Representing Yacht Club Punta Ala, Luna Rossa won the Challenger Selection Series (Louis Vuitton Cup), securing the right to challenge Black Magic, the New Zealand Defender, in the Final. For the first time in history, the America’s Cup Match was sailed without an American boat and with an Italian helmsman, Francesco de Angelis, at the helm of the finalist challenger. The Cup remained in New Zealand, but Luna Rossa set a record: 38 wins out of 49 preliminary races sailed.