Giulio Bertelli, Vice-President of Luna Rossa, has been around the America’s Cup since a boy as the youngest son of Patrizio Bertelli, President and Founder of the Luna Rossa team. In this wide-ranging interview with Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup podcast host Niall Myant-Best, Giulio goes into detail about the most fascinating aspect of the competition throughout its 175-year history – espionage.

It’s an honest account of what really happens behind the scenes as all the teams seek to gain an advantage in one of the most competitive and ruthless sporting competitions in the world. Giulio recalls a time when everything was paper-based and the team had to shred documents to keep their secrets safe, a far cry from today’s multi-layer computer encryption and high-tech approach to secrecy.

Despite the technology, the ‘game’ of the America’s Cup is very much alive with the planting of mis-information being what Giulio calls a “fun part” of the cycle whilst technicians, designers and engineers keep the focus on what is really important. The nuances of the newly re-configured AC75s will be hard to see when the yachts launch later this year with a huge emphasis on systems controls and the mechatronics, and also the limited battery power supply controlling the foils.

Giulio gives a brilliant analysis of what to look out for amongst the leaks, lies and mind  games of the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup.