by Gaia Piccardi, sent to Cagliari
The debut in Cagliari, the first regatta in 130 days. From color to line, to technical solutions and helmsmen: the journey towards the Louis Vitton Cup begins
The bottle was chosen with care, the hand that hurled it against the bow of the Ac75 Luna Rossa which comes into the world in the Cagliari base already knows how to do it: respecting tradition, Miuccia Prada will launch the yacht (the tenth of the Cup America baptized from ’99 to today) which was born with the mission of bringing to Italy, for the first time in 173 years of history, the oldest and most prestigious trophy in sport.
Large traffic of private flights over Sardinia. The launch of a Luna is always a special day, which no one wants to miss: present Patrizio Bertelli, president of the Prada group and owner of the Italian sailing team, Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice-president of Pirelli still a partner in the adventure, Alessandra Todde, new president of Region, local authorities, VIPs and guests (Cagliari calcio was invited, but they are leaving for Milan in view of the match against Inter). Ceremony at 1pm (live on the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli social channels), sober celebration, then everyone gets to work. The Ac75 will be placed in the water for photos but not ready to sail: at the first regatta of the defender Team New Zealand’s challengers – the selection of challengers will return to being called the Vuitton Cup and the return of the historic sponsor was welcomed as a sign of continuity with respect to the past, looking to the future — only 130 days left. And everyone in this game, from the least sailor to the best skipper, knows that the only thing you can’t buy in the America’s Cup is time.
Appointment in Barcelona on August 31st, Luna Rossa is the first of the challengers to launch the only Ac75 allowed by the regulations, so it will have to be the right one. Reliable and fast (flying on foils at 50 knots), evolution of the hull capable of conquering the
Prada Cup in Auckland in January 2021, then in the pandemic cup torn to pieces by the usual Kiwis not without Italy selling their lives dearly (7-3 for the hosts, final very open until 3-3), governed by 8 sailors (including the grinder-cyclists who have to produce the watts to get up on the fins), instead of the 11 of the last edition.
The great curiosities: will the new Moon be slim or pot-bellied? And, above all, what color? From the silver gray of the Silver Bullet king of Vuitton 2000 to the mirror catamaran of San Francisco, which had to be visible even from the moon, the real one, from the black with the yellow arms of Auckland to the camouflage of the prototype, the parent company has never opted for trivial choices. On the dock there are rumors of a return to grey, this time chrome; as for the shape, the path chosen for the Leq12 is indicative: skipper Sirena and his team, in fact, decided to focus on the prototype for the development of the design and not on the Ac40 used in Spain and Arabia for the preliminary regattas. Straight sides and a voluminous bow, then? Today we will know. Follow the key theme of the two helmsmen: certainties (Bruni and Spithill), bets (Gradoni, Tita) or a clever mix between veterans and young people. But it’s too early to talk about it. First, let’s see the Moon.
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April 13, 2024 (modified April 13, 2024 | 07:32)
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