LUNA ROSSA PRADA

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is the Italian team that represented the Circolo della Vela Sicilia in the challenge at the 36th edition of the Americas's Cup presented by Prada held in Auckland, New Zealand, from 10 to 17 March 2021. The team, after 10 hard-fought regattas, lost the Final Match, against Cup holders, Emirates Team New Zealand, with a score of 7-3.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had previously won the right to challenge the New Zealanders, after beating the English team of INEOS Team UK in the final and winning the PRADA Cup, that is the selection regattas among all the challenging teams, which took place from January 15th to February 20.



Founded in 1851, the America's Cup is the oldest trophy in the history of sport and the highest sailing competition, always played on a dual level of sport and technology. Luna Rossa's first participation dates back to 2000, when the team arrived in the America's Cup final against Team New Zealand, after winning the Louis Vuitton Cup on its debut, beating the American team of American One. Over the past twenty years, the team has been involved in six America's Cup campaigns.
At the end of the last edition, in February 2017, immediately after the victory of the New Zealand team against the then defender Oracle Team USA, Agostino Randazzo, president of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia, together with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team launched the challenge at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, becoming Challenger of Record, or the challenger who is responsible for writing together with the new Cup holder, the rules with which the next edition of the competition will be played.

Led by Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director, the Italian team races aboard the AC75 "Luna Rossa", a revolutionary monohull 23 meters long and weighing approximately 6.5 tons. For over two years, more than 90 people have been involved in its construction, including 37 designers, and 7,000 square meters of carbon fiber and 400 square meters of aluminum honeycomb have been used. On the sides of the hull are mounted the foils, the two "wings", which measure about 5 meters and allow Luna Rossa to "fly" over the water and reach speeds of over 90 km / h.



There are 11 racing aboard the AC75, each with a different function. In addition to their responsibilities on the boat, each of the sailors also has a specific role on land and works in coordination with the team of designers (Design Team) to try to improve the performance of the boat, and with the Shore team that takes care of point the boat and build the components.
The sailing team, including the coach, is made up of 21 men. Within the group, ten expert sailors flank ten young talents, who have joined the team thanks to the "New Generation" project, born from the desire to strengthen what, for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, has become a constant over the years: give continuity to the challenge.