Have you seen the Protocol, the new rules of the America’s Cup 2024? “Of course I saw it,” replies Francesco Checco Bruni, the helmsman of Luna Rossa in the battles of Auckland. The following is a two-stage interview. Partly collected in Sferracavallo, in its sailing club, on the sidelines of the 69F Pro Cup and partly suspended on the upcoming America’s Cup 2024.
Let’s start with the new rules of the Cup, Checco. What impressed you the most about the Protocol?
“The times when you can’t navigate. They are different, fluctuating with respect to the date and therefore to the location of the America’s Cup, with twenty days more for those teams who will buy a used Ac75, but still something I had never seen before. And designed to give Team New Zealand an advantage where possible “.
Because? Where is it?
“Because if you say for example that you can sail from September 2022 to March 1st 2023 it means our winter and their summer, therefore with better conditions. Furthermore, there is also the obligation to sail in the location where the Cup is held from 1 June to 30 September 2023… “.
What do you mean?
“That if the Kiwis exported the Cup they would guarantee the host country the presence of the teams well in advance of the selection of the challenger and the final match, and therefore of money”.
Why do you say they are floating dates?
“It is written in the Protocol. They think the Match will be held in June 2024, but if the date changes, depending on the hemisphere or whatever, then all the other dates change too “.
In June, because then in July / August in Marseille there will be the Olympic sailing of Paris 2024. They must have thought about it, right? But oh well, other benefits for Kiwis?
“They introduce the Ac40, which will be the testing boat as well as for women and young people (under 25). Well, because you will have the ability to do more tests than the Ac75. But you are obliged to take it from them: they will have the first hull, from September 2022. The second will be of the British, then the third to the challenger who will have registered first. And so on. It is clear that they will be able to test first “.
There is also the possibility on board to replace manual grinders with cyclists, i.e. grinders that produce energy with the strength of the legs.
“Yes, and this also benefits the Kiwis a little because they have already experienced them as cyclists, everyone else has seen them on television. On the other hand, in Italy we have great resources in this respect ”.
The Ac75 will be lighter. Off the bowsprit, 8 men instead of 11, one ton less weight.
“The bowsprit and the ability to use Code Zero were of little use. There is an attempt to improve the boat’s performance in lighter winds and to affect costs. With eight men it will be interesting to understand whether to keep 4 on each side and give someone the opportunity to pass from one side to the other in maneuvering and navigation ”.
Cost reduction is always the good purpose of every edition.
“It seems to me that they have been filed where Team New Zealand does not lose us. I haven’t checked the entry fees yet, but there is a requirement to purchase Ac40s from them. Then there are the hydrogen tenders, which you can develop too, but since their project is already there, perhaps it is easier to buy them from New Zealand than to finance your own research “.
And we are talking both for boats and for tenders of 1.85 million US dollars and 2 million Kiwi dollars. Conversely, there are more one design pieces. And there is also the team of spies in common with the teams …
“Spying is prohibited and it is the first time that it has been written in black and white. There will be a group of spies, funded by all teams, who will pool the observations. Well… “.
Change of field. Now we are in Sferracavallo, not far from Palermo. The sailing club currently has 700 members and was born just over a year ago by the will of eleven founding members. Checco is the sporting director, the president Giuseppe Giunchiglia, ophthalmologist, has been a friend of Bruni from time immemorial. He follows him in all his sporting adventures as a first fan, shares the pleasure boat with him, together they have also started the recovery of the structures that are now polished as the club’s headquarters, on the coast facing the small town of Sferracavallo , the highly scenic massif of Capo Gallo and the intense blue of the Sicilian sea. In front of us, as a sentinel of the village, there is also a small marina and the summer headquarters of the club, a whitewashed building with a beautiful terrace, all recovered and refurbished. There are so many kids that a club shuttle service picks up and takes from / to Palermo.
Checco, what is the reason for this adventure?
“The idea and the will to do something beautiful. To tell the truth, I thought it was not such a consistent commitment, while in reality it is. But it gives you so much and you are rewarded by the gratitude of the people, by the recognition of doing something useful. Of beauty, in fact “.
What would you still like for the Club?
“I would like to have the sailing school and the youth competitive team even more developed. My main goal is this, together with that of continuing the cleaning of the marina, so as to increase the clean spaces to be dedicated to children. We have done a great job, but we can do even more ”.
