For the third consecutive time, representing the Circolo della Vela Sicilia yacht club, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is the Italian team participating in the 37th America’s Cup held in Barcelona (Spain) from August to October 2024. To access the final match against the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will have to challenge all of its opponents in the Challenger Selections (Louis Vuitton Cup), scheduled from August 29 to October 5. AC75 foiling monohulls will be used in the races.
Led by Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director, the Italian team is competing on board the AC75 "Luna Rossa", a revolutionary monohull about 21 m long. The entire design team (40 people) was involved in the conception and development of the craft, while its construction required over 70,000 work hours by 35 specialized technicians and 3,500 square meters of carbon fiber. Mounted on the sides of the hull are the foils, the two "wings" that let Luna Rossa "fly" over the water, surpassing speeds of 100 km/h.
Launches
The LEQ12 Luna Rossa Prototype was launched on October 13 in Cagliari. The 12-meter boat was used to test materials, design solutions, technologies and instruments to be later applied to the official America's Cup AC75. The Prototype was also used for training the crew at sea.
The AC75 that will compete in the 37th America's Cup was launched on April 13, 2024 in Cagliari at the team's base: it is an evolution of the previous 2 boats (built for the 36th America's Cup - presented by PRADA in 2021), and has some important changes, both in design and materials. Lighter, faster, higher performance, the new AC75 is also the result of a long phase of testing and development that took place aboard the LEQ12 Prototype.
There are 8 crew members on board the AC75: two helmsmen, two trimmers (responsible for adjusting the foils and sails) and four cyclors who, using pedals, power up the hydraulic systems that move the aero part of the boat (mast and sails). In addition to their role on the boat, each crew member also has a job on land in coordination with a specific department to strengthen team spirit and have a 360-degree vision of how the boat works in its entirety. In addition to the crew dedicated to the AC75, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team includes the youth and women's teams that participate - respectively - in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
Apparel
Thanks to the collaboration of The Woolmark Company as a Technical Partner, high-performance garments made of merino wool were studied and developed for the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, including the official uniforms and high-performance training apparel worn during cycling, running and work-out sessions. Thanks to its complex structure, merino wool is the most technical fiber that is naturally thermoregulating, breathable, and water-resistant.
History
The Luna Rossa team was born in Milan in February 1997 after a meeting between entrepreneur Patrizio Bertelli and Argentine yacht designer Germán Frers. The two decided to participate in the 30th America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in the history of sport and the most important sailing competition that has always been based on sports and technology. Since its birth, Luna Rossa has participated in five editions of America’s Cup. Barcelona 2024 will be its sixth.
