DATA, TESTING AND EMOTION: LUNA ROSSA FLIES AGAIN IN CAGLIARI

While preparing for the Preliminary Regatta Naples, scheduled from September 24 to 27 in the Campania capital, the Luna Rossa team is focusing on the AC75, which returned to the water in Cagliari a few weeks ago. After the tow test and the first technical trials, the official America’s Cup boat has in fact resumed sailing sessions in the Gulf of Angels. On one hand, ashore, designers and engineers continue the R&D phase to optimize the boat ahead of the 2027 event; on the other, solutions and innovations are tested on the water, while the crew trains at the same time. On the fifth day of sailing, we gather the testimonies of some members of the team.

Horacio Carabelli, Design Director of Luna Rossa, is very satisfied: «Today is the fifth day of sailing, a beautiful summer day. The rules, as we know, have changed, but at the moment I would say it is very difficult to spot the changes from the outside; the only evident thing is the cockpit configuration, which has been modified to accommodate the 5 crew members plus the guest. The boat, then, is lighter than in the previous Cup and she is easier to handle in light air. At the moment we are still sailing with the foils from the last campaign, but we will soon be updating many things. The development side and the training side go hand in hand, and we are happy with the new layout configuration: it seems to me that the boat is responding very well, as we had expected».

Trimmer Maria Giubilei is the first woman to have sailed on the Luna Rossa AC75 and does not hide her emotion: «It was wonderful. In these days we are doing several tests and crew rotations, and getting on board was incredible; I had dreamed of it for a long time. The thing that struck me most was the force the boat conveys to you; even on the AC40s it is remarkable, but here, with every maneuver, you really feel the jolt — she is powerful. As for the role of the woman on board, I imagine each team will make its own choices, but Luna Rossa’s playbook has not yet been defined. Of course, I would like to be that woman, but it is really still too early to talk about crews; we have a lot of time ahead and many talented people who will rotate in order to define the final lineup».

Peter Burling, one of the team’s helmsmen, also shares his impressions after the first days at sea: «She is certainly a different boat from the one I was used to», he says. «It always takes a little time to get familiar with her, and we have a long list of things to do. The goal now is to collect as much data and information as possible. The hull is lighter than in the last Cup, and our job is to push her to her maximum and in the most correct way possible in this new configuration. In fact, everything has to be verified: the sails, the foils, the control systems, and it is not work that can be done in a short time. In this phase, the sailors’ feedback is crucial: we are the end users, the ones who will then have to sail her and do so faster than our opponents. The aim is to test at sea the ideas developed ashore and verify whether they work or whether they can be further improved. The synergy between all departments in this phase is fundamental. We have only been sailing for a few days, but I am very satisfied. I also like this mix of experienced people, who bring with them the know-how acquired in previous Cups, and very young people who enrich the team with fresh suggestions and ideas».

Coach Josh Junior is of the same opinion, happy to see the big boat sailing: «She is powerful, very fast, an incredible feeling to see her sailing», he says. «We are still at the beginning, and we are focused on checking the systems, but we have also done a few pre-start maneuvers and it is impressive to see how well she responds. The period on the AC40s was intense, fun and very useful, but having now moved on to the big boat, knowing that she is the one that will race the America’s Cup, is a special moment for me as well, and I am focused on making sure that everything takes place precisely and punctually, without mistakes, without problems. The AC75 is a much bigger boat than the AC40, but her reaction is not so different after all. The AC40 is by no means easy to handle, and therefore the transition for the sailors is not traumatic. Some young sailors who had done a little sailing on the AC75 in the last campaign now find themselves spending many hours on board. They learn immediately, they are extremely focused; I am truly impressed by their speed of learning and their determination».