You hosted the 69F Pro Cup. You raced too. Will we see you again on the 69F?
“I don’t think it will be a class that I will attend very much, even if I like it as a boat and as a formula. The class has made a big investment in young people, then there is an open circuit where I could also participate, but I don’t think so for now. Maybe I’ll do some more events, but I’m very busy on other fronts “.
Will you bring the 69F back to Sferracavallo?
“The idea is to have something with the 69F that is repeated from year to year. I don’t know if the Pro Cup, but the 69F is. It is a young boat, which pleases, which gives color, which works here. I think we were both happy with the Pro Cup, we did the invitation to the class “
Is it a boat that is also used to train for the Cup or the SailGp?
“I think yes. There are many similarities: regattas, speeds, angles, covers, dynamics. Of course, something bigger would be needed, somewhere between the Ac75 and the 69F, perhaps absurdly a 30 footer. But anyway yes, in my opinion it is the perfect boat for young people to hope to get closer to Coppa or SailGp. Then it depends on the career you want to do. For me to be a good sailor you have to do many things, if you only do 69F or Olympic class you will be a dragon only in that. My advice is to complete your sailing culture. That said, the 69F is a nice class for those who love foiling, a boat that I think will have some success in the next few years. Also because the world of foiling is the present and the future “.
You talked about the Sail Gp. The Italian team you were working on?
“We haven’t given up hope yet. We have a couple of important contacts that could make a difference if they decide. It is hard to reach the required budget (we are talking about 7 million a year, ed.) “.
Patron Russell Coutts had said he would come to meet you.
“He said it. The problem is that the more time passes, the more he sells the spaces and the circle tightens. The target? The 2022 season is still feasible, but not from the first stage. It must also be said, however, that now everyone’s attention, mine first, is on the America’s Cup ”.
They told me that Alinghi cares.
(laughs). “I think Alinghi is interested and interests a lot of people. In truth, my hope is to have a rematch with Luna Rossa against the Kiwis. I haven’t signed anything yet, but I’m in contact with Max (Sirena, the skipper and team director) and the management. I hope to have another chance with Luna Rossa because I believe I did well and deserve it ”.
Now is a good time in your career.
“Better than this. I’m not talking about apex, because I’m never satisfied. But 2021 needs to be framed “.
Come from afar.
“I made a lot of it, even swallow a few toads”.
Guy?
“Valencia 2007, my second Cup. I had done the first on the bench, in the second I hoped to be on board. I was a strategist, I was replaced two days before the races. Today I realized that it is not easy to make certain decisions (the skipper of Luna Rossa was Francesco de Angelis, ed), but then I felt stronger than Andrew Horton and I suffered from it ”.
A long apprenticeship that has seen you change many boats too.
“I have invested a lot. I have done three Olympics with three different classes. They told me: no, the next one you have to do with the same one. But I always had in mind to go further, to test myself and improve myself as a sailor. And so I went from the Laser to the 49er, to the Star. Then the match-racing, the foiling. I have increased my sailing luggage and today I am reaping the rewards. I was also lucky that everything was concentrated on a single boat, on the Ac75 of the America’s Cup ”.
What are you missing?
“I feel like a pretty complete sailor. I had to say, well, I miss the ocean, even in my head. It is a big gap. They are more sailors, whoever goes to the ocean becomes first a sailor and then a sailor. You can’t do everything, I already do enough of it. Having said that in the future, maybe I would like to test myself on this front as well. But now there is the Cup ”.
Come on, let’s go back to the America’s Cup. What team do you expect?
“The three last year plus Alinghi. But then I can’t know if maybe the Chinese or the Japanese talked to Grant Dalton (the ceo of team New Zealand). I live in the sail of the western world ”.
Will American Magic be there too, downloaded from the New York Yacht Club?
“Skipper Terry Hutchinson is determined to do it again. And he has the lenders on his side. They will find another club. However, I felt a bit doubtful if the headquarters were Jeddah ”.
Did you see that the Kiwis have signed Nathan Outteridge, your partner with Artemis in the America’s Cup and Team Japan in SailGp?
“A nice move. Nathan is very strong and a good guy ”.
Some also speculate that Nathan could be Team New Zealand’s double helmsman along with Peter Burling. And for some others also a signal from Grant Dalton against Burling himself who has not yet signed the contract. But I don’t ask Checco about this.