America's Cup: Memories of the past - Luna Rossa - six time challenger
by America's Cup Media 3 Aug 2025 17:09 PDT
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli AC75 Launch © Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Continuing the walk down memory lane with the past America's Cups and Italy's involvement as a Challenger, in particular. This one looks at the beginnings of six times challenger, Luna Rossa.
When Patrizio Bertelli sat down in the Milan studio of naval architect German Frers to discuss the lines of a new fast-cruiser in early 1997, the Argentinian proclaimed that all the pieces were in place to mount a challenge for the America’s Cup.
Bertelli was convinced, and as a prominent businessman had steered the Prada name to the very top of global fashion, he was a master at organisational strategy and quickly put in place the building blocks to success. Francesco de Angelis from Naples, and Torben Grael, the five-time Olympic medallist from Brazil were the cornerstones of the initial team, whilst Doug Petersen was brought in as lead designer.
Francesco de Angelis, the Admiral’s Cup winner and J24 World Champion, was excited by the new venture saying: “For us, Prada Challenge – Luna Rossa – was the start of something new, an all-Italian team, standing on the shoulders of the Italian campaigns that had come before us: Azzurra, Italia, and Il Moro di Venezia. We were combining the experiences and talents of all of the previous Italian efforts, and this felt like our best chance yet.”
Joining the crew for the first challenge which would be in Auckland in early 2000 was Matteo Plazzi as navigator and a young Max Sirena as mid-bowman, two figures that would play significant roles over the coming 25 years through to the present day. Sirena had first met Bertelli in 1993 when he was trialling for a position on the owner’s classic 1938-built, Olin Stephens designed 12 Metre yacht Nyala. An often-repeated quote from their first meeting: “My first meeting with Bertelli is now famous. In 1993 I was called to do training on his Nyala at Argentario, I knew Bertelli’s name but had never met him, I didn’t know what he looked like. On the way back to port I could hear this loud voice on the dock, and I said to this gentleman, what are you yelling about? He said: who are you? I answered, I am Max Sirena. He replied, I’m Patrizio Bertelli, give me five minutes to figure out if I’m going to blow you off right now or if we’ll see each other again.” Today Max Sirena is the CEO of Luna Rossa.
The first America’s Cup regatta was sensational for Luna Rossa. Challenging under the burgee of the Punta Ala Yacht Club in Tuscany, Bertelli had acquired the IACC yachts of Bill Koch including Mighty Mary, Kanza and America3 as training vessels and then built two new boats for the Cup ITA-45 and ITA-48. Starting in early October 1999, Luna Rossa immediately showed speed, sailing the newer boat but knowing that their first boat was a strong contender for the later rounds. Ranged against them were the outstanding team of AmericaOne, led by Paul Cayard who had done so much for Italian sailing, taking the Il Moro di Venezia challenge to success in the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1992.
The first hurdle was to qualify for the America’s Cup Match, no easy feat. Prada Challenge were one of eleven Challengers from seven nations vying for the Louis Vuitton Cup, the winner of which would move forward to face the Defender, Team New Zealand, for the America’s Cup. Remarkably, in their America’s Cup debut, Prada Challenge breezed into the Finals and faced down Cayard in some of the most memorable action ever seen on an America’s Cup racecourse. It was aggressive match-racing, but the Italians came through with Paul Cayard remembering the combativeness of one famous race where the two boats were sailing downwind clearly...
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To read an archive story from Italian publication Vela, and their 1997 and images story of the begining of the Luna Rossa era where an unknown Tuscany 50yr old sailor Patrizio Bettelli says he will win the America's Cup