Luna Rossa’s America’s Cup story: 24 years in 10 pictures

Mission accomplished. Luna Rossa won the Prada Cup- For the third, historic time Italy is playing for the America’s Cup. Moro di Venezia succeeded in 1992 and Luna Rossa, in its first challenge, in 2000. And now, after 21 years, it will be Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team again (from March 6) to challenge the defender, Emirates Team New Zealand. A story of love and hate, that of Prada ad Patrizio Bertelli for the America’s Cup. We retrace the steps of Bertelli’s “magnificent” obsession with “Old Pitcher,” from 1997 to the present.

RED MOON STORY

1997. THAT’S HOW IT ALL STARTED

Patrizio Bertelli walked into Gérman Frers’ studio in Milan one February evening in 1997 with the idea of talking about a new cruising boat. He comes out with a dream, a new Italian challenge to the America’s Cup. Within a couple of weeks the core crew that will form the first Luna Rossa was born.

1999-2000. SILVER BULLET IS IN THE AMERICA’S CUP!

It is February 6, 2000, after a real sea battle against Paul Cayard’s American One, Luna Rossa won the Louis Vuitton Cup 5-4 and the right to challenge Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup. Patrizio Bertelli raises his cup full of Champagne and tips it over his friend Antonio Marrai’s head.

Silver Bullet, “Silver Bullet,” as the first Luna Rossa was renamed by the New Zealand public. Francesco De Angelis at the helm, Brazilian Olympic star Torben Grael at tactician, a crew with top Italian talent. From the very beginning of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the challenger selection, Team Prada seemed to be one of the boats to beat. A loss to Dennis Conner’s Stars&Stripes, and a dismasting against Cayard’s America One, jeopardized passage to the semifinals, but Luna Rossa eventually passed. The final challengers against Cayard was a never-ending battle that held millions of Italians in suspense until the 5-4 victory.

2000. THAT ONE, MOCKING CROSSROADS

It is Feb. 20, 2000, at the first crossroads Luna Rossa, helmed by Francesco De Angelis, with Brazilian Torben Grael as tactician, passes ahead of Team New Zealand. On the Italian night it’s stadium screams, but it will be the only crossroads where the Italian boat will prevail. The Kiwis wipe out Team Prada 5-0, a total, clear-cut, no-holds-barred defeat. But it is the beginning of a long story.

2003. SECOND CHALLENGE, LITTLE LUCK

The second Luna Rossa is not kissed by luck. The design by Doug Peterson, former designer of ITA 45 in 2000, does not work. Luna Rossa is less fast than the other challengers and the path to the Cup is interrupted in the semifinals.

2007. JIMMY’S FIRST TIME

Luna Rossa hires Australian James Spithill, who at the helm of One World eliminated the Italians in 2003. Jimmy is a talent at the start, Luna Rossa in Valencia waters is fast, but not as fast as Team New Zealand, which scrambled it 5-0 in the final challengers.

2013. FUTURISTIC CAT

The 2013 challenge was born more with the desire to stay in the “circus” than with the possibility of winning. With the futuristic cat AC 72s Luna Rossa reaches the final challengers, once again beaten by the Kiwis (who will lose to Oracle Team USA). You can still see the maxi catamaran today at the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology in Milan.

2015. “I’M NOT IN.”

After initiating the design for the new boat, Luna Rossa sees itself changing the regulations and hull size from Oracle. Bertelli withdrew the team, but loaned men (including Max Sirena) and technology to the New Zealanders (who would go on to win the Cup in Bermuda).

2017. CHALLENGER OF RECORD AGAIN

On June 26, 2017, at the same time that Team New Zealand crossed the finish line and won the Cup, Agostino Randazzo (President of Circolo della Vela Sicilia, pictured in the background right, foreground Francesco Longanesi Cattani), handed over the challenge to the Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

2019. WELCOME FLYING MOON

On October 2, 2019, in front of a large audience on land, on Cagliari’s Ichnusa pier, and at sea, Miuccia Prada christened the fifth Luna Rossa, this time in the AC75 version, equipped with foil and steering wheel. Behind her husband Patrizio Bertelli, skipper Max Sirena, and Marco Tronchetti Provera.

2021. NOW WE PLAY FOR THE CUP

January-February 2021. After routing American Magic with a dry 4-0 win in the semifinals and slaughtering Ineos Team UK 7-1 in the finals, Luna Rossa (helmsmen Francesco “Checco” Bruni and Jimmy Spithill) wins the Prada Cup, earning access to the America’s Cup and the right to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand. The Prada ad is on his sixth Cup challenge, at age 75: He really does have it all on the line. It’s all or nothing.

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