America's
Cup - Team Luna Rossa Becomes The Fifth Challenger:
The Italian Team Will Sail Acts 2 And 3
19th
August, 2004 – The Italian Luna Rossa boats
will compete in the Louis Vuitton Cup for the
third consecutive time in 2007. The team was formally
accepted as a Challenger for the 32nd America’s
Cup by the Société Nautique de Genève
(SNG), the Defender of the America’s Cup.
Representatives
of Team Luna Rossa were handed a letter from Pierre-Yves
Firmenich, the Commodore of the SNG, accepting
the Challenge on Thursday morning, in a small
ceremony in Valencia, Spain, the Host City of
the 32nd America’s Cup. Team Luna Rossa
will represent the Yacht Club Italiano.
Although
the team didn’t lodge its challenge until
recently, Luna Rossa has been among the busiest
of the America’s Cup teams over the past
eight months.
“We
have been training and testing on the waters off
the Spanish coast for over three months,”
explained Francesco de Angelis. “We were
the first to set up a base in Valencia, and as
planned, we now formally announce our participation
as a Challenger in the 32nd America’s Cup.
After
shutting down most of its operations for August,
the team will resume sailing in Valencia at the
beginning of September to prepare for Acts 2 and
3 in October. The team will hold an official announcement
ceremony to launch its challenge late in September
at the Yacht Club Italiano, in Genoa. Luna Rossa
will not compete in Act 1, the Marseille Louis
Vuitton Act.
Team
Luna Rossa skipper Francesco de Angelis first
proved his America’s Cup mettle in the 1999-2000
campaign when, trailing AmericaOne 4-3, de Angelis
and his crew won the final two races of the thrilling
nine-race series to claim the Louis Vuitton Cup.
His determination, skill, and modest demeanour
made him an instant hero in New Zealand and at
home in Italy. But in the America’s Cup
Match the defending Team New Zealand was too strong
for the Italians, and the t eam was swept aside
by the Kiwis.
For
the 32nd America’s Cup, the team will represent
the Yacht Club Italiano (YCI), the oldest sailing
club on the Mediterranean. Founded in 1879 by
a group of sailing enthusiasts, and enjoying the
support of HRH King Umberto I, the Yacht Club
Italiano had the patronage of the Royal Family,
and flew the insignia of the Italian Royal Navy.
The Club has been associated with the America’s
Cup before – in 1987, the “Italia”
team represented the YCI. Today the Yacht Club
Italiano can boast 1200 members, including the
Italian Navy, and Naval Academy. Carlo Croce is
the current commodore.
The
Luna Rossa team is the fifth Challenger to be
accepted for the 32nd America’s Cup, and
will compete for the right to race the Defender,
Team Alinghi, in the America’s Cup Match
in 2007. Luna Rossa joins the BMW ORACLE Racing
Team, the Italian squad +39, Team Shosholoza from
South Africa, and Emirates Team New Zealand as
officially accepted challen gers for the 32nd
America’s Cup.
The
Marseille Louis Vuitton Act 1 of the 32nd America’s
Cup - Valencia, runs from the 5th through to the
11th of September combining Fleet and Match Racing.
The
Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 2 of the 32nd America’s
Cup - Valencia, is a Match Racing event from the
5th - 12th October.
The
Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 3 of the 32nd America’s
Cup - Valencia, is a Fleet Racing event, from
the 14th – 17th of October.
Racing
for the 32nd America’s Cup - Valencia will
continue in 2005 and 2006, with several more Acts
in various locations, including Valencia, the
Host City of the 32nd America’s Cup - Valencia.
In
2007, a fleet race event will precede the Louis
Vuitton Cup, whose winner will then race the Defender,
Team Alinghi, in the America’s Cup Match
in Valencia
.
