America's Cup: Vespucci and Luna Rossa meet again in Barcelona
by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Media 10 Jul 2023 02:12 BST
10 July 2023
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli meet with the Italian Navy's Amerigo Vespucci off the coast of Barcelona - July 9, 2023 © Francesco Ferri
After having said goodbye in Cagliari, with mutual wishes for "good luck" and fair winds for their respective challenges, Luna Rossa and the Vespucci casually (but not so casually) cross paths again.
Having set sail from Genoa on July 1st for her second round-the-world voyage, and heading for the Canary Islands, the Italian Navy's sailing training ship, led by Captain Luigi Romagnoli, sailed through Spanish waters just as the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli crew was out training in Barcelona on board the AC40 monotype to familiarize with the race course of the 37th America’s Cup .
It was a lucky coincidence, which despite the unsupportive weather conditions, the crews of both boats did not want to miss, as they met again on Sunday July 9th. The combination of very strong waves and little wind prevented, in fact, the AC40s from sailing, but it did not stop the enthusiasm of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailors and a few journalists, who went on board enjoying the charm of the Italian Navy ship.
Although the symbolic embrace and good wishes of the Vespucci crew was addressed in particular to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the school ship, as the ambassador of Italy in the world, was also eager to pay homage to Spain, a country of great navigators, from whose coasts Christopher Columbus set out 531 years ago to discover the Americas.
As was to be imagined, the Vespucci did not go unnoticed: her grandeur (101 m long) and elegance attracted the attention of many tourists, as well as that of the cruise boats sailing in the stretch of water outside Barcelona.
Having set sail again for Las Palmas (Canary Islands), the Vespucci continues on its round-the-world voyage, which will count 31 stops (in a total of 28 different countries and five continents), 14 of which will carry on board the cadets of the Livorno Naval Academy engaged in their traditional training campaigns.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, on the other hand, has resumed training in view of the first America's Cup World Series to be held in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Spain), scheduled this coming September 13 to 17.
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