Luna Rossa

“The human factor is as much an essential asset as training and research. You must have good judgment but you also have to be extremely responsive. You must be ready to react in critical situations, without losing sight of the final goal: victory…but not only victory…”

Patrizio Bertelli

THE 37TH AMERICA’S CUP BARCELONA 2024

After the excellent results achieved in the 36th America’s Cup – presented by PRADA in 2021, Luna Rossa launched its sixth America’s Cup challenge for the oldest sporting trophy and the pinnacle of sailing. For a third consecutive time, the team competed as representative of Yacht Club Circolo della Vela Sicilia. Following an intensive selection process, Barcelona was chosen as the host city for the 37^th America’s Cup, held between August and October 2024. Spain played host to the America’s Cup for the second time in its 173-year history. This edition again saw the AC75 class racing monohulls – which starred in the waters off Auckland – compete.

The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team

LEQ12 PROTOTYPE

Launched on October 13 2022, the LEQ12 prototype was entirely designed and built at the team’s base in Cagliari. The 12-metre boat features innovative graphics and is an in-scale version of the AC75. It is used both for training the crew and to test the materials, configurations and systems that were adopted aboard the AC75 that competed in the 37^thAmerica’s Cup.

THE CHALLENGE OF THE 36TH AMERICA’S CUP AND PRADA’S INVOLVEMENT

In 2017, twenty years after the launch of the Luna Rossa project, Prada increased its commitment in the world of sailing as the Naming and Presenting Sponsor of the 36th America’s Cup. Since the last edition, with another major Italian world-class industrial group joining as co-title Sponsor, the team is now known as “Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli”.

LUNA ROSSA WINS THE PRADA CUP

Beating the English INEOS Team UK by a score of 7-1, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli won the PRADA Cup on February 21, 2021, thereby becoming the Challenger team of the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the 36th America’s Cup. Receiving the trophy, produced by the finest Florentine master silversmiths from a design by Mark Newson, were Max Sirena and the two helmsmen Francesco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill, together with the crew and President of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia Yacht Club represented by Luna Rossa, Agostino Randazzo.

In the final race of the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA against the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team recorded the best score of an Italian challenger in the history of the America’s Cup.

LUNA ROSSA AND AMERICA'S CUP WORLD SERIES

LUNA ROSSA AC75: THE THREE LAUNCHES

The first Luna Rossa revolutionary full-foiling AC75 monohull was launched on October 2, 2019 in Cagliari, the base of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team. After blessing the boat, Miuccia Prada together with Patrizio Bertelli, Agostino Randazzo (President of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia) and Marco Tronchetti Provera (CEO of Pirelli, co-title sponsor of the Luna Rossa team) christened it.

The second Luna Rossa AC75 yacht was launched on October 20, 2020 in Auckland by Tatiana Sirena, wife of the skipper and team director Max Sirena, with a blessing by Father “Pa” Peter Tipene, Cathedral Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral, Auckland. The local Maori community accompanied proceedings with a ritual traditionally used for boat launches.

The third AC75 Luna Rossa was launched on April 13 2024 in Cagliari. Acting as godmother to the launch was Miuccia Prada, accompanied by Patrizio Bertelli, Agostino Randazzo (President of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia) and Marco Tronchetti Provera(executive Vice-President of Pirelli, co-title sponsor of the Luna Rossa team).

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Press Kit

THE STORY OF LUNA ROSSA

An encounter between the entrepreneur Patrizio Bertelli and the Argentinian yacht designer German Frers, who suggested launching a challenge in the 30th America’s Cup in 2000 led to the establishment of the Luna Rossa team in 1997. Since then the team has competed in five editions of the event, twice winning the Challenger races - the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 and the PRADA Cup in 2021 - and reaching the final in 2007 and 2013.

On June 29, 2012, Patrizio Bertelli became the first Italian in history to be inducted in the America’s Cup Hall of Fame.

The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team is animated by vision, expertise and passion in its goal to win the oldest trophy in the history of sport. The highest expression of sportsmanship and technological innovation, over the years the project has won the hearts and minds of Italians and of sailing enthusiasts around the world, earning unanimous international respect for its sporting nature both at sea and on land.