Luna Rossa unveils its new line-up for the preliminary races in Naples

Luna Rossa, as we know, has been working hard for some time and training rigorously to win the second of the preliminary races as well after winning the first event on home waters in Cagliari. The Italia team continues to be the one attracting the most attention. Shore-side radio reports of a major commitment, and whilst it would be unfair to say this campaign is better than the others, there must certainly be something different about Patrizio Bertelli’s squad. The inclusion of Peter Burling, a New Zealand helmsman seeking a new challenge after three victories (one as a challenger in Bermuda and two as Defender in Auckland and Barcelona) with Emirates New Zealand, has clearly brought fresh approaches to both the methodology and techniques that enabled the New Zealand team to dominate the scene for so many years.

Luna Rossa is currently moving its base from the Palumbo shipyards, where it was based, to the jetties on the island of Nisida for these Louis Vuitton Preliminaries. But the most important news concerns Luna Rossa’s ‘crew list’, with Marco Gradoni’s significant promotion to the senior team alongside the other helmsmen Peter Burling and Ruggero Tita, and the trimmers Maria Giubilei, Umberto Molineris and the other promoted crew member, Gianluigi Ugolini. Obviously, not everyone can be on board at once, but Max Sirena could opt for a “daily rotation” to try out different combinations.

A few words about Gradoni: a highly talented young man who, after three consecutive victories in the Optimist World Championships, chose to take up the opportunity offered to him by Luna Rossa to join the team and turn down the Olympic campaigns he could have taken part in. This has enabled him to hone his skills in sailing these boats. The little information coming out of the team – which you hear in the bars of Cagliari – suggests he is the fastest on the simulator. In Barcelona, the decision was made to keep him on the small boat to win the Youth America’s Cup, and that’s exactly what happened. In Cagliari, he was incredibly fast right up until the final day when, amid technical issues and a few questionable decisions, he had to concede victory to the senior team. This move is a significant promotion that could pave the way for the Burling/Gradoni pairing. It’s harder to imagine Burling stepping aside to make way for an all-Italian helmsman pairing of Gradoni and Tita. The junior team is losing Gradoni but gaining Massimiliano Antoniazzi and Lorenzo Sirena. Attentive readers will have realised: the surname is that of Luna Rossa’s CEO, Max Sirena. Lorenzo is a spirited young sailor who, from a very young age, has shared his father’s passion for sailing and the sea, and has also become a formidable fisherman. Paired with Alice Dessy, he has won two Nacra 15 catamaran world championships for youth crews. The crew is completed by Maria Vittoria Marchesini, Giovanni Santi and Alice Linussi.

All the challenger teams and the defender will be on the water for the preliminary races, with the exception of the Australian team, which is slightly behind schedule with its preparations. This will therefore mark the debut of the American team led by Ken Read, and there is great anticipation surrounding this American Racing Challenger Team USA, which everyone now refers to as ARC. The other teams, apart from Luna Rossa, will be Emirates Team New Zealand with two crews, the British teams GB1 and Cobham Ultra GB2 – again, senior and junior crews – Tudor Team Alinghi, and La Roche Posay Racing Team.

In the background, the issue of legal action brought by John Sweeney and backed by New York Yacht Club. Few of the challengers believe this will pose a real obstacle to this year’s Cup. Even if the Attorney General were to take a stance, a swift change to the Protocol could sort things out for next year.