Patrizio Bertelli’s reassurance on the future of the team
The day after Luna Rossa's elimination from the Challenger Selection Finals, Patrizio Bertelli, Chairman of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, met with some media representatives to discuss the current situation and the future of the team. Together with Bertelli were Marco Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice President of Pirelli and co-title sponsor of the team, and Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director.
Bertelli assured that Luna Rossa will continue its America’s Cup campaign guided by with Max Sirena, confirming his trust in the team he founded in 1997. He highlighted Luna Rossa’s significant sporting achievements, bringing Italy «from the outskirts to the heart of international sailing,» and its role in nurturing new talent. «In the last three years with Max Sirena we’ve rebuilt a strong team that is reminiscent of our 2000 beginnings,» Bertelli said, «a team defined by a strong sense of belonging, passion, advanced technology, and many young talents – not just sailors but also technical experts. We have a solid foundation to launch our next challenge.»
Reflecting on the Challenger Finals results, Bertelli commented: «The factual truth is that the boat that makes fewer mistakes goes forward. There will be time to analyze what happened, but the issue certainly wasn’t a slow boat. Ours was very fast, in fact, I believe it’s the fastest boat I’ve ever had in all of my challenges. This is what the America’s Cup is like; the competition level is high. We hit a rough two weeks and made mistakes. We’re not in the final because we made more errors than others.»
Regarding the future of the America’s Cup and foiling monohulls, Bertelli noted that it has become a circuit without historical precedents, vastly different from the Newport or Auckland editions. He emphasized that boats like the AC40 are «a major innovation, that attracts younger generations into the sport. We must acknowledge the fact that sailing has changed, and it’s useless to compare it to the past because they are two entirely different worlds. In this respect, I don’t think there’s any going back.»
«In terms of continuity,» he added, «on Wednesday morning the AC75 will be out on the water with the youth crew, supported by the team that has raced so far, giving them a chance to get on board and, at the same time, reinforcing the stability and ongoing nature of the project we started years ago.»
Regarding a future partnership, Marco Tronchetti Provera commented: «This is just one defeat in a story of success. We will be there. We’ll evaluate the details and the form, but we will stand by Patrizio Bertelli and Luna Rossa.»
