Vroom Vroom: Prada Pirelli Team’s AC75 Luna Rossa
Set to represent Italy and Circolo della Vela Sicilia in the America’s Cup, this boat is one to watch.
In the Italian island city of Cagliari on Wednesday, designer Miuccia Prada proudly welcomed the revolutionary full-foiling sailboat AC75 Luna Rossa, a state-of-the-art monohull that will represent Italy and the Circolo della Vela Sicilia in the America’s Cup, to the maison’s extensive range of one-of-a-kind creations. Involving over 90 people and 37 team designers in its creation at the Persico Marine Boatyard, construction of the top-class machinery was not an easy feat. Culminating in a total of 78,000 tedious work hours, Prada broke a bottle of Ferrari Maximum Blanc de Blancs over the bow of the boat at the ceremony, and celebration of the AC75 Luna Rossa’s debut rightfully ensued.
“This is our sixth America’s Cup challenge, but launch day is as exciting as ever,” President of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team Patrizio Bertelli explained. “It is the magical moment that brings together many months of work and dedication and the anticipation of finally seeing on the water what was until now only a design. This time, the revolutionary and innovative way the entire monohull concept has been reinterpreted heightens expectations still further.”
With construction complete and competitive preparation underway, the team’s diligent professionalism coupled with key innovative features of the AC75 Luna Rossa make the Prada Pirelli monohull the boat to beat. The sailboat includes a “soft wing” rig with two parallel sails and an intricate systems that controls the sail shape, combining the efficiency of a hard wing with the ease of handling akin to a traditional sail. Furthermore, the hull composed entirely of carbon fibre and aluminum honeycomb is designed to support an impressive load of 27 tons, ensuring that the crew is completely secure as the maneuver the vehicle.
The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team will sail this masterful monohull in the Prada Cup, the America’s Cup Challengers’ Selection Series, and the final match of the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, scheduled to take place in Auckland, New Zealand from January to March 2021. Take a look at the cutting-edge craftsmanship in the slideshow below.