AC World Series Venice - Oracle Team USA joined by Lapo Elkann

by Tim Jeffery on 18 May 2012 America's Cup World Series (ACWS) Venice, the penultimate event of the 2011-12 season, is now underway. Oracle Team USA Coutts was joined in racing by guest and creative entrepreneur Lapo Elkann.

Elkann visited the America’s Cup World Series – Venice and joined the first day’s racing with Russell Coutts, the most successful skipper in the history of the competition. As grandson of the late Fiat chairman and avid yachtsman Gianni Agnelli, Lapo Elkann is familiar with top-level racing and the America’s Cup. Lapo Elkann is President and Founder of Italia Independent and Independent Ideas.

Amongst its projects have been re-branding and collaborating with iconic brands such as Borsalino, Smeg, Diesel and Ferrari, as well as being closely involved with the re-launch of the Fiat 500 in 2007. His family owns Fiat Group.

'Transforming an iconic brand is close to my heart,' said Elkann. 'It’s exactly what we did with the Fiat 500. So I totally understand what has happened with the America’s Cup. With intelligent re-invention you can make something absolutely relevant for today whilst keeping its iconic status.'

Oracle Team USA Bundock led the first lap of the first race of the America’s Cup World Series – Venice with Elkann aboard.

'No question, Lapo enjoyed every second of it,' said Coutts, CEO of Oracle Team USA.

'These boats are definitely a lot of fun to sail.'

Before racing, Coutts showed Elkann the technology used to transform the television broadcast, including the Emmy Award-winning graphics-on-live vision system LiveLine.

Oracle Team USA website