PROTOTYPE VS. AC40: THE WINNER IS ALWAYS THE TEAM

 

 

The Italian challenger for the 37th America's Cup kicked off its two-boat test sessions last week, putting the Luna Rossa prototype and its AC40 one-design boats up against each other in productive training sessions in the gulf of Cagliari.

«Training with two boats has been on the agenda right from the start», explains Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, «we simply respected the schedule we had set: in the beginning we concentrated our efforts on the prototype, focusing our training and testing on that boat; now that the development period is over we can shift our focus to the crew. The opportunity to have two boats and so many excellent sailors allows us to make several rotations and also integrate the new talents in the crew for the upcoming youth and women's regattas in Barcelona».

No speed tests, then? «They would make no sense», Sirena continues, «since the prototype is very different from the AC40; what we are interested in is not speed but practicing match racing techniques, pre-start maneuvers and buoy turns».

That training with two boats is a great exercise for the crew is confirmed by Francesco "Checco" Bruni, one of the Luna Rossa helmsmen. «For us in the sailing team, sailing with two boats is never enough... we have switched sailors several times to study the different configurations on board and the boat setups. Basically, we do simulations of starts and maneuvers, insisting and repeating the same exercise several times, but always in different conditions. This past week we had two days of very strong wind and two days of weak breeze, missing out on average conditions. Sailing with two boats requires a lot of effort from the team, especially the shore team, but it is definitely an essential workout for us».

«For the first time we did match racing with two boats and it was very interesting», says Philippe Presti, one of the team's coaches. «We worked a lot on pre-starts because they are crucial, also helping the women and youth to prepare for a different kind of competition than what they are used to. When you sail with two boats you have to adapt your tactics and strategy to the opponent; it’s true that the prototype and the AC40 are different, but eventually the AC75 boats we will face in Barcelona will also be different from ours and we will have to do the same work to beat them. Training with two boats also serves this purpose. As a coach I was very pleased with the result, especially by the enthusiasm and ability to grow quickly shown by all the sailors».

The training program with the prototype and AC40 will continue at regular intervals in the coming months.