Guillarme Verdier on the design team. Otherwise, we are heading toward many reconfirmations and a few surprises. The participation of Nacra 17 Olympic gold medalist Ruggero Tita seems a foregone conclusion, although depending on how the next Cup is timed, it should be considered that the Paris Olympics are also in 2024. Tita had given up a role on Luna Rossa’s crew for the Tokyo Olympics, but it is possible that different decisions will be made this time. Then what? What will happen to Bruni, Spithill and Sibello? Legitimate to expect at least the two Italians to be on the team and most likely on board, on Spithill there is some more unknown. The Australian respects the nationality constraint having already been a resident of Italy before 2021 and would have no problem staying with Luna Rossa. But with Tita on the crew there would be almost too much abundance of helmsmen. Would Luna Rossa give up the Australian? It would be a painful choice, but perhaps a necessary one if you want to bring some of the blue Nacra genius ( and Vittorio Bissaro would be there) to the America’s Cup.

On the grinders’ side, on the other hand, if the possibility of reusing grinder-cyclists is confirmed, it is likely that Max Sirena will aim at the specialists of the national cycling team in place of the rowers who were boarded in the last edition. In short, there will be some changes, some names will go out and others will come in, but it is to be expected that the hard core of the team, including important names for what they do ashore like Vasco Vascotto, will be reappointed.

CHECCO BRUNI SPEAKS

We asked Checco Bruni right away for a comment on Luna Rossa’s new challenge, its position and future AC 75, here is what he told us:

“I am pleased to see that, judging from the early regulations and test boats, it would seem that the two-helmsman configuration will also be the one traveled by our opponents. It means we got it right at the last Cup.. The choice of Nathan Outteridge, for the New Zealanders, I think also goes in this direction…”

And again, “I don’t know if in 2024, Checco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill will still be on Luna Rossa. For sure, Checco Bruni is ready. I would love to try again to bring the Cup to Italy….”

What boats will the new AC75s be? “Eight people instead of 11 on board, with 4 of them probably pedaling. Grinders will then disappear. The jibs will be self-tacking; there will be no more Code Zero type sails. The boats will be a ton lighter, so they will struggle less with lighter airs…Given the opponents, we will have a hard time. But we had it hard in the last Cup as well. It’s the America’s Cup!“.

Mauro Giuffrè / Eugenio Ruocco

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