America’s Cup then and now: Luna Rossa and Kookaburra II
Between the Challenger Selection Series and the final Match of the 37th America’s Cup, the boats that were once legends of the past America’s Cups have reached Barcelona, among these the 12-Metre Class yachts and the "fabulous" J-Class yachts. While the latter will compete in the Class World Championships from October 7 to 11, the 12-Metre Class yachts will participate in the 17th edition of the Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona from September 4 to 7, an event dedicated to vintage and classic yachts.
The 12-m SI fleet comprises 13 boats-between Grand Prix and Traditional-which will compete in four days of racing (Sept. 4 - 7). Among them is Kookaburra II (KA-12), owned by Patrizio Bertelli, which recently won the Class World Championship last June in Porquerolles. Onboard are renowned sailors, including several familiar faces from the America’s Cup who have contributed to the fame and successes of Luna Rossa: Torben Grael, Gabriele Bruni, Matteo Plazzi, Pietro D'Ali, Francesco Binetti Pozzi, Romano Battisti, Manuel Modena, Marcelo Ferreira, Massimo Galli, Alberto Gallina, Michele Gnutti, Giulio Giovanella, Matteo Savelli, Andrea Serpi, Gianni Tognozzi, Paolo Piccione and Filippo Binetti Pozzi.
To highlight the continuity between the America’s Cup of today and that of the past, the AC75 Luna Rossa and the 12-Metre Class Kookaburra II crossed paths in the waters of the 37th America’s Cup, reinforcing the bond between two boats that, in different times and ways, share the same passion and values.
Born from the International Rule formula established in Paris on October 14, 1907, the 12-Metre Class boats earned enormous and immediate success, to the point that the first set of rules (valid from January 1, 1908, to December 31, 1917) was updated in 1919 and 1933, with a further modification to the Class in 2008 by the ITMA (International Twelve Metre Association).
An Olympic Class in 1908, 1912, and 1920, the 12-Metre Class reached the height of its popularity in the post-war period when they were chosen as the America’s Cup boats to replace the gigantic and costly J-Class yachts. It is said that it was Harold Vanderbilt, owner of the lightning-fast Vim (designed by Olin Stephens in 1939), who pushed in this direction, aware of their potential. History would prove him right, as they were the protagonists of unforgettable races from 1958 to 1987.
The last yachts of interest, in fact, were those built for the Australian edition of 1987, the last time they raced in the America’s Cup. Among those created under the Third Rule is Kookaburra II, the second of three yachts with the same name (as well as a project that remained on paper), built by the Taskforce America's Cup Defence '87 consortium put together by Iain Murray for the Australian defense. The design was entrusted to John Swarbrick, while Alan Payne contributed to the winged keel shapes, inspired by those of Australia II.
The boat (Loa 20.12 m, Lwl 13.38 m, beam 3.79 m, draft 2.68 m, sail area 164 sqm, displacement 24.65 tons) was built at the Parry shipyard in aluminum alloy and came in third in the 1987 Defender Trials, behind Kookaburra III and Australia IV.
