Luna Rossa Challenge
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, originally named Prada Challenge, then Luna Rossa Challenge, is an Italian sailboat racing syndicate first created to compete for the 2000 America's Cup. It won the Louis Vuitton Cup on their first attempt in 2000, but then lost the America's Cup match against the defending champion team, Team New Zealand.
| Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team | |
|---|---|
| Career | |
| Yacht club |  Yacht Club Punta Ala (1997–2003) Yacht Club Italiano (2003–2007) Circolo della Vela Sicilia (2007–) |
| Established | 1997 |
| Nation |  Italy |
| Team principal(s) | Patrizio Bertelli |
| Skipper | Francesco de Angelis (1997-2007) Max Sirena (2011-) |
| Notable sailors | Torben Grael James Spithill Francesco Bruni Pietro Sibello |
| Notable victories | 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup 2011 Extreme Sailing Series |
| Yachts | |
| Sail no. | Boat name |
| ITA–45 | Luna Rossa |
| ITA–48 | Luna Rossa |
| ITA–74 | Luna Rossa |
| ITA–80 | Luna Rossa |
| ITA–86 | Luna Rossa |
| ITA–94 | Luna Rossa |
Luna Rossa challenged again for the 2003 America's Cup but was knocked out in the semi-finals stage of the Louis Vuitton Cup. In the 2007 America's Cup, held in Valencia, Spain, the team reached the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup but was against defeated by Team New Zealand.
When the competition moved to AC72 catamarans for the 2013 America's Cup, held in San Francisco, Luna Rossa was the last team to challenge, entering a partnership with Team New Zealand. The Italian team reached the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup, losing to the Kiwi team. While Luna Rossa planned to participate in the 2017 America's Cup, setting up a new base in Cagliari and starting development on the new boat, it withdrew from the competition in protest of the decision to switch class of yachts to the AC50 catamaran.
After Team New Zealand won the Cup back in 2017, Luna Rossa issued their challenge for the next edition, becoming the Challenger of Record for the 2021 America's Cup.
The team is owned by Prada CEO Patrizio Bertelli and it is sponsored by the Italian fashion brand. Additional sponsors were Telecom Italia between 2005-2007 and Pirelli from 2018.
History
2000 Louis Vuitton Cup
In 2000, skippered by Francesco de Angelis and competing as Prada Challenge, the team won the Louis Vuitton Cup, prevailing 5–4 against AmericaOne. The team earned the right to challenge for the 2000 America's Cup, losing 5–0 to defending Cup champion Team New Zealand, in Auckland, New Zealand.
2003 Louis Vuitton Cup
In 2003, still skippered by Francesco de Angelis and competing as Prada Challenge, the team contested for the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup, but were eliminated by OneWorld in the semi-finals.
2007 Louis Vuitton Cup
In 2007, skippered by Jimmy Spithill and competing as Luna Rossa Challenge, the team contested for the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup. They were beaten in the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup by Emirates Team New Zealand, 5–0, still (to 2017) the only time that a team failed to score a point in the Louis Vuitton Cup finals.
2009 and 2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy
With the extensive court challenges leading to the 2010 America's Cup, there was no Louis Vuitton Cup competition. During this period, Luna Rossa Challenge joined other teams racing International America's Cup Class yachts in the 2009 Louis Vuitton Pacific Series and in the 2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena event.
2011–2013 America's Cup World Series
Luna Rossa were last to enter the 2013 America's Cup but brought two AC45 to get the team up to speed and compete in the newly developed America's Cup World Series. The boats called Luna Rossa Piranha and Swordfish were helmed by British sailors Chris Draper and Paul Campbell-James to get the team up to speed with multihulls but with a primarily Italian crew.
2013 Louis Vuitton Cup
Skippered by Massimiliano “Max” Sirena, Luna Rossa Challenge contested for the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup. In order to overcome the late start of the campaign, a deal was signed with Emirates Team New Zealand to share information on the design of their AC72 catamarans. The two teams ended up facing each other in the challengers’ final, which Emirates Team New Zealand won 7–1. Luna Rossa Challenge scored its only win when Emirates was disqualified in the second race of the finals.
2017 Louis Vuitton Cup
In June 2014, Luna Rossa confirmed they would compete for the 2017 Louis Vuitton Cup. A few months later, before the preliminary 2015–16 America's Cup World Series started competition, it was decided that the 2017 America's Cup would switch to the AC50 yacht. Luna Rossa withdrew in protest.
