America's Cup, dress rehearsal in Cagliari: preliminary races begin

The America's Cup number 38, the ones that will be next year in Naples, begins in Cagliari these hours. Home to Luna Rossa for years now, the city is waiting to organise its own event dedicated to the Cup. On the one hand the will, on the other the delays in preparing the race course, but above all the bases in Naples, has made it possible for the inaugural regattas to be held in Cagliari. The bases will be close to the city centre.

In this first Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup event, five of the seven teams taking part in the Cup with a total of eight boats. There are many new names in the crews, young and very young with an F1 effect: these boats too, as on cars, require quick reflexes and a cyber culture trained on simulators. And then, after the usual controversy on the eve of the race, it is finally back on the water. Says Matteo de Nora, the soul of Emirates Team New Zealand: "It is a year away," he says, "but today is like the first day of the Italian America's Cup. Thanks to the constructive cooperation of all the authorities, the next twelve months will be used to prepare an event that will be remembered for the participation of the territory in its success. Having put the word Naples on a blue background on the arm of our boat is a way of respecting Naples, which will give us its incredible scenery. I believe that as a team we must be united in creating a great spectacle and remember that the venue for the competition is the race course". It was he and Grant Dalton who made the final decision. Minister Andrea Abodi played a central role in the decision, as did Sport and Health with its managing director Diego Nepi Molineris.

'We are very happy,' said Abodi, 'it is fundamental to socialise all the work we are doing for an event that is historic. The sense, prestige and survival of a competition that has spanned the centuries, which we will combine with all the beauties of Italia, from Campania to Cagliari. We are rooting for the America's Cup, but our heart beats for Luna Rossa'.

In Cagliari, the AC40s, the 'small' flying boats in one-design trim, will be raced in the water by young teams with many girls against the senior teams.

This is the case for Luna Rossa, if Max Sirena does not make a different decision, who fields two actually very strong crews. The seniors are three-time Cup winner Peter Burling (a helmsman who fell from the sky, when he was hired he was not expected to helm the Italian boat) and two-time Olympic gold medallist Ruggero Tita, the other two members will probably be Umberto Molineris and Vittorio Bissaro with an open door for the recent Nacra 17 World Champion Gigi Ugolini. The young crew is with Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro at the helms with a shortlist of potential trimmers to choose from. "Luna Rossa has had its base here for several years," said Luna Rossa CEO Max Sirena, "we chose it after studies on weather and logistical conditions that would guarantee us more sailing days and be able to host an international team, with international schools, an airport, services. We had been trying for years to bring a Cup event there and there are all the premises to have a very nice event, in front of the city".