America's Cup - Helmets as an art-form?

by Emirates Team NZ and Sail-World.com/NZ on 10 May 2017 In the 1995 America's Cup, artist Roy Lichtenstein turned more than a few heads with the artwork on the hull of 'Mermaid' which was taken over for the unsuccessful 1995 Defence of the America's Cup in San Diego.

After that excursion the yachts and crews returned to a more accepted approach to hull graphics and crew appearance.

To date the safety helmets worn by the America's Cup crews have been more functional than fantasy. However that looks set to change with the team wearing racing helmets designed by legendary MotoGP designer Aldo Drudi and his Drudi Performance design house.

Aldo Drudi, who is the creative force behind legendary MotoGP rider Valentino Rossi’s unique and personal helmet designs, as well as many other MotoGP and Motorcycle Grand Prix riders including New Zealander Simon Crafer, designed the Emirates Team New Zealand racing helmets that the sailors will wear in the 35th America’s Cup starting in 16 days in Bermuda.

The helmets combine the reflective top and front areas, required by safety reasons, with the New Zealand flag’s colours, the team and sponsor logos and the unique boat branding, highlighting Emirates Team New Zealand identity.

“Aldo Drudi has been hugely influential in turning a rider’s helmet into not just a safety feature, but a canvas and a way for the rider to express themselves and delight their fans.” said Technical Advisor Max Sirena “We briefly discussed with him what we were looking for and what was required within the strict rules and he came up with the perfect mix between design, safety and team identity.”

Glenn Ashby, skipper of the team who shares with Max Sirena the passion for motorcycling said “As a keen motorcyclist I was very familiar with Drudi’s work and I was very excited when he accepted to design our helmets and I realised I was going to wear them while racing. The look itself does the talking.”

Aldo Drudi said:' I was honoured when Max Sirena asked me to design the graphics of Emirates Team New Zealand crew helmets as it was a great opportunity for Drudi Performance to explore new frontiers. I think the result is harmonious and aggressive at the same time, it seems to scream “let’s race!” I want to thank Emirates Team New Zealand for letting us be part of this America’s Cup.”